Lappy Returns

Lappy is home. It's about time. He's been gone over a week. It's not home sweet Mansion without Lappy. He arrived about 3:30 this afternoon. #1 son had been fretting all day, even though he knows we are at the end of the Unqualified People Shipping route. Every hour or so, he would dash up the steps and yank open the front door to see if perhaps Lappy had been laid on the doorstep. Our UPS lady leaves packages in the garage as requested, but if there's a substitute driver, he put them on the front porch in plain sight of the road. A Lappynapping would not go over well. And besides, we harbor The Chewingest Dog.

At 3:30, the boy ran up the stairs and went outside. After a couple minutes, he stuck his head back in. "I hear a heavy vehicle coming up the road!" He waited. And waited. I was just about to assume that the big brown truck had gone past the Mansion, and then gone past again on the way out. But no! Lappy was delivered in one piece. It was quite a sentimental reunion. The boy took Lappy to his room so they could get reacquainted. He brought Lappy's discharge information to show me. Boy and Lappy are doing well.

Since Lappy is back, we don't have to sit home and wait on his arrival any more. Tomorrow, we are going to the city library. We have to pay a fee, because we live out of town. What's up with that? There are no city taxes. How do they figure people who live in town pay for the right to be literate? We shop in town, and pay sales tax, same as the residents. I don't get it. In addition, WE pay $120 for fire tags every year. Those townies don't have to pay. I think their fire protection money comes out of their county taxes, which we also pay. Plus, we own a double lot in town. I think we're footin' their bills. The only thing we had to pay when we owned rental property in town was for water and sewer, so I don't understand the other fees. But I'm kind of simple about the ways of the world.

Life is kind of boring around the Mansion. I think we might have to go down to the creek and look for rocks to break up the monotony. I sure hope there's not any of those ocean fish that attacked Meanie lurking around in our creek. I mean the fish lurking. Not Meanie. She could lurk all she wanted as long as she didn't swim up in my shorts and die.

And on that cheery note, I think I'll stop.