Highlights of Houseguests

So here I am crawling my way back into blogland after a whirlwind visit by my Mom and my Auntie Kate.  I had a wonderful time having them here, and I hope they had a wonderful time being here (so far the reviews have been very positive).  As I mentioned in my previous post, they are identical twins.  I, along with the rest of their children, affectionately refer to them as the Twinks and occasionally, the two-headed beast (THB).  Currently, my life is so full that something had to give.  The logical decision was to step away from the computer ( but I was still tethered by the crackberry umbilical cord) to manage my daily life and fully appreciate my visitors.  I have no regrets.

A few of the plans during their visit were up in the air.  Luckily, that worked in our favor.  Auntie Kate's arrival was complicated by some bad weather followed by some bad timing, missed connections, and last minute stand-by rejection.  She and Mom were to meet in Denver and arrive here on the same flight on Thursday, October 8.   Auntie Kate made it to Denver but ended up in a hotel.  The next morning, she called to say that she had been diverted to San Francisco.  It was a fast ball pitched at us, but we swung hard and nailed it.  SFO is a two hour drive from here, but we were happy to have an excuse to go into the city as we love San Francisco.  Plus, my aunt had never seen SF so it was a great opportunity.  My husband is a bottomless pit of useless information a treasure trove of fun and interesting facts about San Fran and knows the city well, so he is the consummate tour guide.  We took Auntie Kate and Mom on a highlights tour then had a good seafood dinner at Fisherman's Wharf.  Very touristy, but for SF first-timers, it's best to see and do those things and check them off the list.

On Saturday, my daughter's high school hosted a band competition.  She is a member of the colorguard in the band (yes, the very same one I teach) and she had to perform and serve as host to a guest band.  My husband entertained the Twinks and brought them to the competition so they could see my daughter perform.

Sunday, I accompanied the Twinks to a swim meet to watch their brother's granddaughter (did you follow that?) swim in two events, followed by a late lunch with their brother and his wife, his son and the granddaughter.

Monday, the Twinks entertained themselves at my house by picking tomatoes in my backyard, playing with my dog and chatting with various members of the family as we ran in and out to our various obligations.

Tuesday evening, we all piled into the family truckster (kids too because there was no school on Wednesday, but the dog stayed home) for an overnight trip to Reno to eat at the Sushi Club, and for marathon gambling and antiquing.

Wednesday and Thursday we were back home for more regular daily activities and then Friday, the Twinks went to stay with their brother and his wife.

Saturday, we met up for another band competition.

Sunday afternoon, my husband announced that he thought the adults should go back to Reno just for the evening to play Pai Gow poker as the Twinks did not get to play it on the first trip.  We hopped in the mini-SUV this time and headed up the "hill" (that would be the Sierra Nevada Mountains).  My husband then took a vote to see who wanted a side trip to Lake Tahoe.  All were in favor, so we diverted our trip long enough to show the Twinks, neither of whom had seen it.  We also saw snow (we prefer to visit snow and not have it visit us).  We then headed to Reno and played Pai Gow poker until about 2:30 am.  Pai Gow Poker is a slow table game, so it's easy to sit, play and sip cocktails without losing all your money.  It is a game more geared toward gamers as opposed to gamblers.  My husband and I fall into the gamers category and enjoy the leisurely social aspect of Pai Gow.  

Auntie Kate and Mom at Lake Tahoe

Monday was again filled with regular daily life obligations and the Twinks spent the day organizing and packing for their departure on Tuesday.  Tuesday's departure was bittersweet.  Everyone enjoyed the visit and, we were not ready for it to end, but as always, life's responsibilities called each of us to return to our daily routines. 

In between the comings and goings, I was able to have some great conversations with my mom and my aunt.  I'll admit (selfishly) that is was nice to have their undivided attention and to talk without really being interrupted.  When I'm on their turf, they must attend to their obligations the same way I attended to mine while they were here.  This means that I often have to stand in line and wait my turn to have quality time with them.  It makes me grateful to have had this opportunity to spend the time we had together and I know I will tuck this visit into the fond memories category for years to come.