Mom and Brutus - The Love Story Continues

December 22, 2015 - Tuesday

24 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

I think it's safe to say that we've entered into the Christmas mode. The lights are on, the decorations up, there are wrapped packages everywhere, the Hallmark Channel is showing warm, fuzzy, and romantic, nonstop Christmas movies, ala Harlequin Romance novels, and most importantly, Mom's here. It simply doesn't get any better than this.

After completing my usual three-mile stroll and the assigned honey-do tasks Monday morning, I hopped in the car and made my way to the Iron Mountain airport to wait for Mom's arrival.

It seemed odd to go round the curve and see the ski jump hill in Iron Mountain without snow. 

Running early, I sat in the car for a few minutes and tried to picture jumpers from all over the world launching themselves off the giant slide onto nothing but grass. The thought was too sadistic even for me.

On a more positive note, the regular downhill ski trails next door were white with man made snow. No doubt, the owners are expecting a large holiday crowd.

It was easy to understand how skiers would swoosh down the mountain, but it's mighty bare under the lift going up!

I made my way to the airport. Even for Iron Mountain, it was packed.

I know it's no O'Hare International or LAX in Los Angeles, but it's our airport and had it not been built, we'd have no automobiles. Why you ask?  

Henry Ford used to fly in and out of here to visit a local Ford production facility and without Henry Ford, there might not be any cars and we'd all be on horseback or walking, so you can see it's importance. 

Okay, that's a stretch, but still, we love our airport.

If I was going to pull a Yooper heist, it would have been on Monday morning. I think every man, woman, and child, in the entire UP was inside the terminal.

 There had to have been at least forty, maybe fifty, people.

Mom's plane was on time and just like clockwork, Mom came bounding down the steps and into the terminal... and turned the wrong way, walking right into security.

I guess there's the chance that a little, elderly, almost-89 year old, great great grandma from Terre Haute, Indiana, could be the ring leader of an international terrorist's organization, to have traveled to the far north with the sole purpose of destroying one of the area's many fishing or hunting camps.

Have you seen this woman?

Thankfully, one of the TSA security agents saw Mom for what she really is, a loving mom, grandma, great grandma, and great great grandma, and escorted her to the exit and into her little boy's loving arms.

We gathered Mom's luggage and made our way to the Vision Center where we met Sargie, and from there, the three of us enjoyed lunch while catching up on the news. We left Sargie after to work on the eyeballs of America and Mom and I came on home.

Page Two - Grandma/Grandpa/Auntie Sargie/Uncle Tom Pictures

What deep thoughts Ivy is thinking now that she is home?

Isabella's writing her first Santa letter. Hmm, I wonder if she writes better than her mommy, a former college student of mine?

Page Three: Meanwhile, back on Pentoga Road...

It was a story for the ages when Brutus realized Mom had returned. I became a quickly forgotten memory as his favorite person in the world magically pulled a wrapper containing parts of a leftover hamburger bun from her pocket. The connection was complete. Grandma was back in the house.

Sargie was home early last night and we enjoyed grilled brats along with the fixin's for supper. 

The evening was spent watching holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel. Sargie and Mom were transported into the world of romantic comedy and the two were still deep into a meaningful girl-flick when I called it a night and headed upstairs. 

Sargie loved it. As she said this morning, it was almost like an old-fashioned pajama party. Oh gosh, heck, and gee whiz, I missed it and went to bed.

Okay, I'm secure enough in my masculinity to admit I enjoyed watching an earlier movie. Hey, I am that sensitive guy.

I'm not sure what time the ladies came to bed. It was late. I set my Kindle Reader to the talking-book mode and closed my eyes. That's the last thing I remember. 

Sargie opens this morning and this is her last day of work until Saturday. I'm going to go for my walk first thing then Mom and I have some errands to run in town. After that, who knows? 

Well, there's something... I'm thinking of putting my hair up in rollers and donning the big, soft, fluffy, house robe that Sargie bought me a couple of years ago. I'm going to get a big box of tissues to wipe any tears that might fall and get ready for a night of nonstop, romantic, Hallmark Channel action. If there's going to be another pajama party tonight, count me in!

After all, a man's work is never done.

All tired out after playing with Grandma. The bulldog fell asleep while chewing a bone.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Mom is checking the happenings on Facebook while Brutus keeps her feet toasty warm.