Weekend

 I doubt it's a coincidence that weeks seem longer and harder when Adam is gone.

He was in Nashville and then New York City.  I wasn't.

The school week was rough.  The home week was a little rough.  I made it though.

Friday I stayed after school for the Bonneville Carnival put on by the PTA.  They needed volunteers and I volunteered to help in the fish pond.  Then, they sent out a desperate plea for face painters.  They said you didn't need to have experience.

So I signed up.

I went to my station and I doubt I can adequately describe the woman who was tasked to train me, but I will try.  She bustled up with a case of face painting wares.  The PTA moms called her Miss-something-I-don't-remember, so I assume she's a teacher, maybe at Timpanogos High School?  She spoke at an abrupt rapid clip.  She told me that some high schoolers were supposed to be the face painters, but there was an AP test and prom.  She said, "So you don't have the smart kids or the prom kids."

She tsked at the quality of face paints the PTA had provided and said, "I'll give you some of mine."

She described in very great detail the consistency we were going for with the paint.  She showed me, holding her brush up to my face.  She said, "See, it's the consistency of clam chowder."

She said that she could paint a hundred faces an hour.  She said I probably wouldn't be able to do that many, but that I should stick to stencils, because they were easier.  

I went to my station, humbled by her lack of confidence in me and the apparent nuance to face paint consistency.

Despite that, it went pretty well.  They were elementary students and those are my people.  At one point a mom came up and asked me if the face painting cost money and I almost laughed out loud.  I promise no one would pay me to daub face paint through a stencil, even if I somehow achieved that perfect clam chowder consistency.

After my shift, I went home and Mark and I went to dinner at La Costa.  We needed to drown away the sorrows of the week with good Mexican food and Diet Coke with lime (for me, Mark is a Coke Zero guy).

Saturday morning I was delighted to get a phone call from Erin.  We talked for nearly an hour and a half.  I'm sure we could have talked twice that long.  Odessa, Texas is too far away.  Also, old friends who have known you for almost 35 years are pretty priceless.

Adam called to check in for a minute.  Then, he said, "I have to go.  They want to dress me in my gown."

I said, "Is this how I find out you're a cross dresser?"

He said, "My robe.  Whatever.  You know what I mean."

It was a graduation and he was part of the stage party and I wish I'd been there to see it.  Those graduations are happy.

Mark and I had lunch at Chubby's, which always makes me feel like I'm giving up to eat at a place that doesn't even try to hide the fact that you are getting chubby by eating there.  Then, we went to Project Hail Mary.  Mark hadn't been to a movie for a long time and the last two movies I went to were the first and second Wicked movies for school Christmas parties.  I had taken a substantial nap through both of them.

We both like movies and it was nice to be in a theater.  We whispered about which trailers seemed interesting and then settled in.  Science fiction isn't really my genre, but I liked it.  I was a little confused by the ending, but so was Mark.  He told me what he thought had happened and I think he was right, but I need things a little more spelled out, I guess.

In the evening, I went to Provo to watch Emma perform.  Her friend Brigitte was doing a set at Java Junkie on Center Street.  She got Emma to sing three of the songs with her.  

Earlier when I was figuring out where to park, I wished Adam were there.  When Brigitte asked me to record their songs, I missed that guy even more.  

Sure enough I didn't record the first two songs correctly, but then I did OK.  Here's a clip, if it works....

Listening to Emma sing is a great joy in my life.  That is all.

After the set, Emma and I walked down the street and had dinner at Guru's.  It was wonderful just sitting across from her and chatting about all the things.  I feel very fortunate for the proximity I have to her and Mark.  (And I am grateful I can talk to Braeden on the phone.)

One thing we talked about were the gaps in reality Project Hail Mary expected you to accept because she had seen it weeks ago.  Emma said, "It's just a movie!  It doesn't have to all make sense."  I know.  Science fiction isn't really my thing.

Adam flew in late Saturday night and Mark went to pick him up.  I am happy to have him back!

Church was good and then we had a nice Sunday afternoon with our kids.  Meatloaf and Skip-bo, plus we got to talk to Braeden's family and lay our eyes on our (above average) grandchildren.  

Today we start state testing.  I have donuts for them and donut coloring pages that says, "Donut be stressed.  Just do your best."

State testing is stressful no matter how many donuts or pithy coloring pages you have though.  One way or another, at least it will be over in a few weeks.