When you see this column in print it will have been written over a period of a little more than two weeks. It will take the form of a diary, in this case the diary of grandparents preparing for and attending their granddaughter’s wedding. So, here goes:
Day One, Monday July 25, 2022
Today began thinking seriously about traveling to Rachel’s wedding.
It’s the first day of preparation on our part. Dianne is in touch with our daughter, Tanya, about an appropriate dress for Dianne to wear at this auspicious occasion. I don’t get involved. For one thing, I don’t know what they’re talking about. In the second place, I don’t think I want to know. As they say, “It’s a guy thing.” Which reminds me, I picked out the suit I plan to wear. That was easy!
Day Two, Tuesday, July 26
We’re trying to work out something with the airline. I had previously requested a wheelchair because of the problem I have standing for a long time and walking long distances. Things were already complicated; Dianne broke her ankle. Do we need two wheelchairs at the airport? We’ll have to work that out, probably tomorrow.
Day Three, Wednesday, July 27
This is “Go Find the Large Suitcase Day.” I did that and laid it out on the dining table so Dianne can begin to pack it. Note please that I said Dianne will do the packing. She has a way of making so many things fit tightly in the suitcase. My style is a bit different. Find empty suitcase. Find needed clothing. Throw said clothing into said suitcase. Try to zip said suitcase before it bursts.
When the suitcase is sufficiently packed, our attention will turn to preparing for tomorrow’s drive to the hotel adjacent to the airport.
Before bedtime Dianne will wrap our gift for Rachel the Bride. What is the gift? No way. I can’t tell.
Meanwhile, amidst our packing, I’m sneaking an occasional peek at a Braves baseball game. I shouldn’t have bothered—lost 7 to 2. In the middle of all of this I continued packing, a little here and a little there. I can see our preparation coming together. Well, Dianne did indeed wrap the bo…oh no, can’t tell.
Day Four, Thursday, July 28
This is the day of departure. Since we are scheduled to fly to Chicago tomorrow, we’ll spend the night in the hotel near DIA.
We settled in for the night as I looked down from our second-floor room on our car where I parked it next to the hotel.
Day Five, Friday, July 29
I arose fairly early and drew open the curtain to look down again to where our car is parked. Or, should I say, WAS parked. Our car was stolen! Yes, stolen from the hotel parking lot! (Observing all of this, one daughter said it was part of a “Tik Tok Sensation.” Ask a teen!)
From this point, I will tell you that we went through the appropriate steps, reporting the theft of our car, flying to our Chicago destination and making the necessary preparations for the wedding. More about that and what happened to our car next week from The Garden of Eads in Part Two of “Shocked But Satisfied.”
