Summer: Wed. 6/16

Today I planned to drive to Greensburg to have a nice morning of Gabe's shopping and then lunch with Mom and Dad. I'm glad we got to have some time together before our beach trip, since they can't come with us this year. It felt surprisingly normal to walk around Gabe's and then eat (inside!) at Panera. 

Doesn't that sound like a nice way to spend the day? It was. Unfortunately, there's more to this story. I'd made an appointment at the Volvo service center in Greensburg to have a hitch put on the car, and also to check out a mysterious emissions light that's been on for a while. Mom and Dad planned to meet me there so we could shop and lunch while the car was being worked on. Alas, for reasons unclear to me, the Volvo place had NONE of the parts necessary to complete either of the repairs. I drove an unhitched, mysteriously lit car to Greensburg and I drove an unhitched, mysteriously lit car home several hours later.

I prefer the first narrative. I'll focus on the nice visit with Mom and Dad and try to forget about the UTTER FRUSTRATION of a futile car repair attempt.

The kids had another fun day at camp. I'm so glad we signed them up. Lucia had a dramatic day of having her water bottle sink to the bottom of the lake; Greta continues to learn chords on the ukulele. They come home happy but also completely fried--I tried to get them to go to the pool for a bit, but they were uninterested. Greta curled up with a book on the couch. Lucia listened to music in her room. They barely make it to bedtime. 

Farrah seems to be doing better. No more vomiting. She continues to reject the canned food, but since we're not giving her anything else, she does give in eventually and eats some. Not a lot--not the can and a half per day the vet prescribed--but some. Did I have to feed her single bites from a teaspoon tonight while she sat queenlike on the couch, awaiting each offering? Perhaps. Andrew rolled his eyes, but he's the one who's been loudly and slavishly gushing over her cute new pink harness. We are both that kind of dog person. There's no shame in it. Andrew likes this story: When I took Farrah to the vet yesterday, I carried her from the car to the waiting vet tech. "Oh no," the tech said, full of concern. "Isn't she able to walk?" "She can walk fine," I said. "But she's scared." (She was! She was trembling.)

What We're Reading:

Lucia - the first book in a very extensive, very long Rick Riordan series, which I can't remember the name of, or even if it's Riordan, and maybe it's based on Greek mythology? I'll look tomorrow. 

Greta - Aru Shah #3

Margo - The Party Upstairs by Lee Conell (takes place in a NYC apartment building)

Andrew - [insert hefty nonfiction tome]

Read aloud - A Snicker of Magic