I don�t even know where to start. I had to look back to my last entry (seven days ago) to determine what y�all missed. What I missed telling you. I wasn�t terribly forthcoming then so I have to catch up I suppose.

The Parents/Brother visit:

As I said, I was dreading this. In typical fashion the weekend went well. Everyone arrived safely and my parents were able to come by the restaurant while I was working for dinner. My section was full so they sat in another section nearby (had I known they were there earlier I would have switched tables with the waitress in that station.) My father then went to the airport to pick up my brother. Around the time I expected a call to say they had connected I called only to find out that my father was circling the Detroit airport and my brother was not to be found. That is when all the fun began.

My father didn�t have the flight details (why? you got me, so not my Dad) so I called the motel to get them from my mother. Of course my father refuses to have a leash (cell phone) so he has my mother�s phone and I must call the motel office and ask for her room. The pleasant young girl connects me only to have the phone ring for a while and then redirect to a machine.

Hang up, call back.

Message machine.

Hang up, call back.

Same pleasant young girl answers and I explain that I am certain my mother is in her room (still recuperating from the broken ankle she isn�t exactly very mobile) and as she attempts to connect I she blurts �now why is that happening?� It seems that when she tries to call 311 the system connects to 412. I explain that my dad is circling the Detroit airport and I need to talk to Marme so that I can relay information to him. I give her my home number (local) and she runs over to the room to deliver the message.

Meanwhile I call back Dad who informs me that Brother has called and he is going to meet up with him at the #2 terminal (seems Brother was waiting at the #3 terminal and swears he told Dad that (getting old sucks)). Sitting at the 2 Dad could see the 3 and he watched a man in a feathered hat looking around for a few minutes before it registered that it was my Renaissance Festival loving brother who had thought to wear said feathered hat in order to be more noticeable.

A wrong turn getting onto the freeway and they were well on their way in the opposite direction of my new home. When I call to check and see if they had hooked up my brother answered and informed me of their thoroughly lost status. I could hear my Father laughing in the background and when they came to a sign declaring �pavement ends� they turned around and headed back towards the woman who had given the last set of directions. At this point I asked if they had bought a squirrel which brought gales of laughter (yes I mean gales; you have to know my brother to appreciate his incredibly infectious laugh. He is the world best audience plant. If you don�t get it it�s hard to explain, rent �Rat Race�) The second request for directions turned them back around onto the dirt (not) road on the other side of which was the freeway entrance as promised. Not long after that they were at my door.

My brother is the spitting image of Ron Howard (if he were still heavy) with more hair (he looks so old). We hugged, it was so great to see him. All this (above) and he just arrived, just wait there�s more but I will break it up for you.

When I�m all done with the �what I did this last weekend� I�ll get into the real stuff.

Next up: part two of �The family visit�.

I wish you Peace

~alison~

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