Saturday, October 21, 2006

Bringing Home the Goods

My Dad & stepmother stopped by last night around 7:30 pm to drop off their dog for the weekend. Arlo always stays with us when they’re out of town. Our hospitality services are already reserved up for a trip planned for next July, but this venture was a little more spur of the moment. They were debarking on an 18 hour drive to a southern state, where Dad’s brother lives, and planning on returning Monday, which seems to leave very little room for sleeping. And all this for pumpkins!

Well, jack-o-lanterns, to be more precise. Apparently on a previous visit with my uncle, perhaps 25 years ago, or more, Dad bought a couple of these ceramic jack-o-lanterns for my sister and I. Sometime over the years, perhaps during a move, they either got lost or broken; no one knows exactly where they went, but the bottom line is no one can find them. I only have the faintest memory of them to start with, so I have a feeling they’ve been missing for a while.

After all these years, Dad was evidently still carrying a torch for these jack-o-lanterns. He had his brother buy dozens of the things for a program at work. But ceramic jack-o-lanterns are pretty heavy, and shipping turned into a nightmare. So they’re doing the only logical thing: driving down to get them. I guess there wouldn’t be room in the vehicle for two people, umpteen ceramic pumpkins, and one small Australian shepherd, so Arlo’s hanging out with us for the weekend. File this one under People Do the Strangest Things.

I bet I get a new jack-o-lantern as part of this deal.

2 comments:

a/k/a Nadine said...

I was hoping for one of them, too!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I don't know where those original jack-o-lantermns are, but I did not throw them out and I think the are still in the K-house somewhere. (?) I would have sworn I saw them somewhat recently and treated them gently. I hope they weren't in some box that got thrown out unpacked.

I hope they are able to drive safely on little sleep and that you enjoy your weekend with Arlo. And wishing a hello to the in-laws.