Pat and Peggy got the internet back, so I did a good bit of work in their basement today. I meant to go work on the porch, but I got caught up in it and forgot to go upstairs.
I decided to go by Coldstream Court so I could see what the empty lot that used to hold Baba and Pap’s house looked like in the daytime. I’d brought my Canon to get some nice pictures, but it was so humid that the lens kept fogging up. I still got some with my iPhone though.
It was eerie walking around there. The trees were all still there, and the hill that always seemed so steep and overgrown looked like barely anything without the house next to it. The lot itself didn’t seem big enough to hold the house I’ll always so vividly remember. I saw the trees I once helped Pap stack firewood between and thought about how the concrete slab of the back patio was just completely gone, along with the porch swing that had been there. The basement, the furnace, the tiles in the hallway on the first floor, the stairs that always seemed so big and steep, the light hanging above it, the rooms… All of it was gone. There was even a muddy spot where the basketball goal used to be. At least once on every trip we’d all take a shot at it from the porch. I think I made it on my first try once.
I was very happy to see that some things had survived though. There were still flowers growing along the back fence. Amanda later suggested that I dig some up and bring them home, but I didn’t end up going back by there after she suggested it. Maybe next time…
I did go by again later in the afternoon when I didn’t have anything going on. I just walked around a little that time. A lady across the cul-de-sac was mowing her lawn and gave me a wave. I assume she figured I was a Dotsey come to check out the old homestead.
I stopped by to see Mary Jo Quinn. She was on her way out to a funeral, but she said she’d be around tomorrow afternoon and that Dad and I should stop by.
I met my dad and his siblings at a Smash Burger. I’ve heard of them before, and the burger was really good. They also did thin fries with rosemary, olive oil and garlic. Very yum.
After that the siblings were all going to go to a doctor’s appointment with Baba. Dad later said that Baba had a good rapport with the doctor. No real news; her mind is slipping away. They talked to the doctor about that then went to look at other places to keep her. It’s not that they don’t like where she is, but with her dementia getting worse they feel she needs more one-on-one care/supervision than she’s getting.
Afterwards they all went golfing. I was welcome to go with them, but since I’ve only ever golfed once in my life, I figured I’d find something else to do, so I went to a disc golf course not far from the Smash Burger. It wasn’t a bad course, but my first time through I thought it was only nine holes because the ninth finished up near the first. It was only on my second time through that I realized there were more holes. I found the 13th and walked to the end of that and found some more, but I never did see the 10th, 11th or 12th. I did find a marker (a mini disc) with nobody around and no name on it, so I decided I’d bring it home for Milly.
I talked to Peggy, who said there was a gas leak at their house and the gas company was coming to check on things, though they were told to get out of the house and not turn on any switches. Everything ended up fine though.
It was a very hot and humid day, so when I was done, having nothing to do, I went to the mall. I walked around a little bit, got a drink and then decided to go on back to the Paynes’ to get cleaned up before dinner, which I was having with Blake and Stephanie Konny.
When I got to the house, Mrs. Jenkins, who was down the road at her other daughter’s house, called out to me and came over to give me a hug. She told me she enjoyed talking to me the other night and told me what a smart young man I was. After we said goodbyes, I went and stood next to the car in front of the Paynes’ house to wave goodbye. They were going to a lake house; Pat and Peggy had already gone. When they drove up in the truck, she asked me if I could get in. I thought she was talking about getting in the truck to go to the lake house and told her I had to get back to North Carolina at some point, but she had meant the house. She gave one of her laughs then they all left.
Jared, one of Pat and Peggy’s sons, showed up a few minutes after I’d let myself in. I talked to him for a minute and offered to build a website with the friends and family discount, as he owns a landscaping company. He said he had a friend who had been offering him one for years, and if he took me up on it… I told him I understood and didn’t want to get him into any trouble.
I hung around for a bit, washed up a little then went to Blake and Stephanie’s house in Versailles. (That’s pronounced Ver-sales in Kentucky, not Ver-sigh like the original French.) It was about a half hour outside of Lexington, but it wasn’t a big deal. Blake is a principal at the middle school there and Stephanie stays home with Micah, their son. She’s due any day now with their second kid.
After dinner we just sat around in a room and chatted. I played with Micah a good bit. His favorite game with me was one where I threw a ball and he brought it back. (Yes, I know it’s called fetch.)
A few minutes after I got back to the Payne’s house Dad, Tom and Terry showed up. Bernie had gone on home, having something to do back in Owensboro in the morning. We all hung out on the back porch, drank a few beers, talked, listened to music and watched some YouTube videos. I guess it’s not just something 30-something-and-youngers do.
I FaceTimed with my girls today. Amanda was originally going to go to Richlands last night, but she decided there wasn’t much point since she’d get there after Milly was asleep anyway, so she did another coat of paint on the stairs and went up this morning. Milly played with her Richlands friend Kate. She was shy and silly on the video chat, so I didn’t get to talk to her much.
Zach Dotsey