Just in case you were wondering ...

The kids finally got a flight to San Francisco yesterday, leaving from Madison at 1:47 p.m. We managed to get all packed and out of the house by 11:30 and after circling the parking ramp for what seemed like forever, got a spot, picked up all our bags, and headed for the terminal. Suddenly Al dropped his suitcase and yelled, "Oh shit, forgot my wallet" - so I sent them to get checked in, and went back home to retrieve the wallet from the pocket of the jeans he wore the day before that were lying on the floor of his bedroom. Because of the miracle of cell phones, it actually turned out easy - I called them when I was approaching the airport, and pulled up, handed over the wallet, and got my bon voyage hugs, without have to look for another parking spot - and since the car was in the ramp less than 30 mins. the first trip, that time was free. The airlines let Al check in without his I.D.; he only needed it for security, and I had to him by then. Whew. And they didn't even get stuck in Detroit - they had dinner at a Chile's.

Mark and I followed our xmas eve tradition of eating pizza and watching dumb movies - we watched a Jane Eyre with Ciaran Hinds & Samantha Morton for the main course, and, surpassing all of our prior dumb movies picks, watched Earth Girls Are Easy for dessert. My brother was writing about missing the '70s - I have to admit to feeling a lot the same after seeing American Gangster the other night (there's a closing scene that I thought was almost the best part of the movie; I don't wanna give it away, but it contrasts the '70s with the '90s) - but Earth Girls made me very glad the '80s are over.

Icy bush pix: