In the end, it turn out that he was going to be in the state for less than 36 hours and wouldn't be able to make it down to our house. So I decided that the kids and I would go to him. The place where he was (UC Davis) was about 2 hours NorthEast and seemed like a reasonable car trip.
In the end, it took me about three hours to make it up there, because I kept getting lost. I still find it difficult to navigate out here, because the ocean is on the wrong side. And I don't really know where things are in relation to each other, which means that takes me longer to realize that I have taken a wrong turn. My iPhone totally saved me. I used the map at least three times to find my location and then help me get back on track.
In the end it worked in our favor that I was running to late. Because Jeff was running late too. We arrived on campus about 10 minutes before he was finished with his duties. It was great. Rather than being annoyed with him for being late, I was happy to see him. And the kids were delighted.
We got to see him in his uniform for the first time ever. I wish I had thought to take a picture. But he was eager to change. And it was for the best. Riley managed to cover Jeff's dress whites in dirty foot prints in mere minutes.
We had leisurely dinner together at the Black Bear. And then drove back to the campus to get Jeff's rental car and change the kids into their PJs. Jeff made a point of running Megan and Riley around to the point of exhaustion so that they would fall asleep in the car (which worked very well) and he also gave them "stripy blue blanket" (appropriated from the first class cabin on his incoming flight) that may rival the blue towels in belovedness.
We didn't get home until midnight, but was totally worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment