Surprise! And confused!!

When I come into town on my day at the Sub, I check our mail.

I opened the PO box, and there was a key.  Huh.  Looks like I have something, but, what?  I didn't order anything, and Husband never mentioned something showing up...

So, I trot over to the storage area with the key.  Box 45.  Hmm.

Ok, Box 1 through 39... Box 51 through 65...  Um.  Box 45 should be... Where?  I wandered back and forth, trying to figure out where the silly section with the 40's were.  Turns out, for some unfathomable reason, the 40's are stuck in a completely different area.

But, I found them.  So, I find box 45, put in the key, and open to... Peet's Coffee?  HUH?!??

I do not drink coffee, Husband doesn't, and my family drinks mostly the regular stuff, no specialty brands.  While musing on this, and smelling the lovely aroma, (while I don't drink coffee, I think it's a lovely smell, Eau de Coffee would be something I could really enjoy as a perfume!), I finally registered that it was for 3 boxs away from mine.  I buzzed the mail folk, and let them know, mentioning that I wouldn't want anyone to miss their morning coffee!  She agreed, and they quickly unlocked the key, and ran it to the correct PO box.

I have this image of someone just holding the box and sniffing... Aaaaaaahhhhh....

Of mice, men, and plans.

Well, it's that season, when things slow down a bit, not much is happening, and so I made plans.

And that sound you hear is the Universe laughing so hard it wet itself...

Thought I would take Mom camping.  Dad had some problems, and so we delayed the trip.  I was going to do some personal camping, (read: I go out into the camper, stay in the back yard, and eat foods Husband doesn't like, read books, and binge watch Downton Abbey.  And work on the garden.  Probably in that order.)

So, we had a phone call.  We knew Husband's Dad and Mom in law had been talking about coming out.  So, it was his Dad.  Husband asked how it was going.  Dad in law pipes up, Oh, we're in Nebraska.

!!?!??!!!   !

Oh!  Well, I might still 'camp'.  But it will be a LOT shorter than I planned.  I believe, with the way the two of them drive, it wouldn't surprise me if they showed up at our house at, or before, Friday.  So, one day will be dedicated to making the table usable for several people, rather than an open concept office desk for the two of us.  Picking up the multiples of magazines I had set aside to read, too.  (Might just take those out to the "camp", and read them... Sometime?  Put them with the month's worth of newspapers I want to look through?  Gah...)

They have set up with a friend to have a place to stay nearby, so I don't have to worry too much about the accommodations, but I don't want to move things continually to give them a place to sit themselves, or their stuff, nor do I really want it to look like we had a tornado go through a paper mill before they visit...

I have food put back, so we shall have something that they can eat when they show up.  I have a few other things I need to make sure are taken care of.  Husband has a new hearing aid he needs adjusted, before they show.  I think that we will have enough things to entertain and amuse for a bit, they love to go and visit friends...  (Ok, except for the sort of sad comment, we asked if they were going to visit some friends in a nearby state, they said, no, they had all died, so there was no sense stopping.  With age comes wisdom, but it still sucks, from time to time...)

So, when Dad gets all his stuff and doings worked out, Husband's hearing is up to snuff, the in-laws are settled and doing well, and I get through any more surprises, we'll go do the camping thing.

Why, oh, why am I hearing that dang laughing again???

Q is for Queen...

I had this really neat kitty, big old longish haired, grey striped cat, bright yellow eyes.  It walked just like John Wayne, from the back.

So, I named him Duke.

Duke lived up to his name, he'd eat, and fight, and be the biggest, most aggressive cat.  Ran most everyone else off.  He loved me, though.  I would feed him on the bin where we kept the food, and he would purr so loudly, you'd thought his Mom was a Peterbilt.

We'd had him for about a year or two, where he came from was anyone's guess, people were unduly fond of dumping cats out near our place, since we were in the country.  (Snarl...)

But then I couldn't find him.  He was gone for about 3 days or so.  I was really worried, and Mom and Dad even checked the road, a definite danger to our animals there.

Then I saw Duke jump up on the bin like always, purring.  However, this time, I heard little squeaks...

Huh?

I peeked behind the bin, and there, by an engine block, were 4 tiny kittens.  This wasn't a real safe place for them, so we moved the kittens, and Duke, giving them a spot with a bit more warmth, and a bit less mechanical decor.

Oh, and I renamed her Duchess...

Aw, nuts.

I was at a meeting, and someone brought cashews.

I love cashews, can't stay out of them.

So, I nibbled my way through the meeting.  I really should have moved them somewhere that I couldn't reach them, but, hey, they are cashews!  With the meeting over, I was told I could take the rest of the bowl home, because they were too rich for the gal that brought them.  I tried to beg off, telling her we didn't need them at home, as I didn't need them, and I was the only one who ate them at the house...

Aaaand, I was asked to take them home anyway.

Sigh. Well, okay.

I brought them in the house. Husband glances at the bowl.  "Cashews?"
"Yeah, I was told to bring them home, so I guess-"
Crunch.  Crunch. Mmm. Crunch.

Huh, ooookaaay, maybe he DOES like them.

Husband is putting a handful into his mouth, and Ding is wandering around looking at him like he has something very tasty that she isn't getting.  He downs another dozen or so, and gives her one to sniff.

She sniffs, then tries to bury it.

No accounting for taste.

So, I start to nibble.  Husband grabs another handful.  "These are really salty. I don't think I am used to this much salt..." Munch...

I made dinner, and he really had a hard time eating, said he wasn't all that hungry.

Hmmmm.  Now why would that be?  :)