One gone, one "perished"

I love the word "perished" - it's a very evocative word. I particularly love it (in principle, that is - in practice, I'd rather they used words like "in really great condition and not needing to be replaced for years") when used by the guy at the garage to describe the rear box of the exhaust system of my car (my description being "it has a hole in it" - which was obvious, from the sound it was making). Perished is like Victorian fishermen at sea or something, not mufflers... But anyway, tomorrow it goes in to be replaced with a new rear box (and the middle part will be replaced, too, as it was "corroded", which is presuambly what happens before it perishes...)

And the one gone is my mother, who the kids and I took to the airport this morning - by now she's no doubt home and probably exhausted, but sorting stuff out and unpacking and watering plants and all that sort of thing partly because she's like me, unable NOT to do that stuff, and partly because 6.30 is just way too early to go to bed. Another hour and a half and she might well crash. Despite my mom leaving it was a very family seeming day, as I had a phone call from Andy (who the kids call Grandpa Andy, as I still consider him my stepdad, even though he isn't technically...) who I hadn't talked to in ages (he only has a cell-phone, which makes international calls more complicated). Great to talk to him, and even had a quick word with my step-brother Robert, who is home in Virginia briefly during a deployment to Iraq (he's in the navy). So there you go.

I'm sure we'll have a bit quieter week this week, without her here (and by quieter, I mean not noise, which will no doubt still be high here, but going out and doing things, which we did a lot of while she was here). Tomorrow we have the huge excitement of taking the car to the shop and going to look for school shoes. We might make a little detour as Krispy Kreme is right across the road from the garage... And Wednesday or Thursday the guys are coming to put up the bike shed (concrete was poured today, hoorah - finally managed to get the concrete lorry down the alleyway). Gosh, my life is just too exciting. We might go down to Garsons and pick corn on the cob (and other stuff) too.