Subject: Weekend Update: May 8-12, 2003
Date: Mon, 12 May 2003 12:46:16 -0400

The smoky mishap in the barn earlier in the week has gotten
progressively clearer and cleaner.  Joy moved her sewing to
the dining room and the living room for the time being, so=20
now those rooms are strewn with wedding effects.

David and Jessica finished up their Junior year at college and
came home on Thursday. Joy sent out most of the wedding invitations
this week, with just a few still outstanding.  They have been
addressed for a few weeks. Now Jessica and David have to nail
down a few details for themselves. One of those details was taken
care of Thursday evening when Joy and I accompanied them to the
Pheasant Lane Mall where I ushered them from Jewelry store to
Jewelry store.  They pored over wedding rings in at least seven
stores while I found benches in the mall on which to pass the time
and to people-watch.  They selected their wedding bands from Kay
Jewelers. It was exciting to take another step toward the aisle.

Jessica drove David to the airport early on Friday morning;
they will be apart for a few weeks; Lana and Harold's last
hurrah with a single son!

Rich and Wendy invited us over for dinner on Friday.  We told
them ahead of time that we couldn't stay long, but they wanted
us to come anyway.  They were showing their home to another realtor,
Wendy's cousin, because they were dissatisfied with the performance
of their previous real estate agent.  We had to leave early because
Joy agreed to watch the nursery at the church that evening, while
Vicky Clark taught a class on "Raising Boys"; none of them named
Cain, I trust; my mother could teach that one.  I went with Joy to
the church to test the wedding presentation on the big screen.  I
was glad that I did because I adjusted the lighting and positioning
of some of the pictures. It also provided me with a test showing to
some people who were there.  I don't think I do as well as Akiko Long,
but it should serve the purpose and be fun.

Miranda was dealt some bad news on Friday.  She will be looking
for a new job next school year.  Budget cuts have already come=20
her way; she was informed that her contract was not going to be
renewed next year.  It is a blow to the ego, but I know that she
will bounce back quickly because budget cuts and state law will
favor her Special Education talents.  Nevertheless, it is a difficult
thing to go through.

Joy attended another bridal shower at the church in Saturday
morning. She rushed out of the house at 9:30 to be at the church
by 10. Miranda and Jessica were to follow in another car because
they were going to Eastern Nazarene College for Commencement
exercises afterward.  Joy mistook the start time of the shower
and arrived an hour early, so she made herself useful and helped
other ladies with decorating the place.  Meanwhile, Andrew, Emily,
and I set about the chores around the manor.  We finished at about
12:30 when we expected Joy to return. We thought we earned a nice
ice-cold Coke Slurpee and waited for Joy to join us.  When she hadn't
arrived by 2PM I figured that the three of us should go and get back
before the day was over.  We passed Joy on her way home, but
continued on with our mission.

When we returned we decided that the cover should come off the pool
and open it up for the season. Andrew said that he'd jump into the
cold water if I paid him $20. I asked Emily of she's pay me $5 to
push Andrew in!  I figured it would be one way of coming out ahead
and still see Andrew get wet.  Of course, no money was exchanged
and no one got wet, hardly.

Andrew did, however, offer to buy dinner for the four of us as
his Mother's Day present. After dinner we made a trip to Wal*Mart
for some pool chemicals. Andrew and I scoured the $5.88 DVD bin
and came up with the old Batman (Adam West) cheesy movie, which
we bought and watched that same evening. Bang! Pow! Ziff!

On Sunday, the kids suggested that we take advantage of a Kentucky
Fried Chicken promotional to spare mom (and the kids) from making
Sunday afternoon dinner.  I thought they were going to pay, but
I ended up holding the bag.  I didn't mind, really, even though I
made fun by protesting that Joy was not my mother once again.  I
waited until 9PM to call my own mother; the last of her children
to check in, so I wasn't a prize there.  She and Dad are finishing
up their interim assignment in Duxbury, MA, next month and I didn't
want to call until she was home again. (I say "their assignment"
because they are a team.)  I keep inviting Mom to come and
stay with us for a few days, but Dad wouldn't handle the stress
too well.  :-)

Today is my cousin's 25th wedding anniversary; it is also Joy' and
my 24th wedding anniversary.  I think we'll head up to auction tonight
and then some dinner.  I'll check in with Kendra and Dan to see how
they spent their 25th.  Next year, the Metcalfe's have a couple
of 25 year anniversaries, and a 50th anniversary; a hundred years
of marriage!

Mark