Road Trip Saturday

Abigail and I with our special treat on Saturday afternoon, as we prepared to head home.

By Allan Olson

I didn’t get to sleep in on Saturday; instead Abigail and I were up and out the door by 8 a.m. Alivia was originally planning to go with us, but in the end decided she wanted to stay home – which was probably for the better.

We set our course for Menahga to try out the Ruby’s Pantry in that town, since with the new meeting schedule I can’t make it to the one in Bemidji. Now I will be traveling to others when the time allows. When we pulled up there was already quite a line, but thankfully not so long that we were out of luck. Once we eventually got in the building, we were able to purchase the two shares I was hoping to get. 

I had hoped that we would be able to get in and out without a lot of waiting, but after an hour it became clear that was not going to be the case, and my afternoon plans of getting the garbage out were going to be put aside for yet another day. Once we finally got back on the road, we had to stop and get a donut in Park Rapids. Then Abi talked me into yet another treat at the store, and since I had already been debating whether or not to get a coffee, her request became the deciding factor.

We headed to the big box store next to get a few things for home, and then Nikolai called to report that the sink drains were plugged. Oh, joy! Another thing to fix when I get home. For the solution to that problem, I stopped by Clem’s back in Cass Lake to get the right product for the sink drain. It turned out that I still had some left at home, but now I have more for next time.  

Back at home, I took care of the sinks while the kids put away groceries. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing nothing as I tried unsuccessfully to nap on my chair. That evening, pizza was on the menu for supper, after which the kids were assigned to do some reading. Later that night, I watched a movie before bedtime arrived.

On Sunday morning I somehow managed to stay in bed until about 9 before getting up to make hot cereal for the family. The kids devoured that treat like it was going to be their last meal of the day. Afterwards they were assigned some jobs before the twins headed into town for separate birthday parties. I spent my time being productive at the office while waiting for them to get done. At home that evening, I finished the series “Ozark” – a little strange and certainly not for everyone. 

I can gladly say that I didn’t waste my time watching what turned out to be the disaster of a football game. I did check the score online from time to time and laughed as the home state’s team did just what I figured they would – lose.  I claim no allegiance to any pro football team, and would have been amused if they had won. I haven’t had any desire to watch another game since the botched field goal in the 1998 playoff game vs. Atlanta.

For some reason we did not sit as a family and play any games this weekend; we discussed it a couple times, but never actually did it. Sunday evening was spent just sitting in my chair sipping hot chocolate after Abigail decided to get that winter treat out. It was the perfect complement for relaxing and not having to go anywhere.

My plans for this coming weekend include a geocaching trip to Grand Forks with a couple friends. Hopefully, the snow on the ground won’t be too much of a hindrance and we will do well in our searching. Right now the only weekend on my schedule that isn’t already booked into March is the first weekend of February, but things change, and that one might get booked up, too.

Please remember to watch out for the buses that will be carrying our most precious cargo. Also, snap a photo or two to preserve a lifetime of memories. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! Feel free to drop me a line at cltimes1@arvig.net or stop by the office for a visit.