Good Old Family Dinner

Unlike at home where Merlin wakes me up at 4 a.m. for his breakfast, I awoke before he did on Day 2 in El Cajon. I uncurled myself, remembered where I put his food since I’ve been moving everything from place to place it seems. He ate and I again pondered how to get my travel coffee maker elevated enough to reach the ceiling outlet without repeating yesterday’s discovery. I’d used the Ryobi charger to give the coffee maker a lift yesterday but saw quickly enough that the latter, in the course of doing what it is so highly prized for doing – making coffee – was dripping liquids into the charger element. “That can’t be good,” I sagely surmised.

I was still pondering the power hook-up problem when I heard the customary clang of his bowl being kicked over to signal the time had come for some palate-cleansing Charlee Bears. His bowl, of course! Inverted, it was the perfect boost to my minor logistical problem and thus I began my day properly. 

Also, I was both relieved and shocked at how quickly the rig’s heater went from taking the morning chill out to turning our living quarters into a dry spa.

When I thought I’d given Dad and Pat long enough to perform their morning rituals in peace, I called Dad to ask permission to come aboard the mothership. By the time I got through the door to the house, Pat had nuked me up some bacon, English muffins were toasting and Dad was whipping up some perfectly scrambled eggs. Uncharacteristically, I also wolfed down some fruit. This RVing thing builds up an appetite. Merlin suitably impressed our hosts by laying quietly at the end of his leash until I finished eating and offered him the last nibble of bacon. Being the gracious houseguest, I did not allow him to lick (i.e., pre-clean) the plate.

We discussed the day’s plans that were mostly oriented toward preparing for the evening’s dinner party. Pat had invited three of her sisters and their spouses over, a fraction of my second family, the Delaney/Green kin I treasure. I accepted Pat’s offer of using their shower. A welcomed change to the cold-water bathing I’d not at all enjoyed the day before at the RV park facility. Yes, I’m still working up to that part of personal hygiene routines in the RV itself. I’ve gotten over my obsessive fear of the toilet and have moved on. Thank the Good Lord.

As the day went on, my offers of assistance in dinner prep rejected, I realized that Big Nose, as Dad refers to Merlin, and I were interfering in the working of the well-oiled household machine. We retired to our mobile digs. I laid back for a short nap that stretched on for 90 minutes. I guess I’d finally unwound from the drive.

What can I say about the dinner party itself? Excellent food and wine, but I hadn’t expected less. The time of easy conversation and much laughter, however, was something I hadn’t realized how much I miss. “Thank you” doesn’t say enough.

An interesting flower The Dog and I discovered on one of our walks.