The guy on the other end of the phone asks when we got to be this old and if I am ready for my baby girl to go off to college.
“She is just a year older than mine, how can this have gone so quickly. They are going to be gone and I have questions. Who are we now?”
I laugh and said I understood.
“My dad told me years ago about how when we all left he and my mom had to get to know each other again. I told him that sounded silly and he said it wasn’t as much as I thought it was.
“We still knew each other..obviously but we didn’t have you guys around constantly. Went back to having no daily in your face distractions, it was just us. Every meal, every day. That is not a bad thing but we hadn’t done it daily in years.”
I understand it better now and know somewhere he is saying you can’t screw an old head on young shoulders.
The voice on the other side says that makes sense and tells me about a letter he wrote saying “are you still my girl?”
I ask if it was ever read and he tells me he doesn’t know.
Different Conversations Than Before
We shift from kids to other stuff like general health and I tell him about how I saved $150 on healthcare items.
“Got a bill for some regular supplies that was a chunk higher than normal. Told the provider that it wasn’t right but I had some kid who didn’t want to listen. Waited for the bill and then called the insurance company and showed them I have never paid that much before and they agreed. Plan hadn’t changed.”
There is chuckling on the other side and he asks if instead of talking like old men I can tell him about the girl from the Con law class or what I plan on doing with my Camaro.
“Don’t you need to fix the carburetor or put a new power steering unit in it.”
This time I laugh and ask him to explain what happened because it feels like it should still be 1989 but it is not.
****
Back in the present I glance at the headlines and smile because the pissant from North Carolina lost. His replacement might be worse, don’t know but not going to worry about that tonight.
No, tonight I am going to believe that one of the worst members of congress is going away and hope we can get rid of a few more.
Some of you will tell me that I shouldn’t be that optimistic and if you were here I’d shrug my shoulders at you. Got to have some hope, especially during the magical hours that come post midnight.
Besides if anyone knows that shit happens and has proven he can pivot it is me. I know how to move heaven and earth when needed. Not something I look for, but hell and I have an understanding.
****
Got a plumber coming to the house tomorrow to take care of some issues. I am concerned he is not going to get there early enough to fix one of the main issues.
But am hopeful the issue isn’t as severe as it might be. Some repairs are simpler than expected but in this situation I am less optimistic.
Hope my expectations will be exceeded, especially because they are relatively low for this.
Time will tell.
