(Pretend I posted this yesterday when I started to write it)
My brother went back to school today. He doesn't start classes until Monday and had no real reason to return today except that he was accomplishing nothing here (I know the feeling). Strange how I lived over 2000 miles away from him for 3.5 years with no problem, but now I miss him when he's only 200 miles away.

In any case, we did the obligatory grandparent visiting yesterday before he left. Early in the day was lunch with Granny and Grandpa (Mom's parents) in Montrose. Nice liesurely lunch (2.5 hours) while the surly Olive Garden waitress glared at our table. I typically hate chain restaurants, but damn, their eggplant parmasean is divine. I was really looking forward to a nice cappuccino with dessert (white chocolate raspberry cheescake), but their espresso maker was broken!?! I almost offered to go back and fix it for them, but it didn't seem worth further pissing off the waitress when I knew I could just come home and make one for myself.

After going to the Belden Village David's Bridal to try on my bridemaid dress for Barlo's wedding (thank God she didn't put us in pink dresses-- the one I tried on showed every little imperfection), it was off to see Grandma and Granddad (Dad's parents) in Massillon. When we showed up at their house (with dog in tow-- she loves seeing "Grandma Crackers," so named because she feeds the dog crackers, not because she's crazy), their garage door was open (quite unusual) and their house was dark. My grandparents really shouldn't be driving at night, and further investigation showed that the car was in the garage, so we were mystified until we noticed that the lights were out all down the street.

We had to pratically bang down the door before Granddad heard us and came, carrying a candle, to open the door. They explained that the wind had knocked down a huge old tree onto a power line around noon. At 8pm when we showed up my grandparents were still sitting in the dark, no heat and no phone lines. For some reason they were only able to get incoming calls, not make outgoing ones, but the only people who'd called them all day were their neighbors who were in the same situation. For dinner my grandparents had eaten cold cheese sandwiches by moonlight. Not eating at dinnertime is not an option for my diabetic grandfather, and my grandmother was disgusted by the idea of a cold meal at for supper (I didn't mention to her that a cold cheese sandwich sounds like a typical dinner for me)

The power did come back on while we were visiting, but I have never been so worried about them as I was sitting there in the dark. Grandma and Granddad are in their mid-80s. I can remember when they were younger going camping and canoeing with Granddad and playing dress-up with Grandma, but those days are long past. They have both had more than their fair share of health problems. Grandma is almost blind and deaf, and Granddad seems to be approching senility. And yet they refuse to move in with my uncle, refuse to go to an assisted-living facility. They insist on taking care of their yard and their two-story house, regardless of how difficult it is. But what if the power hadn't gone on that night? What if we hadn't stopped by to visit? It was 5 degrees outside, and blankets (even hand-knitted ones) only help so much. I tried to convine Dad that he should call or stop by every day, but I doubt that will happen. Sometimes I think maybe I shouldn't leave Ohio.