VISIT FROM A FRIEND

I have a good friend from Boston who needed a break and chose to come here to Indiana to visit me for that break!  I love her!  If you imagine a friendship where a couple of hours might pass without having to say a word, sitting reading books while the rain pours down outside, sharing some wine and chocolate bars while watching TV, that is the sort of friendship Eileen and I share.  

Sometimes I worry that, coming from a big city like Boston, I will not be able to entertain Eileen very well.  My city is a small one in the south-central part of Indiana, in the midst of farming country.  That is what we do, farm and well, build furniture and cabinets, or restore engines for everyone's snow plows and buses.  If you are riding on a fairly old bus, then most likely my boyfriend has repaired the engine at least once.  

Yesterday I had a brainstorm.  I said, "Eileen, I'd like to take you to Rural King."  

She looked at me blankly and I repeated, "R-u-r-a-l King, a store."

After another blank stare, I realized she seriously had never heard of Rural King and I knew I had hit on a Farmer's World oddity she actually had never seen, so in the rain, off we went.

When we walked in the front door, Eileen took in a breath and just stopped and gawked.  In one aisle, flowers, in the next aisle bird baths, in the next aisle, clothes of all shapes, sizes, and variety.  But probably the most precious moment was when we turned the corner to discover huge cages full of all breeds of ducklings, chicks, and rabbits.  Live ones.  Eileen's eyes were just laughing out loud.  

After we spent about twenty minutes ooohing and aahhing over the animals, I was on a mission to find a can of my favorite powder:  Yes, you guessed the name of it, I'm certain.  Lady Anti-Monkey Butt Powder.  Honestly, you have never experienced a powder so awesome!  It has powdered calamine in it.  It is great for absorbing sweat and keeping chafing to a minimum in all the places you might suspect it would.  After laughing about that for awhile, we spied bat houses, oriole feeders, and hummingbird feeders.  Both of us were surprised the orioles need a special kind of nectar and a feeder.  Now, the fact that I never knew that leads me to believe that those orioles are playing us!  

So far I have managed this visit without even opening the fridge, except to remove the wine.  Friday night we showed Eileen our favorite pizza place, Saturday she and I had Chinese for lunch, last night McDonald's burgers, and this morning a grand Sunday morning breakfast at Denny's.  

Tomorrow evening my friend Donna and I are taking my precious guest to French Lick, Indiana.  Yes, that is where Larry Bird grew up, yes the famous West Baden Springs Hotel and French Lick Hotel are there, and last but not least, the casino, where we all three expect to win our fortunes at the penny slots!  Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Oh, yes, and Eileen experienced her first ever tornado warning.  We went to bed and I gave her the side I usually sleep on, and not surprisingly, I forgot to warn her about the Indiana must-have, the weather radio, which was on the table about ten inches from her head.  About 2 a.m., a fantastic wicked storm marched through, and the radio screamed its siren sound.  Eileen sat up looking baffled and a little anxious.  When I managed to stub every toe and get to the radio, I learned there was a tornado warning.  

Back to sleep we drifted, when at 3 a.m. the siren again blared next to her ear, and I managed to stub every toe and get to the radio.  This time it was a severe thunderstorm warning.  

Back to sleep we drifted, when at 4 a.m. BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP!  Eileen did not even move, and I stubbed every toe to find out we were now under a flood warning.  So she had a very unusual and fun-filled first night in Indiana.  Don said, "Why don't you unplug the weather radio?"  I said, "What, and have her end up in Oz or something when a tornado rumbles through that we didn't know about??"

Last night it only went off one time, and we slept like the angels we are!  

I am pretty sure it is panic I see in her eyes now every time I mention taking her somewhere or the skies darken.  Now Eileen understands the Indiana lifestyle.  I wonder if she will ever come back?