I saw a text from my dad first thing this morning so I gave him a call. Originally he and my mom were planning on going to Gastonia today to put up Christmas decorations with Andra and her crew, but they decided to stat in town. With that news, I decided to go ahead and get ready and go to Rougemont, instead of waiting until after Milly’s nap. We ended up leaving around 11:00 and met Phil and Karen, Amanda’s parents, in Warsaw. Karen was going with us so she could be at a family gathering before Bobby’s funeral tomorrow.
Amanda and I saw a deer run across I-40. Other than that the only real event on the trip was that we stopped at Target in Garner to look at black shoes or boots for Amanda. Some combination of us had left her boots at the house, meaning she’d have had to wear brown cowgirl boots, the shoes she was wearing, to the funeral tomorrow. After looking in Target and not liking anything she had the idea of asking Michael and/or the Frazelles, with whom he’s riding to Oxford tomorrow, to pick them up on the way out of town.
Before we stopped at Target I had found the Carolina-Kentucky game, which was being played at Rupp Arena. I had opted to stay in the car to listen to the game, but halftime started a few minutes after Amanda, Karen and Milly went in the store, so I left too. When we got back in the car I was going to sit in the back, but Milly was insistent on her Nana sitting with her.
I spent most of the ride on the way to Durham with my ear just about pressed up against the car’s speaker. Carolina had been up by as much as nine in the first half and had a small lead, four or five, I can’t remember, going into the second. The game stayed really close throughout the rest of the game and it sounded like several mistakes were made by both teams down the stretch. Kentucky was up one point in the final seconds and threw the ball away. Carolina tends to make these stupid clutch plays to win at the end of games, so I told Amanda that’s what was going to happen.
But it didn’t. Henson took a shot that was blocked by Anthony Davis. He got the ball with four seconds left and for some reason nobody fouled him. After he realized nobody was going to foul him he passed the ball and the time expired. (There was technically a travel with a fraction of a second left.) After we got to Rougemont I watched the last minute or so of the game with my dad, who had watched it live. Listening to the radio I imagined some big crazy block, but it was right off the guy’s fingers and caused it to bounce way up in the air. Still, it was impressive and it was a good game. (So much the better that Kentucky won and Carolina lost.)
After we unloaded at my parents’ house Milly, Amanda, Karen, my mom and I went outside so Milly could ride Cassie. My mom just got some tin stirrups in the mail that she ordered just for her grandkids and I think she was excited to use them. Milly was certainly ready to ride around on Cassie some. I rode with her at first, but then she wanted me to get off so my mom rode with her just a bit. Then she wanted Nana to ride, but by the time Nana got on Milly decided she was done. Maybe she just liked riding by herself better, with someone just holding her while walking next to her and the horse.
Erin arrived at some point and Aunt Reggie came over too. Mom had a great dinner ready with pork, mashed potatoes, green beans, some lentil mix and carrot cake. It was great. We ate, talked and watched football, Monsters, Inc. and Ratatouille. The latter two were on a Disney channel and we recorded them. Maybe they’ll be left on the DVR for future viewing by the grandkids.
Amanda and I gave Milly a bath a little after 7:00 then put her to bed just after 8:00. Milly hadn’t had a nap all day and did great. She was open and chatty and playful with everyone.
There was more hanging out and chatting in the living room, but I found myself to be very tired. I tried sleeping on Amanda, but she gets uncomfortable when I do that so I moved myself to a couch in the great room. I wanted a pillow, so I just went ahead and dragged myself upstairs, where I promptly passed out. Amanda and Erin came in to make the top bunk, where Karen is sleeping, at exactly midnight.
Zach Dotsey