Such a Good Week

This week has been jam packed, ever minute filled and accounted for for months in advance. What lifted our activity to an unforeseen fever pitch was Ravenboy's ruminating a few weeks ago that he might like to come home between his Chicago tour and Met season. That ended up being a window of a few days, in just a few days! We had to shift some plans around to make it a go but it looks like it is going to work out.

A week ago we found ourselves in the local airport meeting the always crescent fresh Mososo Kruppe! They had just held a letterboxing event in Savannah the day before and blew into town for a couple of central PA job fairs. Their schedule was tight so we wanted to at least get a brief visit at the airport before they drove to Clearfield to rest up for the Monday educator's job fair at University Park Campus. We ended up going back to our place and catching up over chips and brews. Good times, great laughs and plenty of cool new ideas are hatched when we get together. They were up for a meal at a family run Korean restaurant and we called it night after some more shared stamps and stuff at home.

The next morning started my week of volunteering at our local public radio station. I can switch my schedule around pretty much as I please so for a couple of weeks out of the year I share 6 hours every morning during the work week to take calls for the pledge drive. This usually goes smoothly and is a really gratifying experience. This week was just a little more difficult with a few of the nights had the influence of staying up late and laughing until my sides ached with Mososo Kruppe and RGBisMe.

I regret not a minute. Each morning was increasingly more difficult to rise but I had the pleasure of looking back on the night before and remembering our antics. Some of the more interesting things we discussed were some of the Easter and Passover toys we had seen in the grocery stores. Did you know there are now Resurrection Eggs and Bag o' Plagues to enhance your child's religious holiday? Amazing. Sadly, not everyone at pledge drive shared my enthusiasm in discussing them. I think this helps disprove the thinking that public radio and related people there are all liberal. I know it disproves that I am ever focused and serious about anything.

Mososo Kruppe were able to visit after their job fair. It was distressing that many of the on spot job offers were going to new grads. They put in their worthy applications and did all they could and hoped for better luck at their second job fair in Bloomsburg the next day. To ease everyone's disappointment I insisted we go to Rotelli and try out their new spring menu items. Some of the new additions were quite good but the most refreshing and exciting drink, a Cucumber Martini, was one of the most vile things I ever tried. I kept trying to justify my purchase and sip at it but it was like trying to drink a cleaning solution. A most interesting piece of artwork was in the men's restroom. Not that I went in to see it!! We couldn't agree on what the green stuff might be. Did I mention it was right over the urinal?

As the middle of the week approached, we knew Mososo Kruppe had probably had about enough of us. They missed their exit on the way back from Bloomsburg and were half way to Clearfield. They had a perfectly good excuse for just going on and getting some rest. Their flight out the next morning was about as early as when I started answering phones during Morning Addition. Instead they turned around and came back for more Crayola Punishment.

We were glad to find out that Bloomsburg had gone somewhat better in how they were received as instructors with potential. Mososo Kruppe changed out of their dress clothes and got into some more casual clothes for one last run at local letterboxes. The one they were most interested in was in a park they had driven past a few times one their way to Clearfield. We had kept them out so long each night that it was much too late to get into this park when they drove by. We made a suggestion to go to the park, driving separately so that they could just go from there to Clearfield. That idea failed miserably because we all agreed how much fun it was visiting in the car en route to the boxes!

Because we had need to come back to State College allowed us to visit Otto's and share a pitcher of Arthur's English Old Ale - yummay! The meals Mososo Kruppe got looked so good; a shepherds pie and spicy chicken wrap were presented to them. RGBisMe and I were most impressed with the vegetarian chili they had added to their spring menu. It packs a little heat and is just right in a cup sized serving.

The evening did draw to an earlier conclusion. After our goodbyes, RGBisMe and I went home and sang sad songs while intermittently doing our bored jiggler dance (in a past blog - trust me). Central PA had become much more dull with the departure of our friends. Bedtime came early.

The alarm came earlier. I was beat. It was hard to answer phones and my last 2 hours that day I gave up the hot seat to pretty much zone out. After I got home, I just stared at the mountains of work I had neglected. Laundry was a like Mt. Kathadin. I think I stared at things a lot for the next couple of days because it wasn't until yesterday morning that I realized how close Ravenboy's arrival was supposed to be.

RGBisMe and I started at 7 AM and worked non-stop on cleaning every room in the house until 4 PM. We stopped for a bite to eat and then were back at it, outside in the yard until the sun was down. Everything looks great! Butterfly bushes are trimmed back, laundry is done and put away, and we have a fully stocked pantry and even a few meals pre-made to allow more time for visiting. The only shock was to come in and see how many emails and phone messages we had missed. More things to do and we promise we will get back to you all soon!

One email alerted us to one of our letterboxes being hidden in a tree that bees had taken over. That needed attention! The morning was to be cold and drizzly. As our tired bodies crashed into bed we agreed to rise early and bike out to move the box. The seekers said it was too dicey to even try to move the box with a stick so we took a bug netting for the face, a net to scoop the box, heavy gloves and lots of padding.
RGBisMe was chosen as the bee whisperer (visual dramatazation sen to the right) because of how well he did with that cow (in a past blog - trust me). We snuck up to the tree as close as we could from the trail. Neither of us could see any activity. He headed up toward it and stopped, lifted his bee mask and stared the tree up and down. As he got closer, I realized he was close enough that I couldn't ask if he could see any without yelling back to me so I just watched. He kept inching closer, lifting his bee face guard and sizing up the entire tree. I jumped as he bumped a limb in front of the tree. I couldn't see any activity but he stopped for a while. Eventually I saw him make a decision and grab the box with an even movement and start back down. It was a relief to see him moving easily toward me without a black cloud of bees following him. I asked if they were moving around slowly or what. He said he never saw any! Whew! We gladly moved the box a few hundred feet up trail to an old stump that bees will never check out. Thanks to JFA and family for looking out for our boxes. They are some of the kindest folks sending us newsy updates on finding our latest creations. I can only think of one of our puzzle clues that have ever even slowed them down; brainy and nice! Who could ask for anything more?

This week has drawn to a close and I didn't get half of the things done I wanted to do.I just realized I have to burn a CD of songs before Ravenboy gets here. I missed some things like the Outdoor Expo downtown that friends were working at that won't occur again for at least another year. I had to pass on some really great hikes (Quehanna!!) because I just didn't have the energy (or time). More fun for the future but at least home is ready for the boy and no one will get zapped by bees at one of our boxes. I look back on it all with a full heart and cannot regret a moment.