But What Has He Ever Done For Me? April 23, 2008

My sister’s son is 13 and he’s at that awkward stage in life.  He is taller than me and his voice sounds like a man, but he’s still all gangly.  He spends hours playing his electric guitar (and he can really rock) and he skateboards.  Basically he’s your typical sullen teenager.  But when it comes to Squeaks, he’s a completely different person.  He’s always trying to hug her and play with her.  He adores her and vice versa.

Tonight we went to dinner with my sister’s family at Cracker Barrel.  We browsed the gift shop while we waited for our table and my nephew took Squeaks over to watch one of those toys that looks like a weasel playing with a ball, the annoying ones that roll all over the place.  Squeaks loved it.  She was cracking up and trying to touch it and my nephew was right in the middle of it.  After we ate dinner he took her back over to it.  And as we were leaving, Squeaks came running over to me with a big brown sack.  My nephew had used his own money to buy one of the weasel toys for her!  This from the kid who socks money away to buy guitar stuff or PlayStation games or skateboard stuff.  The kid who always wants money in return for helping out.  He’s always making some sort of deal and he never shares money.  So I was totally blown away that this teenage boy would do something so nice for his cousin.  I almost cried right there in Cracker Barrel.

But now I have this damn weasel toy in my house…

I Don’t Know How You Big City People Do It January 27, 2008

Yesterday my MIL, Squeaks, and I made the drive to Tulsa to visit a family member in the hospital.  We were on our way back home from the visit when we had an experience that reminded me why I hate driving in the city.  And it’s just Tulsa!  I can’t imagine driving in larger cities!

An older couple were merging into the lane next to me, when they decided to come on over into my lane — right where I was.  I tapped my horn to let them know I was there (I’m sure I was in their blind spot).  The poor old man overcorrected, which caused him to lose control completely.  His car shot in front of me, spinning wildly.  Thankfully I was in the new truck with great brakes and I was able to stop before I hit them (I couldn’t get into any other lanes at the time).  The car then spun itself back into the median, but as I looked in the rearview mirror, the car behind me couldn’t stop and was about to smash into me.  I gunned the gas and was able to get out of his way before he hit me.  I then pulled over to check on the older couple.  Somehow, we were all okay.  They missed hitting the guardrail by inches, instead landing in some grass.  I don’t know how their car didn’t flip and I’m so glad I didn’t hit them because I’m sure I would have killed someone.  We all just kind of sat there, shaking, trying to settle down before we continued on our way.

But after all of that, I just felt thankful.  I’m not an overly religious person, but that incident almost made me want to church and “get right”!  I just couldn’t believe that everyone was fine.  I’m so glad that my Squeaks was fine (she never woke up from her nap in the carseat).  I’m also glad I wasn’t in my truck.  The brakes need some work and it’s a standard transmission, which means there is no way I could have gotten out of the other car’s way in time.  So I guess I just feel a little surreal right now.  I had a friend killed in a car accident just last week, so it made me overly gracious to whoever was watching out for me that day.