Twelve Days in August

AUG 7 THU: Will cooked burgers. C drove back from Charleston.

AUG 8 FRI: Vacation day. Meeting a M’s new school – very impressed. Anna and Will head to the North Georgia mountains – Anna with Brittany’s family and Will with MC’s. Friday night C and M go school shopping.

AUG 9 SAT: Drive M to meet girlfriend Sarah’s family. They head to the Pendergrass flea market. I grab a burger at Red Robin. Good, except for the bun. Not a fan of the large steak fries. I arrived at Red Robin just as it was opening, and mine was the first car in the parking lot. Parked over on the side so cars wouldn’t bang my doors. Then a car drives up and parks right next to me. The whole rest of the lot was empty. Saturday night Ceil and I shared a combination platter at El Porton. Later I picked up M.

AUG 10 SUN: Got word early that Ceil’s father had passed away. Three of Ceil’s friends came right over to comfort her, while I packed the car. Stopped for gas, a rest stop for a bathroom break, and a late lunch in Augusta at Moes. Encounter gridlocked construction traffic and rain. Will drives 25 miles to pick up Anna. They drive home, where W says good-bye to MC. W and Anna drive the Civic to SC. Arrive in Jefferson to find the yard filled with cars and a house full of friends and family. Lots of food. The TV showed the final holes of the PGA, and later the Braves.

AUG 11 MON: Ceil, mother-in-law Joan, brother Rusty, and Will head to the funeral home to make arrangements. I stay back to hold down the fort. Someone had brought a bunch of Bojangles biscuits, and from there the food kept coming for three straight days. Fried chicken. Meat loaf. Over 30 different desserts. Martha Hayes brought several bags of chips and dips, and the grandkids gobbled them up. The girls picked through old photos and pasted them on poster board to display at the church. People visited throughout the day: first mostly older people. After five the house got so full that we didn’t eat until 8:30. Over 40 people were there for dinner, and Matthew volunteered to say the blessing. He gave a loving, detailed prayer, mentioning his grandfather.

AUG 12 TUE: I got up early and drove an hour northwest to Pineville NC to visit a new supplier. Good meeting. Stopped at a few stores on the way home, but waited to eat at the house. Joan had commented on some weeds in the backyard, so Will spent 5 hours outside in the hot sun weeding the gardens. More visitors, including several old friends of Ceil’s. Five of the six boys go skeet shooting at Uncle Lennies. Will did well, and M hit 2 of 9 skeets. Not bad for his first time shooting a gun.

AUG 13 WED: The church provides lunch at the house: chicken, ham, collards, vegetables, and more and more. Nancy and Noelle arrive from Atlanta. Graveside service, processional to the church, the memorial service, then meet people in the fellowship hall afterwards. Details to follow. Back home I take my time packing the Civic, and at 7 leave with Will, Matthew, and Barney. Drive through Chickfila in Augusta, pick up Anna’s Jeep in Peachtree Corners, arrive home at 12:30 am.   

AUG 14 THU: Full day at work, then Moes. Will takes M to school and packs for college. After school Matthew arranges his bedroom to his liking. Later Will drives the trailer to Carterville to pick up the Gilberts’ huge TV, and returns after midnight.

AUG 15 FRI: I work 3 hours, then drive home to help Will finish packing. We leave in time to beat most of the Friday afternoon traffic: 400 south, 285 east, 85 north, then 129 into Athens. Will puts the bunk bed together while I bring in most of the lighter stuff. I drive back, eat at Moes, and pick up Matthew from a friend’s house. Friday was the Miller’s 61st wedding anniversary.

AUG 16 SAT: Housework and laundry. Drive to Roswell to pick up schoolbooks and ship EBay packages. David Norman’s 5 pm wedding and reception. Ceil and her mother spend the night in Clemson – Anna’s two cousins moved into their dorms.

AUG 17 SUN: Woke up sneezing. More housework and laundry. Drive M to Passion. Ceil and Anna arrive home, then leave out: Ceil shops for her teaching job, Anna heads to church. Noelle brings over supper. Exhausted, I fall asleep on the couch. Becky Norman’s knocking wakes me up – she has lots more food: wedding cake and rehearsal dinner Italian. I pick up M, get gas, work on EBay, and watch the Braves. In the past week we put over a thousand miles on both the Civic and the CRV.

AUG 18 MON: Anna’s birthday. First day of school for Ceil, Will, and Anna. M’s second day of school. Back to work for me.

Did you go to the Jim Watterson memorial service? I wanted to, but I had two other places I had to be. Also, I literally could not stop sneezing, we had someone bringing dinner over, and I was trying to get the house presentable for that and Ceil coming home.

Saw pictures of Claire’s gang at the Lookouts game. Taking in a game there would be great. I’ll check the schedule, but with only 2 weeks left in the season I might have to wait until next year. I’ve been away from work for 5 of the last 6 days, so I think they’re chaining me to my desk.