Bay State to Garden State

 

 

          I’ve arrived in New Jersey, white knuckles and all.

What better time to spend four hours on the highway than when a Nor’easter is enveloping the entire East coast?

The first three torrential hours were the most fun, sharing the road with people who have never heard of hydroplaning, and trucks who emit more spray than a fire tug in New York harbor.

          In spite of omens like the makeshift memorial of flowers by the road that I spotted in the first twenty minutes, I made it. My Guy is home with another commitment and I’m here watching over our remaining grandsons while their mom and dad celebrate a 25^th anniversary in Mexico. 

          Unlike earlier visits, when all three of the boys were ricocheting around the house and we told each other our job was to just keep them alive till their parents returned, this is a more sedate trip.

          We have one in college now, a senior in high school, and the third is in 7^th grade. Plus, the remaining two have such a relentless schedule of school, football practice/games, and work, that if I see them for more than two hours at a clip I’ll be amazed.

 The cats are happy, though. Dusty’s thrilled – with the gigantic (and very sweet) golden retriever Bowie at a dog spa for five days, she’s descended to the first floor for a change. 

And Marvin, who Bowie is terrified of, but who all the repairmen fall in love with, now has a human who seems to be here for the sole purpose of feeding and patting him.

          Now I just have to keep myself entertained while everyone else is off laboring. Thus my tote bag of three library books, several crossword puzzles, and new knitting project. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll honor my promise to myself to inject at least a few new words in book four, Doubly Murdered, which has been treading water in Chapter 4 for 6 months.