There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved.
Charles Morgan
There I was sitting in my chair, water glass on the table, TV off, reading a book about Central America and imagining a vacation when I heard the garage door open and footsteps coming into the house. I looked up and who did I see but my Ian, that Bama Boy standing beside my chair. Fall break and he had a few days off. Decided to surprise us.
I hadn't seen that face since the first week of August and, yes, I burst into tears.
After rousting his dad from bed, we had a toast to his arrival. Even after his 12 hour drive, we sat up talking into the wee hours. We covered the upcoming elections/Crimson Tide football/the Green Bay Packers/his two restaurant jobs/his friends/culinary schools/The Lucky Peach and much more. (Lost Dad after the first hour.)
When I get to bed after such conversation, my mind tends to ward off sleep--the words spoken revisited in my thoughts. I finally drifted off, content that kid was upstairs in his own bed.
Next day, we took a ride downtown Austin to eat lunch at one of the food trailer sites on South Congress.
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| Ian had a shrimp cole slaw cone |
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| I had a soft Kerala Kokonu doso - squash, eggplant, zucchini, carrots and cauliflower in fresh coconut sauce. Cilantro chutney and Sambar - a lentil dipping sauce. Delicious. |
Of course, for dinner, we had to visit our favorite Mexican restaurant. Last summer, Ian and Jordan worked weekends and Jacob and Chelsea during the week. Could never get everyone together for a family dinner. Wait a couple months and problem solved.
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| Here they all are, plus Jordan's lovely girlfriend, Leigh. Lots of fun. |
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| Happy Dad. |
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| A quick trip to the lake proffered a Packer game with Ian in attendance and... |
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| a visit on the dock from both a heron and Great Blue Heron. |
A most welcome visit. Thanks for coming home, Ian. See you at the Alabama/Texas A&M game in Tuscaloosa. Roll Tide and Whoop! Will have both flags on hand.
