She's gone on a whirlwind tour of the midwest

Published on April 28, 2007 By dharmagrl In Misc

Mum arrived safely - 3 hours late, but safely nonetheless - and it's been go go go since then!

Thursday morning we were going to stay home to help her get over jet lag, but she said she didn't notice any and wanted to go out - so we went to the mall and then to that behemoth flagship of modern American consumerism, Wal-Mart Supercenter. She was aghast not only at the size of it, but at the prices too. Not WAL-MART prices, prices in general. Take today, for example: she bought a pair of pinking shears from the craft store for $12. At home in the UK those same shears would be 18 pounds - and with the exchange rate being what it is, that's close to $36.

Pretty good saving, aint it?!

Yesterday we took her to the top of the Arch and then across Forest Park to the Zoo, and today we went across to Indiana so she could meet Dave's family - both of which were roaring successes. She's literally had a whirlwind tour of the American midwest but has risen to the challenge admirably and hasn't had a bad thing to say about anywhere we've been or anyone we've met. I'm very proud of her.

Tomorrow we're all having a day at home before the school and work weeks start. I only have to work Wednesday and Friday this week, so I have some time to spend with her one-on-one and I'm looking forward to that.

I'm going to be uploading photos tomorrow so I'll post them as soon as I can - and if I can figure out how to load a video clip, I'll treat you to a sight of my big ass, red eyes and tear stained face as I saw my mum for the first time in many years. We made a couple of random strangers cry with our intensity - that's always a good thing!

So far, so good!

Comments

MarcieMoo

on Apr 28, 2007

I'm so glad your mom is here and arrived safely. I hope that you enjoy your time together! (Duh! I know you will!) Give her a hug from me, too. I be she's an extraordinary woman like yourself. I wish I could meet her!

pseudosoldier

on Apr 28, 2007

It's awesome to read of you enjoying yourself (and your mother) so much.

I'm glad for your happiness, K.

Trudygolightly

on Apr 28, 2007

Good to see you posting and am happy for you that you're having a good visit with your mom.

You went to the mall, MOA?

Dr Guy

on Apr 30, 2007

It is always interesting to see our country in the eyes of a foreigner. I hope you post more about her impressions - whether good or bad. But dont worry about that untilshe is gone. Enjoy the stay! I hope she does and sees a lot of the good here as well.

MasonM

on Apr 30, 2007

It's great that you are getting to spend some time with your mother. I'm glad she's enjoying her visit to the "colonies".

dharmagrl

on Apr 30, 2007

I'm so glad your mom is here and arrived safely. I hope that you enjoy your time together! (Duh! I know you will!) Give her a hug from me, too

I will do, Marcie.

I'm glad for your happiness, K.

Thank you, 'miah.

You went to the mall, MOA?

Nope, St Clair Square. Mall Of America is in Minneapolis, and we live in IL - that'd be quite a drive for us!

It is always interesting to see our country in the eyes of a foreigner. I hope you post more about her impressions - whether good or bad.

I will. We went to eat at an Amish place on Saturday, and she was really interested in seeing them and learning about their traditions. She's also somewhat awed by the size of the Wal-Mart Supercenters, and as I said, the prices have got her gobsmacked.

She loves Dave's family, btw. Absolutely adores them.

It's great that you are getting to spend some time with your mother. I'm glad she's enjoying her visit

Me too, Mason. Actually, I told her about you and your knitting. I said that you were a big manly truck driver who knits socks - and she said that she bet that nobody gave you a hard time about your knitting for fear of getting a smack upside the head!

I've told her a lot about you Joe Users, and she said that she wished she could meet each and every one of you!

I wish that, too.

MasonM

on Apr 30, 2007

Actually, I told her about you and your knitting.

Geez you'd think you had better things to talk about.

Dr Guy

on Apr 30, 2007

Actually, I told her about you and your knitting.

Geez you'd think you had better things to talk about.

There goes the American Truck driver reputation.

pseudosoldier

on Apr 30, 2007

I've told her a lot about you Joe Users, and she said that she wished she could meet each and every one of you!

She could always start blogging here. It wouldn't be the first regular's mother that participated.

dharmagrl

on May 01, 2007

Geez you'd think you had better things to talk about.

Well, she was asking me about my blog, so I was explaining to her that I blog about all kinds of things, knitting included - and then I said that you had started knitting too and were blogging about your socks and things. That's how it came up - and since then we've talked about a lot of Joe Users! Ya'lls ears should have been on fire the past few days!!

There goes the American Truck driver reputation.

Oh yeah. But then again, Mason blew that reputation ages ago with his conversations about Linux and literature and stuff. Not your typical trucker, is he?!

She could always start blogging here.

She doesn't know how to use a computer and doesn't want to learn. She said that she's afraid she'd break it, and then she says that she can't see well enough to use it.....so I'm not going to press the issue. It would be very cool if she did though, wouldn't it?!

dynamaso

on May 01, 2007

Hey K,

I'm pleased your Mum is having a good time and enjoying herself.

dharmagrl

on May 02, 2007

Brenda-Mum became an instant shopaholic too, and she was sooo impressed with our food too, just cheap places like IHOP and Cracker Barrel and Waffle House.

So's my mum! We went to the mall and got food from the cheap chinese place at the food court, and she was gobsmacked at the amount they were putting on the plates for the price we'd paid. I can't wait to see her at the Cracker Barrel - and we're also taking her to Johnny Rockets, which should be interesting!

I'm pleased your Mum is having a good time and enjoying herself.

Thanks, Maso. She's really enjoying herself thus far - and that makes me happy.

shadesofgrey

on May 02, 2007

Glad to hear that the trip is going well and that your mom is enjoying herself.

She could always start blogging here. It wouldn't be the first regular's mother that participated.

Didn't Greywar's mom participate for a while?

pseudosoldier

on May 02, 2007

Didn't Greywar's mom participate for a while?

That is who I was referencing, yes.

shadesofgrey

on May 02, 2007

That is who I was referencing, yes.

reading is clearly not my strong point--sorry. I read that as "it would be" not "it wouldn't be."

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