Part 197 ~ The Adventures of King Ben & Zeus the Big Dumb Dog

If you missed the start of this series, you can find it here. A lot of things will be the same or very similar.

Around 5:30pm I decided to go ahead and go to the grocery store. I knew I needed to make a quick run and had planned on doing it after Ben was in bed, but he had gone outside to his dirt hole and Daughter was cooking his “white chicken” dinner. I had a very short list and thought I could make it back in time to do my Science, so I changed clothes, grabbed a mask and went.

The store was busy, but not super busy. I got the ten or so things on my list and found a short line to check out. I was back home by 6pm. According to my car, it was still 95°F (35°C) at 6pm. Ridiculous!

Ben was eating and Daughter was washing dishes when I got home. I put the stuff away and quickly took some pictures. The Sun was about to disappear. I changed back into my comfy, holey, hot weather shorts and tank top and took some more pictures. I heard Daughter asking Ben if he was ready for his bath or if he was still eating. She asked several times and never got an answer, so she ran the bath.

I was back and forth between taking pictures and editing them while Daughter, after much prompting got Ben into the tub and cleaned up. I did help take his stuff into his room and I covered Sven up and turned his light off. After his bath she had to prompt him several times to go to his room for bedtime. He was overtired and fixated on building his towers.

After the sunset colors were mostly gone, I was back and forth, checking the eastern sky for the full moon. I was hoping to catch it just as it came up, when it was yellow… and I did.

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I did my Night Things, and I did the other usual stuff too. I took my pill just before midnight and konked out soon afterward.

The 6:30 med alarm woke me up this morning. Ben and/or Zeus must’ve heard it going off as I fumbled to find the dang phone cuz the sound of Ben’s door slamming open, followed by six pounding feet was heard just as I managed to turn the alarm off. Ben went straight to the living room, Zeus wiggle-whined in my door, undecided, then ran outside and I got up and stumbled toward the living room. I glanced out the side door and saw the Moon, setting in the same place the Sun says goodnight.

Since it was the med alarm that got this party started, I figured I’d better give Ben his meds. I got his tablet, charger, and water bottle first, then I Doped His Face. Then I did the Sven stuff. He was still sleeping. I got his food, same as yesterday. I tried to help him, but he didn’t get either worm this morning. As usual, he went to the Judgey Corner.

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In between paparazzi-ing Sven, throwing the ball for Zeus, throwing my load of clothes in the washer, and getting another new set of earbuds for Ben, I took pictures of the sunrise. It’s moving too. More Sciencey Stuff, YAY! Last night I saw Jupiter and Saturn in the southwest and the Moon and Mars in the east… all with just my eyes. After getting a good camera, I may want a small telescope.

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After the Sun was up, I closed up the house, switched on the AC, and I sat down for the first (well, second… ya know…) time since I’d gotten up this morning. I edited the pictures, then sent the chosen ones to my WP library. And I began my Couch Sittin Duty. I figured Ben had Zooms today, but the laptop belongs to Daughter and the links are emailed to her. I’m out of the loop. She is the parent. I am just the grandparent and not a part of paperwork/electronic stuff. I’ve asked to be included but nothing has changed so far.

Ben and I pretty much just hung out on the couch. It was pretty chilly in the living room TBH. He laid under a blanket and watched his tablet and I went through my reader and did some other stuff on my phone.

When the 10:30am med alarm went off I was surprised Daughter wasnt up yet. At 11:30 I went to wake her up. I was awake briefly around 2:30am and I didn’t hear any noise in the house at the time. I figured she’d gone to sleep around 1:30am or 2am. I also figured 11:30 was late enough for her to sleep in. She’s the one who wants me to take the clothes to the laundromat today. She’s the one who wanted to get it done early, before it got hot. Anyway, I woke her at 11:30am and she was mad at me for waking her up. Okay??? I asked her what time she went to sleep, she said 4am. I told her to go back to sleep, I didn’t know.

She came stomping out of her room a minute later. I told her to go lay back down, Ben and I were fine, I didn’t know she’d been up so late… laundry, blah blah blah… lack of communication. She yelled that she was awake now. Dang! I apologized again, asked her to leave me a note or something in the future… or better yet, I’m just not going to wake her up anymore, for any reason. I’ll just take care of Ben and let her sleep whenever, for however long. I made a fresh pot of coffee and waited in my room for the coffee Dragon to burble, hiss and do its thing.

I went and got the load of my and and Ben’s clothes out of the washer and put them by the front door (how very passive-aggressive of me), got a cup of coffee and went to get Horizontal. What a mess!

Daughter put her clothes in the washer at 12:40pm. Looked like I’d be going out during the hottest part of the day anyway. At 1:15pm I got her clothes out of the washer, put on my mask and shoes, then took the clothes over to the dryers. The Quarter Lady was there. I walked past her and over to the change machine, got my quarters and turned to walk back. She leaned out over counter, gave me a big smile (no mask) and said “How are you?” I said “Hot!” She agreed that it was hot and I continued to my dryers. I put the clothes in, set the temperature and fed the quarter in. Then I set an alarm for 2:10pm when they’d be done, and came home. Then went back and got them, brought them home, folded and put away my and Ben’s clothes and put Daughter’s basket in her room.

Ben came and Bounced me around 2:30pm. He laid down on the other side of the bed and watched his tablet. He goofed around in my room mostly, with occasional jaunts into to living room or runs up and down the hall for funsies.

At 4pm he found his Batman costume. It wasn’t really hidden, but his eyes happened to land on it. I told him it was too hot and kinda late, but he doesn’t listen. What kid in the history of the world ever listened to what parents or grandparents said? So he grabbed the pieces he wanted and ran to the bathroom. Hopefully his slyness stays at this level. He was very proud of himself, little butthead. That’s okay, I told him I was gonna brush his hair and fix his braid and that’s exactly what I did. I told him “even superheros get tangles”

Pizza is in the toaster oven. Bath time is soon. We’re Driving Miss Daisy tonight and Saturday and Sunday nights too. The following mornings as well. Yee haw…

Just a random, popped into my head song. It’s a good one though.

Thank you for sharing another relaxed day in the oven. Have I complained about the heat enough to make you all tired of it, and me, yet? Gotta be getting close, if not. Tomorrow’s adventures will include Driving Miss Daisy, that’s all I know for sure. Everything else is subject to HRH’s whims. It might be another relaxed day or it might be total chaos. Oh yeah, there wont be any Zooming tomorrow either. Weekends are starting to have meaning again. They mean no Zoom and Mondays are School Days again. I like weekends now. I’ll have hot, fresh coffee and ice cold Sweet Tea… there’s even some Diet Coke, so come back by and hang out. ¡Hasta mañana!

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HUGS!

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