The Communication Age

I think it is interesting that we live in a day and age with so many advances which make communication easier and yet I seem to have a harder time than ever communicating. My sons left the house today at 11:30 to go to lunch with the sister, the roommate and the girlfriend or is that the girlfriend and her roommates, or perhaps the sister and her roommates, or maybe the adopted sister, the sister, and the roommate or just the girls... At 3:00 I queried, via a text message, if they were coming home anytime soon. 10 texts later I still didn't have an answer to my original question. I don't really care if my kids aren't at home. However, the number 2 son had promised me he would use some time this afternoon to do online Health and I was curious who to plan on for dinner. Apparently the two sons had parted company and no decision could be made until they talked to each other which I guess was impossible to do until they reconnected. Why do we all have cell phones? (The answer to that question today was so the hubby could forget his at home and call and offer to treat me to $1.00 Arbys roast beef sandwiches for lunch if I would bring it to him. Pretty good reason, in my opinion, but probably not the original, intended purpose.) When it got to be 5:00 and I still hadn't heard from the sons I decided this would be a good night to worry about myself and let them do the same. The hubby came home and was willing to use his Chili's gift card (that he got from work a long time ago) and my movie gift card for a wild night on the town (a late anniversary celebration). We'd show those non-communicative boys! We were just finishing up dinner about 7:00 when I received a phone call from the youngest wondering where we were and informing me that I needed to be home before 9:00 so he wouldn't be home alone when his brother went on a double date. Gee whiz, plans I knew nothing about! I wasn't very nice and told him I'd think about it and if we didn't make it home to lock the doors and turn on all the lights. After I let him stew for a few minutes I called back and asked if he wanted us to pick him up to go to the movie with us. No, they had it all figured out and he was going with his brother since they were all going to the girl's apartment to play games and the sister and the roommate would be there too. Aw, more information - this communication thing is getting easier. We went to see "Get Smart" and I enjoyed it a lot although I wouldn't recommend drinking 5 tall glasses of water right before seeing it if you have difficulty laughing and controlling your bladder at the same time. I just wish they could make a movie without throwing in the non-essential hand gestures or cuss words here and there. It would have been a better movie, in my opinion, without them. The movie made me want to find a collection of the old TV series and watch it again. I remember being thoroughly entertained by the show as a kid. Can you believe my 23 year old daughter didn't even know the movie was based on a TV series? When we got out of the movie I called the young one and asked if he wanted to be picked up. Yes, he did, but not for half an hour. This "forced" the hubby and I to dig through the change in the ashtray in the van and stop at McDonalds for an ice cream cone. 15 minutes later another phone call informed us that he had changed his mind and he was staying. We took a rather scenic, long trip home through all the road construction. Apparently, I retire to my house too early in the evening. Who would have known there is so much activity on the roads at 10:15 at night. I guess these road construction workers know how to beat the Arizona heat. I definitely had a fun evening, however impromptu. This non-communication thing has its perks, along with its frustrations. My oldest daughter and I decided today that we need to use our blogs in a more productive way. We decided that we could use them as a gratitude journal to record things we are thankful for. I noticed she fulfilled her part of the bargain so I guess it is time for me to step up to the plate. Today I am grateful for Gift cards - one of the greatest inventions ever created. How fun is it to get something or go somewhere for free?! Light bulbs - and a son to install them for me so I don't have to. These were the big, long fluorescent ones that are a pain to put in and I always seem to manage to crack the plastic covers while I am at it. Thanks son! You know who you are. Let there be light! Clouds - it is amazing to me how a change in the weather can lift my spirits. Today the sun that usually shines brightly down on my bed in the late afternoon was a beautiful orange shade thanks to the smoke filled clouds on the horizon. Sorry to those people who had to evacuate their homes because of the smoke, but the clouds made the evening sky absolutely beautiful. and last of all a CELEBRATION - my son-in-law passed the written part of his test to receive his pilot's license today. CONGRATULATIONS! Way to Go!