McMountain Climbers

Left the kids on the edge of Mirkwood tonight. Hope they don’t have bad dreams.

Saturday we got kicked out of the house by a house looker. We scrambled to do a quick clean up, then piled into the Fox and headed for McDonald’s for lunch. We ordered five 59ยข hamburgers. The kids played on the McPlayground afterwards while Kathy and I sat in the sun on a McBench, McWatching our McKids. It was a McCool day, but McSunny.

Being able to see Stone Mountain in the distance from Jimmy Carter Blvd., we decided to climb it. Bought a $20 annual pass, parked at the base of the mountain, put the traditional pennies on the railroad track, and started climbing.

Nicole was the first to the top. She would run ahead then either wait for us or run back. Danny almost made it. I almost didn’t. Had to carry him up the steep, last several steps. I was pretty winded. The mountain was pretty windy. But we all made it. We rested on the sunny, sheltered side of the concession stand. The trip down was a lot easier, especially once we got into the trees which protected us from the brisk breeze.

The pennies were nowhere to be found. Danny and Nicole are sure someone took them. Next time we’ll place them farther down the track. Stone Mountain is a lot more crowded that it used to be. Even your smushed pennies aren’t safe. Tourists probably think they’re war relics.

Went to church Saturday night. That’s working out a lot better with Kathy working through Sunday afternoons. Went over to Teddy and Nancy’s after dinner to watch a movie. Ended up talking until midnight, never starting either of the two movies we had rented. Danny and Shawn stayed up almost as late, whispering in bed about the sleeping Nicole.

Creative Forger

Friday night we all went over to Mom and Dad’s to visit with visiting Patsy and Debbie. Shane couldn’t make it because of his medical duties in the army.

“I guess the war affects him even back here.”

“Yes,” Debbie said. “He gets to take off earlier because his boss is in Saudi Arabia.”

Was it a war? Or merely a crisis? Or an operation? Only historians will tell what label will last.

Nicole got a fun stationery and sticker set from Patsy. She used them to create a lovely birthday card for her Uncle Chris, who didn’t turn 19 this year because of the absence of his February 29th birth date. She drew a hollow lettered birthday greeting. I didn’t discover hollow letters until 5th grade. She included a remarkable forgery of my and Kathy’s names. I guess she’ll soon be writing herself excuses to get out of school.

“Dear Mrs. Lindsay, Pleas let our doghter out of school erly today at 1:00 to go to the moovies. – Jeb & Kathy Cashin.”

Danny has been whining morning, noon and night. In between he’s a pretty good kid. Dad brought out the official Whiny Willy belt. He took a cloth belt and stuck straight pins through it. Danny was impressed.

We had 3 couples look at the house this weekend. Kathy thinks we will be selling the house pretty soon thanks to Sharon Apple Bomb.