Tom Cruise can still run and Ken still rules

Usually the cordless phone in my bedroom lives in its cradle. But, when I'm expecting a call and don't want to wake my guests (like this weekend) I keep it right next to the bed. After the weekend had passed it forgot to jump back into its cradle. So when Elise called me a 9:00 am Monday morning, while I had one foot in the shower and one foot out, I got back to the bedroom , picked it up and just had time to hear and say hello before the phone died. So I went into Gretchen's room where there is a land-line phone to call her back. That's one of the things that got unplugged when Jackson was roaming. While I was looking for the end of the plug the phone rang again and the answering machine in the kitchen picked up. I considered coming downstairs and calling her back, but once I come downstairs of a day, I rarely go back up. That would mean forgoing the shower. While considering all this I found the end of the phone cord and plugged it back in just as it rang again. Elise is very persistent. So we made our plans and my day started.

In our young married days, the Van Houtens and the Sylvesters did a lot of socializing and they have lived in the same house this whole time. There is no excuse for how lost I got going over there. I stopped two little boys on bikes and asked about her street, Madison and they had never heard of it. I knew I was in the right neighborhood. There was a tow truck and driver at the next corner and I asked them. They never heard of it either. The tow truck operator was nice enough to let me use his cell phone and I had to call Elise for directions. Of course it was easy once I remembered the one little turn I had missed.

We had a nice leisurly breakfast at Rex's. A nice family restaurant right on the corner of Michigan and Wayne Rd. (which reminds me, I forgot to have my leftover french toast and ham this morning)((yes, I did remember to bring it home)). Elise and Larry have recently returned from a trip to Montreal and a visit with Les MaTantes so she had news and pictures. The three remaining active MaTantes are Julia (84) Frieda (86) and Monique (88). The inactive MaTante is Marie-Claire (80) who is paralized and in a nursing home.

Conversation turned to games and they mentioned dominos. I said I had some and would be happy to teach them to play. So we decided to call Jeannette and invite her to a game after the movie. Elise drives a top-end Cadillac with all the bells and whistles including GPS. What a wonderful and fun thing. And, boy, do I ever have two sisters that need that.

We went to see Collateral, that's how I know that Tom can still run. Don't let the grey hair fool you. It was very good. Way too much background music while people just looked at each other that I would have cut out but maybe there are folk who like that stuff.

We picked up Jeannette after the movie and played dominos in the enclosed-porch type screen room that the Sylvesters had build onto the side of their garage. A very cool place in every sense of the word.

So, now, I just watched last nights Jeopardy and Ken still rules.