
at the
WeatherChat
tldr; update: backyard BBQ is a go!!
I did get the lawn mowed earlier today, so kudos on that prediction, but no sign of the neighbor at that time. The weather, however, was ####### PERFECT today (aside from being Africa hot), so I had a feeling it was going to be a good day. I finished the lawn, then ran a few laps around the hood. I came back in and got cleaned up and threw on some khaki shorts, navy cotton tank top and matching baseball cap. I had my mind made up that if I didn't catch her outside by mid-afternoon, I was going to go knock on her door.
Sometimes, life throws a big "#### you and your well-schemed plans" your way. It was getting close to my self-imposed mid-afternoon deadline when my ex-wife calls me crying, saying that her father had passed out at home and had to be taken via ambulance to the hospital and was not doing good, so she was dropping the kids off and we basically had to wait for a call. So we hung out for a little bit, and I got word that ex-FIL was still in serious condition but was conscious and had improved. That finally helped the kids settle down (they were pretty upset), and my son goes to grab his neighborhood buddy. Soon, they're tossing the football around on the street and I'm sitting on the steps coaching and watching from the shade. Her car pulls into her driveway....
She waves and tells me her dog escaped her back yard, but she found him on the next street over. She leads her dog into the back yard and, for a fleeting moment, I thought I blew my shot (again). But before I knew it, she and one of her little girls were back out on the front porch and she plopped down in her porch swing. So I stroll over to the edge of my yard and tell her we found some of my daughter's old roller blades that no longer fit and did she think either of her girls would like them? Her face kind of lit up and said "oh yes she'd love them!" pointing at her little one. I said "OK awesome, I'll be right back." I went and got the roller blades and my son wanted to deliver them, so he took them over as I posted back up in the yard near our heroine who was still on the porch swing.
I tell her that I had intended on coming over earlier in the day and inviting them over for burgers, then gave her a brief rundown about the family emergency. I then asked if they would like to come over one evening during the week, and she smiled and said that would be great.
We briefly discussed some scheduling of the upcoming week (kids' events, etc.), and we don't have a finalized date yet, but I figured that gives me more excuses to go talk to her more. We chit-chatted for a few more minutes then my ex-MIL called to see if we could let her dogs out, so my kids (who had wandered back out to be nosy) and I said goodbye to the neighbors and I said we'll talk soon.
Oh and yoga pants!!

(no pics)
Also, I may have Zika, as the mosquitoes feasted on my ankles while I was chatting her up. Worth it, though.
Have to say it was a good day.