A jinxed trip turned out OK

The trip appeared jinxed from the very beginning. The weather was hot and traffic was heavy, although it could have been worse heading north through town late on a Monday morning. I drove the first leg, and got us to Greensboro, N.C., where we left I-85 and latched onto U.S. Highway 29.

The first mishap happened (“mishappened” perhaps?) before we even left, when Dave opted to check the lid on a jar of iced coffee. I had already told him the lid might be cross-threaded, but instead of tipping it toward the sink, he tipped it toward himself over the counter. Cross-threaded it was, and proved it by splattering on his shirt and the floor.

While he did the color commentary, I wiped it up. That’s what women do, right?

I made sure the Fayette-grown groceries I bought at Adams’ Farm were in the camper, knowing Jean would love them. She’d also love my copy of Dr. Sams’ newest yarn, “Down Town”, I thought, and I was so right. I’d read only one chapter and I didn’t see it again until we started packing the camper to go home. She says I’ll like it.

We arrived in Leesburg safe and sound, groceries intact only because we stopped in Reidsville, N.C. to purchase a new battery for the back part of the camper. We discovered it was dead just as we were leaving home, actually, but no problem, since the fridge runs off propane while we’re underway.

Taking advantage of Wal-Mart’s hospitality, we spent the night in their parking lot, thus offsetting the cost of the battery by the cost of a motel room which Dave would have preferred. Only because it poured buckets while he was installing the new battery was it cool enough to sleep without air conditioning. The battery powered a little fan that helped a lot, and we slept well.

Not until I washed clothes at Jean’s house did I discover the new ventilation holes in the front of the shirt Dave was wearing while changing batteries. Good thing it was raining, I guess. Without water diluting the battery acid, the holes might have been in his skin.

The bride whose wedding we were in Leesburg to attend was waiting anxiously for her first passport. She had been uneasy about sending in her birth certificate, and when she learned of the backlog new passport laws were creating, she paid a company an additional $30, I believe it was, to expedite her document. She had allowed far more time than was recommended, and still had not received it – until the day before her wedding.

When we left after the wedding, Jonathan’s passport had not yet arrived. He had his birth certificate and that was supposed to be sufficient to re-enter the country from the Caribbean. Haven’t heard yet whether Abigail came home alone.
Let’s see, what else went awry? I lost my watch. Again. It’s the little bracelet with colored stones in it that I bought for $15 at Kohl’s two Christmases ago. Cheap and gaudy, yes, but I love it.

The peaches and tomatoes were a big hit. I knew Jean would like them. I peeled a few for the little boys who, she assured me, were crazy about them too. As I worked, I popped a bite or two into my mouth. Incredibly sweet, they really didn’t need sugar. Still, out of habit, I scooped a tablespoon from the glass canister on the shelf over the sink, and stirred it in. When Samuel came into the kitchen a few minutes later, I offered him a juicy bite.

He made a face and spit it out. The baby did the same thing. Samuel reached into Jean’s pantry and found a can of peaches and took it to his mother.
“I can’t believe you don’t like these.” I was so disappointed. “They’re delicious,” and took a bite with both boys watching.

Yuck! You know what happened. I keep white sugar in a glass canister in my kitchen. Jean keeps salt in one almost like it. And in case you ever wondered, no, you can’t get salt out of peaches even after rinsing several times with water.

That’s about it. Oh, after the wedding (which was lovely and required no extra sugar), I asked Brian if the candles had been lit. We all thought about it for a minute and no one could recall seeing anyone light the candelabras.

“Probably wouldn’t have stayed lit,” opined the father-of-the-bride. “Remember how warm it was, despite the air conditioner? We had turned the ceiling fans so high, Abigail said they were going to mess up the girls’ hair. The fans would have blown out the candles, so I don’t believe they ever lit them.”

I lost my favorite cane. Dave agreed to stop at the Pottery Barn on the way home, and I left it hooked to the back of a shopping cart.

But I found my watch. It was in the washer, having ridden out a full cycle. It’s still running fine, and is very clean.