Highway Robbery......

That's what the text A. sent me Friday said -- Highway robbery. Of course that revved up my imagination because I knew she was on a road trip to Delaware. Had she been help up, I wondered? Was she in the process of being held up and managed to sneak a cry for help to me? Who do you report something like this to? As soon as those thoughts flashed through my mind I realized how ridiculous they (probably) were. And it turned out to be true when her second text came through soon after. She was referring to tolls.

It seems she and her friends were quite surprised by all the tolls they were having to pay on their way from North Carolina to Delaware. $4 here. $4 there. $4 everywhere. (Or so it seemed to them.) She said some nice guy in Baltimore paid the toll for them. They were impressed with Maryland. But their trip eventually turned into a comedy of errors -- especially the Washington D.C. part.

The Delaware part went well. They should have stayed there for the night instead of heading to D.C. They had planned on leaving Delaware after attending a concert, staying the night in D.C., sightseeing the following day, going to a baseball game that afternoon, and heading home that evening. They did say Washington D.C. was lovely at night but their experience at the hotel was less than lovely. They got a full refund and left soon after they arrived. Verdict: Washington D.C.'s a nice place to visit (for a day trip), not a nice place to stay the night. I'm just saying that was what happened on their first experience. They might try it another time and have no problems.

Today son #1 calls to say he has a piece of fabric from the Hindenburg and wants to know if it's worth anything. ???? I'm supposed to know the answer to that? I got on ebay and told him -- maybe. He and some friends have been hired to clean out the garage of a man who died. The man was a packrat. The man's family wanted nothing to do with him or his stuff. They just want someone to get rid of the stuff. So....son #1 and his friends are hoping they will find a hidden treasure. Maybe.

It seems the rest of my family has had an interesting weekend. Me? Not so much. A friend is going through a really bad time. Something no one can do anything about except to be there for him. And, since he's far, far away from me, I can't be there. He does have others who are with him and that's good. It's been an odd weekend for me because off and on every day I would look at the clock and think about what he'd be doing or getting ready to do. It was as if I was there -- in an odd sort of way. Going through it with him. When I talked to him during the weekend and heard the changes his voice went through I could see him. I felt him.

He said he'd rather I come see him later, when it's not so complicated. Even during this horrendous time in his life he's thinking of me. I love him deeply, and it's so comforting to know he loves me also. It is such a blessing to have frinds who are truly good people. He gave me strength this weekend. At a time when he needed the strength of others. I didn't think I could admire him more than I already did, but I was wrong.

Sheesh! It was a full weekend for many of those around me. I guess my job was just to be there.