my mini vacation

Yesterday the ex and his 8-y-o son and I took a little trip to visit our daughter at college for Parent's Weekend, though we drove up and back in one day, and didn't stay for the weekend. While I live in Brooklyn, I had to drive 50 miles east out to Smithtown, Long Island to leave the dog at my ex's house so he wouldn't be alone in the apartment all day.

And how long does it take to drive from Smithtown to Oneonta and back to Smithtown?? It takes Karate Kid 1, 2, 3, The Next Karate Kid, and Karate Kid: The Remake (give or take a few moments of silence) long. Not a bad length of time for riding in the car, reading, and staring out the window.


It was a perfect day...for awhile the sky was very bumpy with clouds (taken w my cell phone out the moving car window), but mostly it was sunny and lovely.


 



My daughter doesn't let me take many pictures of her anymore, so I was happy to get this one nice shot of her with her half-brother (my ex's youngest), Short Russell.
 
the ex noted that this was a little Abbey Road-ish.


 


there were lots of events going on around campus. Short Russell liked the fire-eating jugglers.


 


sigh. she looks sort of lost and lonely here.

 
father and daughter.
 
there was a skate park nearby where Short Russell got to blow off some steam. He's such a boy, but really sweet and bright. On the ride home as it was just dark and there were lights in far-off house windows he goes, "look at all those lights, it must mean the British are coming." ha.
 
sigh. me and The Child.
 
and the saddest sight to me...The Child leaving me. again.
 

So...a day away from normal life...and today was back to to-do lists and laundry and vacuuming and ironing and getting next week's items ready to be photographed for the ebay shop. the weekend went very fast...and next week - Halloween!