Visiting Charlotte

So, I'm in Charlotte to stay with the girls while Sandy and Greg meet up with Stephanie and Nicky for a long weekend in Savannah.  I can't believe it's been three years since I stayed with the girls the last time. I would have said it was a year! I have a fun weekend planned for us.

I have to admit, Sandy and Greg both tried to remember every possible thing I would need to know while they are away.

A. How to work the thermostat? Greg started telling me and I sort of zoned out---for two reasons.
1. I know how to work a thermostat---they are not that hard.
2. If I'm cold, I'll just put on a sweater. I don't usually mess with other people's thermostats.

B. Be careful when loading the dishwasher as one of the silverware basket sections has a hole in it. I think I would have figured that out.

C. The ice maker isn't working, so they bought a bag of ice. Okay, I would have figured that out too.

D. Upon leaving the house, give Titan (their little dog) a treat, put up the gate and exit.
They failed to tell me:
1. As soon as you put on your jacket, get your purse, jingle the keys and fiddle with the gate---it's a dead give-away that you are leaving and the little rascal takes off!
2. They also failed to tell me that luring him with the treat might not work. And it didn't---at first. Finally, I put it on the floor and stood back. After about 3 tries, he finally came in the laundry room to get it. I was able to quickly get the gate up and get out.

Luckily, I only have to do this one more time. I bought him some new treats today, so maybe he'll go for that better.

E. Once you get to school for pick-up, Victoria will be able to direct you to Starbucks, the grocery store and home.
1. Uhhh, NO. She wasn't sure. So she put it in to her phone. I would have asked Siri---faster.
2. She's a lousy co-pilot. She doesn't give enough notice when I need to make a turn. She said that she gets that from her dad. She says he's the worst!

Luckily, Sandy had programmed the house in to her navigation system so I got home easily.

F. Sandy warned me that Elizabeth has anxiety about whether someone will be there to pick her up when she gets off the bus. Sure enough, she texted me at exactly 3 p.m.: "leaving now. Make sure you are at CCHS" (Charlotte Catholic High School---where I'd already picked up Victoria). I responded that I was already there---which was a big fat lie. I was actually sitting in the Starbucks drive-through line. I had 25 minutes to get across and one block down the street. I was pretty confident I could make it. Heck, I could even walk it in that amount of time!

Within 2 hours of Sandy and Greg's departure, I had to call them. Sandy forgot to tell me how to close the garage door. It's not programmed, so she keeps the actual opener in her sunglass storage compartment. Doesn't everyone keep their remote there? I never would have looked.

I made salmon patties, macaroni and cheese, peas and applesauce for dinner. When my girls were growing up, that was one of two meals that everyone loved---and I'd get no complaints. Sandy has never made salmon patties, so the girls had never had them. I think Elizabeth thought they were just so/so.

The girls have done their homework. We're getting ready to watch "Grey's!" I'd say Day One has been a success!