A post in which I get in some Cole time*

After being unconscious for about 9 hours, I awoke feeling fairly refreshed. Cole and I had talked about going to the flea market this morning, but I was the first one up so I just sat quietly for a bit and enjoyed the silence. I felt singularly useless in Lisa's house. I can't use a coffee maker so I couldn't make coffee. Cole doesn't eat breakfast really, and Mom eats like one egg, so there wasn't any point in making a big breakfast. I couldn't even attempt to navigate the complexities of preparing food for Ava without Cole to instruct. All of her food is highly specialized and requires distilled water and sterilized utensils in addition to the custom modifications necessary for it to appeal to her specific likes and dislikes. I hadn't brought a book. So I basically sat around with my teeth in my mouth until Mom got up.

When Mom and the baby got up, I checked in with Cole, who was awake, but going through the wake-up process he inherits from his mother. Apparently it's kind of like de-pressurization after deep-sea diving. If you rush the stages harm occurs. But Cole was apparently ready to get out of the house for a while and was ready to leave for the flea market in record time. I was glad I had sneaked a muffin earlier.

I set the GPS and we headed for Columbia. I had asked Mother about going with us, but after yesterday she just wasn't up to going with Ava. That's quite a road show to put together two days in a row. It's so much easier to just stay home where she can pretty much run amok without earning censure, destroying property, or endangering her life (usually). I felt kind of bad about leaving Mom with the baby again, but Cole doesn't get a lot of just Cole time. Ava demands so much attention and care that it's usually all about her. I don't get to see a lot of him, so it was nice to just take him off for a while. Also, Mother and I are going to Atlanta for five days together in just two weeks anyway. Frankly, I needed a break for a bit after yesterday. I love Ava, but she just wears you out. Going 24/7 while not at my best was just a bit much for me.

Cole and I headed for Starbucks for coffee first, which is kind of a ritual for us, and then headed on to the flea market. I didn't see much glass today, and Cole never lets me buy him anything, so we didn't come home with much. I got a nice kitchen grater, and a copy of Run Fat Boy Run. I had been wanting to see it for some time. I adore Simon Pegg. I could buy it as cheaply as I could rent it today.

By the time we left the flea market, we were both pretty hungry. We tooled around Columbia for a bit, and finally ended up at a huge Chinese buffet there that I like. Lisa hates it, so Cole doesn't get to eat there very often and that turned out great. We gorged ourselves and then headed home. By the time I got there, I was feeling like I needed a nap. But the baby was up and we played with a delighted Ava until it was time for her nap. Since she's a toddler, she's in that stage where she likes to be in control of things. I was pretending that she was throwing me around in the floor when she grabbed my shirt, much to her delight.

I headed on home at nap time, and was profoundly grateful to come home to a clean house and (mostly) quiet kitties. I had a great time, but I think I just over-did this weekend. I had a short buddy visit and then collapsed onto the couch. I remained comatose through the rest of the afternoon and most of the Fox Sunday night line-up, only shifting to run to Gourmet Pizza for supper and turn down the bed. Work starts again tomorrow. But a three day weekend next weekend (yay!), and then I work two days and Mom and I head to Atlanta for five. So some much-needed R&R coming up...