Denouement

As our story comes to a close... (listening to: creepy silence)

--DAY 3--
Again, we are woken up by small giggles at a time when not even the elderly should be up. This time, Natalie promises me that she won't be upset if I don't come up right away, and thanks me for plugging in her phone. I earnestly try to get back to sleep, but it's no use. I'm up.

Today's plan is to prepare for the arrival of just the inner circle of family for late lunch/dinner. Fran is scurrying about trying to make sure Harris and Jackie are taken care of, and Natalie really wants to go to Kent to see where she went to school. I'm game, so we get into the car.

It's a pleasant drive to Kent, and we pass it in quiet reverie (read: hungover headaches), punctuated by pleasant conversation (read: Natalie saying something, me saying "what?" and her deciding it's not worth repeating). When we arrive, I'm ferried around the campus, shown the pretty buildings and told the anecdotes- All standard fare when showing someone around your old campus. But this is Kent we're talking about, so everything's a little bit different. We went to the memorial, saw the sectioned off places where the students fell, and when it's warm and you're hungover, everything seems a little graver. Hearing Natalie tell the story Neil Young put to music just seemed.. I don't know. It hit me harder than I thought it would.

From Kent, we go to a local drive-in type restaurant for a sandwich called a "Salad Boy." From what I understand, it's a vegetarian's dreamboat. Personally, I could barely stomach the sight of it. It had pickles. 'Nuff said. I enjoyed my cheeseburger and a local version of Quepapas, washing it all down with a delicious peanut butter milkshake. No, Fran, I did NOT spill any in your wonderful automobile... maybe.

Now beings the portion of our tale wherein our heroes drive aimlessly along the cliffs and hills of Eastern Ohio. Natalie is really a fantastic tour guide, telling stories about each road and taking me to a place where giant birds play... or rather, used to.. before something terrible happened that no one seems to want to talk about. About an hour later, we end up at Mom's house, and she shows me pictures of young Natalie, and we watch golf, and nearly fall asleep right then and there. No time for sleeping!

One quick stop before we return to Brain and Fran's house at a pet store so Natalie can make her little happy growling noise at the puppies and kitties, and then I need to redeem my weekend with a quick purchase at Home Depot. Replacement plant holders. I mend what I reap, folks.

Finally returning back to the house, Brain has concocted roast beast which the very smell of sets angels singing on clouds far away, and I'm suddenly much less tired. We sit down to eat, and Dad is eyeing me with a somewhat auspicious eye. I aim for conversation with the man, and he's amiable and open. So far, so good.

The rest of the evening passes languidly, mostly conversation and wine sipping until the very end of the evening when Natalie, Fran, Guinevere, Brain and I all have a talk about the Summers women. Seems that they are a lively bunch, fraught with complications and neuroses. I take careful notes, realizing that not only will there be a test later, but I'm actually living it every day. This is good information for me to have, I think. The girls seem to be unerringly self-aware of their particular neediness, and there is no excuses or blame placed. It is what it is, and to be honest.. the upside far outweighs the bad.

Now it is bedtime, and this time I know that I'm getting up in 5 hours. Somehow, as I turn out the lights, I know that it was all worthwhile.

END TRANSMISSION...