Quick Report

To my son Tommy,

Today's letter is going to be a good example of non-sequitur because my mind has been jumping back and forth along the roller coaster of life.

This morning we were planning out a grocery trip.  I asked you to pass a flyer for Giant to your mom.  You took it, backed up and started running it over to her making an airplane noise.  It took me be a bit but I got it...it was a flyer!

Also, during the grocery planning phase, it dawned on me that I should use a tool to price out the grocery list before reading any flyers or specials or attacking our coupon stack.  Then, after pulling out the good specials and the coupons, if the total price falls while the item count rises or stays the same...I won.  If it rises, they won.

We got out to The Still for Aunt Kelly's 30th birthday.  It was great to see everyone and nice to get out.  We even worked it out so your mom could come.  She wore her wound vac up to the restaurant, then in the parking lot she disconnected.  She was now under the cinderella rule and had two hours before she had to be reconnected without going through a whole mess of a mess.  We got in just under the wire.  It sucks that we had to run out like that but you do what you have to.  They had got some sad news at the end of the party and we really wanted to stay and just give them some big hugs.

I miss the free time we used to be able to spend with Eric and Kelly.  At one time, your Uncle Eric and I were considered inseparable, but life happens and families happen and mortgages happen and such.  It does make the time when we can get back together that much more special.  You and Rhiannon and Garrett spent the night with napkins on your head in a bonnet and in your shirt collar as a cape running around the restaurant playing.  It was probably good that your Uncle Eric got us a semi private room.

On the way home from the restaurant, there was a major accident on the beltway.  We got to see a state trooper helicopter land.  We also learned a lesson about rolling down and up windows.  We learned that Daddy should warn you when he is going to roll up your window in case you have some fingers waving out it.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo