It feels like Fall again. Cloudy, breezy, rainy and in the 50's. It's supposed to storm the entire day, but the forecast for the weekend is beautiful.

Yesterday my mom and I went out for breakfast at the Nautilus Diner. It's such an impressive-looking place. It's 3 stories tall, but that's just the facade since there's only one story inside. It's huge. It seems as if no detail was spared in the construction, design and decoration. The bathroom has granite floors! The food is good. The waitstaff is older and experienced. It's a hugely popular place. We both ordered omelets, hash browns and toast. I wasn't hungry again till after the game, which is later than I like to eat, so I had a half bagel and went to sleep hungry. That's OK; my body didn't miss the calories.

Next stop was Walmart for a long and leisurely shopping trip. My mother has been in need of new clothes, and this store carries her favorite brand, White Stag. It's very inexpensive, but not made to last. She got 5 bottoms and 3 tops. I have the reputation of being the clothes police. I get rid of stuff, usually to her protests. Her closet is packed with clothes, many of them ready to toss. I retire them for her. She's very happy with her new clothes.

When I left her house, I went to Home Depot to look at their plants. They didn't have any of the market packs of small plants, so I just decided to get the 'instant impact' size. The expensive stuff. That's not ever the way I shop, but you know, it will look good right away, and really fill in the spaces. It actually felt good to just pick out what I wanted, and buy it. It's still a little early to put things in the ground here, so the plants are in a semi-sheltered area where they'll stay till the time is right.

I ran into my childhood best friend at Home Depot. She bought her father's house when he passed away, and it's where she's always lived. Right down the street from my parents. We run into each other every few years, but yesterday was the first time we spent any amount of time talking. We were best friends and inseparable from the age of 6 till 14, the year we were going into high school (10th grade back then). She started becoming friends with a different crowd, a bad crowd, and she dropped me. It really broke my heart. Our lives went in different directions, and as I said, I only see her once in a while when I'm driving down 'our' street, and it's to wave. So, yesterday was good. We talked about old times and had a few good laughs. I have a million memories of our times together. Maybe I'll stop by one day, like she urged. I'm not sure.

So here's what I like about Emily playing softball: It's her first 'real' team sport. I love seeing her be a part of a team. That's totally new. I love the camraderie between the girls. The joking around. The cheering on and encouraging banter. I love the exercise she's getting. I love seeing the respect she has for 'Coach.' It's all good. Her father, who's been out of town on a golfing vacation, showed up at the game, but hung back so she couldn't see him. Aparently the weather was awful in AL so he came back a day early. I'm sure it was so he could watch the game. He's so into this, which is touching to see. Anyway, I heard some of the parents say Emily is the fastest runner on the team. That made me proud. I also heard them complain when she was on 3rd base and kept failing at her attempts to steal the base and run home. She kept running back and forth. I wondered if they knew I was the mother. Emily is learning. The coach told her he'll work with her on her running, and told her she was the fastest one on the team. She was very happy to hear the praise and be recognized for something she's good at. I'm encouraging her to go out for track next year. The game ended something like 14-4, our second loss in a row. Apparently, the team didn't win one game last year. As long as the girls have fun, that's OK.

It is time for me to get ready for work. I'll feel sorry for all the clients that have to go out in this weather after getting their hair done. It will be a good day for me to be inside. La de da....