The Prodigal Flip Flops, & Other Stories

A few weeks ago when I was packing for the beach, I couldn’t find my favorite pair of grey Crocs flip flops. I wear them all summer and especially at the beach. Looked and looked and couldn’t find them anywhere. Took two other pair of less comfortable flip flops to the beach, and actually got a compliment on my old black Odyssey flip flops. Didn’t even take my pair of black Nike flip flops. Pretty bad that I have four pair of flip flops, plus a pair of Will’s old black Chaco sandals I may or may not have successfully glued back together.

 

Anyway, Sunday I was cleaning out Anna’s Jeep after she returned from camp. Formerly Will’s Jeep. I kept pulling stuff out, and there in the back against the second row of seats were my Crocs flip flops. Matthew may have borrowed them and left them in the Jeep before Anna took it back to camp on July third.

 

Busy weekend. Friday night I worked past six. C was at Costco so I took my time coming home. Ate a hot dog from RaceTrac. Watched the old Kevin Klein movie “Dave.” Not sure why, but M shaved his beard on Friday night.  

 

Saturday morning C volunteering at a yard sale in Chamblee to benefit Kitti Murray’s Refugee Coffee ministry. She stopped by the Dekalb Farmer’s Market on the way home. I cleaned upstairs and did some laundry. M went out to look at guitars, so I was home alone.

 

Thursday during a thunderstorm a huge, heavy branch fell on our deck. After M left Saturday I decided to move it off the deck, and kept pulling it through the back yard to the ravine behind the playhouse where I throw sticks. I pulled and pulled the huge branch as far down the hill as possible, until I finally fell head first down this hill, with the heavy branch on top of me. My head and shoulders were lower than my feet, making it hard to get up. Everywhere I could put my hands to pull up there were damp dead sticks that would break when I put pressure on them. I was sweating and my heart was beating, but after a few minutes I was able to scramble to my feet. Pulled the big branch through the ravine and out of sight, into the gully where rainwater runs off the street, in a place to catch debris and stop further erosion. Wore me out.

 

When C came home we drove over to Marietta to pick up the car I had bought for Will. Dotting the I’s and crossing the t’s took some time. On the way home I snapped a photo in front of the Big Chicken, grabbed lunch at Wendy’s, had some spare keys made at Home Depot, gassed up the new car, and bought a pair of Nikes for half price/no tax.

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C had a long day so we went to Chipotle for dinner. Stopped by Petsmart and Trader Joes. Watched Hallmark Channel and Jeopardy.

 

Anna’s last day of camp was Saturday, and Saturday night was their end of summer debriefing banquet. Usually people spend Saturday night and drive home Sunday morning, but A left right after the banquet, arriving home after 1 am Sunday morning. She wanted to move over to Athens in time to make her Monday morning meetings. While she and C packed I cut the grass and cleaned out the garage, and put some wax on Will’s car. Cleaned out Ceil’s CRV and Anna’s Jeep so they could be packed up. C cooked one of Anna’s favorite meals, Mexican.

 

Left home around 3 pm headed for Athens. Moved the stuff into her sorority house on South Lumpkin Street. Ran out to Target for a bunch of stuff, then stopped by Chipotle and Two Story Coffee. After gassing up the CRV, C and I drove home, arriving back at 10:15. Ceil had to go back today, with curtains for the window and closets.

 

Rough day Monday at work. Left at 6:30. C was in Athens so I treated myself to Taco Bell’s special new double layer crunch wrap supreme. Should’ve stuck to my usual burrito. M had cooked himself a buffalo chicken pizza, then made a late night McDonalds run. When I came in he was watching Jimmy Fallon, so I made an evening of it.

 

Barney jumped off his usual perch in the front bedroom and knocked off three large picture frames that were propped against the door – breaking the glass in one of them.

 

Worked almost until 7 pm Tuesday night. One co-worker is on vacation and the new boss was traveling, so I made no headway on my own stuff. Thursday and Friday three guys will be out, so my hole will probably grow deeper. Everyone is slammed. Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning.

 

C was hungry and told me to come straight home, but then we waiting for M to drive to Kroger to get pepperoni for his homemade pizza. Our pizza had ground beef and peppers. Also salad. Didn’t pull out my laptop. Watched Jeopardy and a little of Matt Kemp’s Braves debut. Also more Jimmy Fallon. Hadn’t slept well Monday night, so I went to bed at 10 pm.

 

Fill in the blank: MTW_F. General Manager Eric and secretary Renee burst out of his office to ask me this. When he finished his question I responded: “You woke me up for THAT?!” The answer: MTWRF.

 

This summer C began reading the Harry Potter series. Sunday evening at Target I saw the display for the new book, but C has a long way to go before she needs the new one.

 

Several years ago in one of the various office moves I was placed next to Brad, and it was great. We sat literally face to face for a long time, and we soon became fast friends. Lots of non-work stuff to talk about: running, God, family, cars, etc. To this day I can count on one hand the number of co-workers I communicate with on the phone outside the office, and Brad is one of them. When things are falling apart I can count on Brad to right my attitude and remain calm in the middle of the storm. He’s worked here almost as long as I have.

About a month ago Brad and four others joined the work team I’m on. The plates of all five quickly filled to overflowing, and the help has made a huge difference. I still have a hard time carving out time for my own work due to all the interruptions, and the fear of letting one of my plates drop is constant. For some reason people think I'm jealous of Brad, but nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Another long-time co-worker I sometimes communicate with outside of work is the guy I call Dialysis. We’ve pretty much worked together for 17 years. Once spent the night at his house. Another time I took him to a UGA football game. Work-tripped with him to Charlotte for a week. Like me, he loves shoes and jerseys.