Vacation
We're headed to Corpus Christi for the weekend. They have an excellent aquarium for Eli 4.1 to see and some nice beaches. I grew up about ten miles away in a town called Portland, so I get to take Eli by the house where I grew up.Originally, this trip was going to be with our cool ex-neighbors Mark and Colleen and their kids, but it's impossible to coordinate trips with weekends and birthdays and whatever, so they unfortunately couldn't come with us. We thought about asking my Mom, but she's going on her own trip with my sister this weekend. Then Gloria thought about her other friends who have kids, but they're booked for months in advance.
If you're getting the idea that Gloria desperately wanted to talk to another adult besides me on this trip, advance three squares and draw another card. Apparently, asking open-ended, obscure questions every half hour and then staring out the window in thought is less entertaining in real life than it is in the movies. I'm not much of a chit or a chatter.
Yesterday, she was standing at the kitchen counter, looking all wistful, and she said (for about the fifth time this week) "I just wish we could have had another couple come along on the trip." Then she pauses and says "Oh, but I'm really happy that we're going."
"Right," I said. "Hey, I'll find somebody to go with us. No problem." Then I walked off to my study.
Hotmail can be a very, very convenient tool.
Thirty minutes later, LThomas1956@hotmail.com was online and ready to send mail. To Gloria.
Corpus Christi Trip: Interested
I saw your listing on Craigslist for the trip to Corpus Christi this weekend. I live in San Antonio and I'm defintely interested. I have an aunt down there I'd like to see and I don't have transportation down there. Maybe your family could pick me up in San Antonio on the way down. I hope the spot's still available and I'll wait to hear from you.
Leonard
Wait...wait...wait...
"WHAT did you do?" Right on schedule.
"What?" I asked.
"YOU set up a Hotmail account and sent me that e-mail."
"What e-mail?" Must keep straight face.
"The E-MAIL from the Leonard person about our trip. He said he read about it on Craigslist!"
"Yeah, well I did do that. I put in an ad today to find somebody to go with us."
"You did not."
"Craigslist is very easy to use. I'd expect to get several more responses by the end of the day."
"Arrgghh! You did not."
"Does he sound nice?"
"Does who sound nice?"
"Leonard."
"Arrgghhh! I don't believe you."
Of course you don't--mostly. She walked off and I managed not to burst out laughing, which should get me some kind of Academy Award nomination.
Wait...wait...wait...
Slowly walk toward her study, not wanting her to sense my presence. Looking for what she's searching for on the Web. When I'm within a few steps, she turns around and starts minimizing windows on her desktop. All except the one she's trying to hide.
Craigslist.
"Craigslist, I see," and at that point I just lose it. I'm practically crying I'm laughing so hard.
"Damn you, damn you, damn you," she says.
Scoreboard.
<< Home