I'm On My Way Home

Started out today the same way as yesterday - in bed, trying to let my nephew get to school without distraction. After Mom came back, I got dressed, and we headed out to the Four Seasons Diner in Rio Grande for a late breakfast. The Four Seasons took over the former WaWa building in 2004 when the convenience store moved across the street to a larger location. It's been a family favorite ever since. Despite it being busy, we had no problems sliding into a booth. Mom had her favorite, an omelet with spinach, feta cheese, and tomatoes. I had a waffle topped with apples, raisins, and cinnamon. I loved mine, and Mom said she enjoyed hers a lot, but neither of us could finish them.

When we got home, Mom pulled her old fall, spring, and Halloween decorations down from the attic (avoiding the four bats who apparently have moved in up there). She's tired of constantly putting up small items and wants to get rid of most of it. She kept most of mine and my siblings' old artwork and things we made in art class in school. I kept some vintage cardboard hangings, two resin hangings for outside, a small flat wood scarecrow holding a leaf, a more traditional small straw scarecrow, beautiful wire leaf garlands Mom said she got when she worked at Michael's, the bat stuffed Beanie-type toy Eckard's sold in the mid-late 90s when they had holiday-themed Beanies, a bat and an egg table cover that Mom made herself, a twine garland of hand-made fabric bats and moons, a miniature Easter garland hung with tiny wooden bunnies, carrots, and eggs, and two tins filled with small Easter and Halloween toys, including our McDonald's Chicken McNugget and McDonaldland Halloween Happy Meal prizes from the 80s and 90s.

We had leftover pizza for a quick lunch, then talked for an hour or so about family matters before it was time for me to head out. I thought it would be safer for me to leave from the Villas, instead of busy Rio Grande. The last time I was down here, I got so confused waiting for the bus at Rio Grande, and it took forever.  It did the trick. The 2:34 bus to Atlantic City was only about five minutes late (not bad for that bus), and had a good crowd without being overstuffed. It arrived at 4:30, allowing me just enough time to dash for the Train Station to pick up the 4:42 to Lindenwold.

I just made it. The train left right on time. It was delayed by two trains coming in the opposite direction from Philadelphia who had apparently had problems with signals, but was only about 10 minutes or so late. The 6:07 down the White Horse Pike was actually five minutes early. Once I got on that bus, despite the heavy traffic, I had no problems whatsoever. The bus stopped across from the 7-11 in Oaklyn, and I walked home from there, remembering to call a worried Mom when I got in. I spent the rest of a quiet evening putting everything away and eating leftovers while watching more Rick Steves' Europe.