Tidbits: Unexpected

• Friday afternoon, Walker and I sat in traffic on the interstate. We'd been to two hospitals to visit a friend. (She was actually in the second one.) Hurrying to make it back from Dallas in time to pick up kids from school, we found the drive slower than expected. We were stuck at 3:40 on a weekday afternoon behind two street sweepers and the a third truck flashing lights to announce that work vehicles. Walker scooted as far to the right as possible since the street sweepers were working away on the inside emergency lane. Only to find traffic grinding to a halt mere minutes from Pleasant Suburb. We sat there watching with absolute incredulity (and maybe a little laughter) as the street sweepers passed us, and then cut over to cruise a car length or two ahead while the traffic lanes on the left began to zip past at speeds effectively trapping Walker's Mom Mobile in the slow lane. That was definitely a first.
• Saturday, the mister and I headed back south on the same highway. We drove for hours, and were rewarded with hugs from The Boy. He is finished with his orientation period, and has settled into his new dorm. Sometime in the weeks since we saw him last, he has grown again. The Boy is taller than I am. And I did not know. (Of all the things to be struck sad over, this is probably an odd one, but emotions are sometimes funny things.) He has also learned that the timing of his transfer to the new school was really, really bad. He missed his midterms, and he has now lost all credit for the first half of his sophomore year in high school. He will make it up, but it will slow his plans to complete his high school diploma ahead of his original 2013 graduation date. He is hopeful, and it is hope that will see him whatever curve balls are thrown at him.
• Temperatures were in the 70's over the weekend. It was glorious, but there really was little time to spend outdoors enjoying the warmth and sunshine. Later today, temperatures will begin a descent into the teens that is forecast through Thursday. It will be colder in Pleasant Suburb, Texas than it will be in Poland this week.