I know, I know, money can't buy love. Money is the root of all evil. And so it goes. Sign me up for: SHALLOW. Money doesn't hurt, really. To hear: "Meme" (that's may-may), "This is the best day/night ever!" OR to be able to say: "Okay, sounds great! Let's do it!" without hesitating when asked for lessons, movies, leopard, fur lined shoes dusted with glitter from Justice, new basketball shorts, etc. is exhilarating!
Let me start at the beginning of the story. My daughter, the mother of the Trio - Todd, 10; Tess, 9; Tanner, 6 announced that she would be on a Caribbean Cruise for two weeks - January 11- January 25. She also said, "Mom, you have to stay in Zanesville, because the children have school, but, I know that you will want to take them home with you on weekends." Ah-ha. Okay.
Zanesville, Ohio is a two and a half hour drive from my residence in Kettering, Ohio if I do the speed limit. Trooper Davis in West Jefferson (not quite one-half way from Kettering) is rather prickly about things like speed limits, so to be sure, it's a two and a half hour ride. Zanesville is grey, ugly, unpleasant. That may sound unfair, because Bryan's, Muddy Miser's, Florafino's, Picnic Pizza, Movement on Main, St. Nicholas parish, Bishop Fenway School are rather pleasant and so genteel. The staff of The Comfort Inn is commendable as well. The Stagecoach and The Horseshoe are rather welcoming also. The rest of Zanesville is ill-mannered, impolite, detestable and Duncan Falls Elementary School produces bullies and is proud of it! Zanesville is Naples, Florida (another Blog, a year and a half ago) without money. But, that is not what I am talking about. The only thing to do in Zanesville, is race to the border to get out!
But my new son-in-law's office is in Zanesville, thereby forcing the family to move into the pits and try to make the best of it.
The children and I had a wonderful time! Most of the school days were "snow" days! No school! But, we went to lessons (dance), signed the boys up for basket ball, shopped, frequented restaurants, took in a movie - "The Nut Job". The travelers returned home rested, tanned. Meme , not so much. Instead, I was rather exhausted, on a tight rope bordering poverty stricken, upon their return.
At the "Golden Corral", we indulged in the chocolate, white chocolate and caramel fountains while we strategized future "Darla Darling" shows. We made shopping lists during dinner at "The Stagecoach". Of course, we threw a little educational chat into the mix at "The Stagecoach" over wings and mozzarella sticks.
Todd: "Hey, Meme, did you ever ride in a stagecoach when you were little?" Happy to share a story, I told them about "Frontier Town" in New York State. "Mo, Meme! I mean, did you go anywhere in one? What's a stagecoach anyway?" I assured the Trio that I was not that old and that it was an old-fashioned Greyhound Bus. The differences: the driver rides on top, not inside; the driver steers with reins, not a steering wheel; the horses pull to power in front rather than the engine with horse power inside. Todd needed a black dress shirt and a logo-free, non-hooded sweat shirt or top for his new school's uniform and uniform gym attire. Calvin Klein, thank you very much! Tess saw great shoes in "Justice" - glitter leopard, fur lined - got 'em! Tanner needed dress shoes - no problem. At "Bob Evans", we made a mouth watering shopping list and tore up Krogers, Riesbeck's (Instant Dino Oatmeal...dinosaurs "hatch" from "eggs" when boiling water is added). We dined at"The Horseshoe" and then zipped through "Dairy Queen" to take home dessert. Both boys needed basket ball shorts and Pirouette (Tess' Bearded Dragon) needed crickets. Tess reminded me that the list that she created to replenish items in the "Ducky" bathroom was marking a place in the book I was reading. Hmmm. I had to transfer all of my receipts into a separate, roomy tote bag after purchasing Todd eight T-shirts, since on one snowy day, we used all of his while silk screening cool designs! After lunch at Steak N Shake, we picked up new socks and a light to heat the Shrinky-Dink oven. Two weeks, not including three tanks of gas, totaling $550 for our adventures did not rattle me much...until...
The boys have a tall dresser. A brand new, not yet connected, flat screened TV was perched on top. Evidently, it was too close to the edge. The top drawer was stuck. I yanked. I have quick reflexes and caught the tumbling TV in my forearms. Whew! I thought, - near miss! I have quick reflexes, but not quick enough! Short story, long...I am now on the hook for a new television. The screen cracked!
Restaurants, food stores, drug stores, clothes, shoes, socks, T-shirts, basket ball shorts, paint, crazy gizmos from the Dollar Store, a specialty bulb for the Shrinky-Dink oven, movies AND a television: $1200. Snuggling with the Trio, laughing, playing, just sharing time: PRICELESS. I would not trade the kisses, hugs, "I love you's" for the world.
But, I am here to tell you: GRANDPARENTING IS A RICH MAN'S SPORT not meant for the weak!
