Awake Heather

I’ve been awake since 4:00 am. I didn’t even get to sleep until midnight. Not too sure what the deal is.

Yesterday, November 26th, was my eldest baby’s birthday. She’s now 27 years old. Wow! I called her yesterday to wish her a happy day and she sounded beat. She had 4 children with a stomach virus for Thanksgiving and was trying to manage a clothing store during the heavy holiday season. She’s come a long way and I hope she continues to endure. She has a court date soon that will determine a large part of her life. Disturbing conversations with small children were discussed as well. Poor babies.. why are people so dense at times?

Another event is marked by Heather’s birthday. It’s the annversary of the first time I talked to Frank. Heather had just turned one on Thanksgiving day that year. We had family and food and after the big Turkey meal, she had her little party. I still remember her little blue party dress and clip. She was more interested in standing on her toys then playing with them, but isn’t that normal for that age? 🙂

    Seems the child was marked for drama even then. Attending her birthday was my Grandfather, Step Grandfather and Grandmother. They posed for a photo together; something I was shocked to realize later in life. They weren’t too keen on each other. Under that strata of tension was the tension of waiting for Heather’s father to arrive to celebrate her birthday with us. He was supposed to have attended the Thanksgiving dinner, but seemed to never arrive. In the days prior to cell phones that meant I just had to wait and wait and wait to see if he’d show up. With no call and no show for hours after the meal, I had postponed Heather’s cake and presents as long as I could and I let her open her gifts and smash her cake without his attendance.

One year old babies definitely need a bath after a cake smashing session, so I bathed the child and realized that I only had a few diapers left. Yikes!! (Back in the olden day, boys and girls, there were the BLUE LAWS and NOTHING was open. No Walmart, no CVS, no grocery store, and definitely no liquor store- tho I think they wouldn’t have had diapers!!) The only place that was open was a fairly new exception to the rule and that was 7-11. My mom and grandparents were happy to play with a freshly bathed and scented baby for a bit, so I got into my Corvair and drove up to 7-11 in the hopes of finding some diapers. Lo and behold,  I found a number of things I had been looking for. Diapers and her Dad!! Strange how timing plays out that way, isn’t it?

After schooling my rage at finding Donnie out frolicking with friends, and reminding him that he was supposed to be attending his daughter’s first birthday, I left for home. Not too long after, he showed up… just as she was getting ready to be put to bed. He had brought a gift of a plastic tea set that was ages too old for her, and had many small chokeable parts, in a paper bag. (Guess that was all he could find in the 7-11) He stayed for about 15 minutes and then promptly announced that he was leaving due to some other engagement.

I was livid and hurt and after putting H to bed and finishing out the evening with my family, I crawled into my bed and lay awake listening to my CB. Close to midnight, I heard a voice that caught my interest.I was listening to a conversation between two males and for once, it wasn’t about drinking or what their “20” was. After listening for a short while, and in a gap of the conversation, I decided to make contact. I was so depressed at this point that any conversation was better than nothing. I suppose my comment wasn’t the most intelligent thing said, but it did get their attention.

 “I have a dog on my feet and can’t move or he’ll bite me.” (How’s that for an opening line… yeah I know.. pretty lame!!)

After introductions were made, I talked for a few hours to Frank and David. (A different David than the Doctor, btw) At first I thought Frank was the elder of the two. My guess had been that he was about 26 or so…  Wrong!! More like 16, and freshly so! But he had a way about him that was funny and after David had signed off the air, I gave Frank my phone number and we talked ’til dawn. Now, 26 years later, we are still verbose, we have replaced the cb with the internet and he’s still fun to talk to. For as much as I have to hold against Heather’s father, I have to thank him for being such a putz and making me so miserable that I lay in bed listening to my cb radio late at night!