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I wonder how many times my blog can start out with: 'Gary left less than 24 hours ago in the Town Car and ___________.' Fill in the blank: 'I have lost my mind', 'Things have gone to hell in a hand basket' (OK, that generally takes at least 48 hours, minimum), whatever.....
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Set my alarm for 5:00am to get Ryan up for Seminary (Gary normally gets him up). He got up, showered, got ready, came downstairs and promptly fell asleep on the couch without making breakfast. Hence, my OTHER alarm went off at 5:50 and I yelled at Ryan to get up and go to Seminary (not his favorite place to be). When the snooze went off, I yelled again, and 3 minutes later I kinda yelled a bit more - and off he went. Since I had not slept well, I was happily drifting off when he called me from a parking lot at 6:10am and said he was tired. OK, so was I, but maybe I could have been nicer with my threat (the ONLY thing we have to get him anywhere) that if he did not go to Seminary, he could take the bus to school and had no need for his vehicle. Told him I would get him the bus schedule that afternoon and I needed his keys. Harsh? I don't know, I was tired and cranky, no one would ever confuse me with a 'morning person'.
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(Note: Ryan has given me permission to 'blog' this).
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At exactly 8:07am I was still staring at the clock wishing that sleep would come when I got the cutest little trilly sound on my phone - I had a text message: "Don't worry. I'll be back later today. I just need a break. My phone is on silent, so don't freak out if i don't answer. I'm sorry about this. I'll call you soon." So .... I'm laying there realizing that my son has just run away from home - he's 18, and his first time, so I'm thinking we did a pretty good job getting that far, right?
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Gary steps off his plane in London, checks into his Marriott and calls me - asks how things are going. "I was doing better before Ryan ran away from home.", I said. Silence on the other end. Ya wonder why he has not done the same - ever. While on the phone with Gary recounting my morning, I decided to track Ryan using his debit card - logged on to Chase bank. Oh, he went to Sonic in Richmond, then McDonalds. We talk some more. Holy Shit!!!! He went to McDonalds in Flatonia, Texas which I happen to know is about the halfway point between here and San Antonio. Yeah: 'Holy Shit' ... screamed it into the phone, and Gary still has not hung up on me - cool. Now I am a bit more worried, and thought that maybe I should call Ryan and see if I can wring his neck through the air waves....
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He went to the Alamo (Dad said go ahead - I on the other hand had said multiple times, through clenched teeth to turn around, turn around, NOW! But I lost those rounds), stopped at Buckeys (sp?) on the way back - called, asked me if I wanted anything. Still through clenched teeth - yes, YOU - in the same county as me...
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Gary called back after Ryan got home and I had gone with him to Sonic and talked to him about, well, why he decided to spend the day in San Antonio, and was, like Dallas tomorrow? And give me your keys. We discussed it all, and as he was getting off the phone, he said "You know, I will admit I lost Jessie, but only for a half an hour. You lost Ryan for like 8 hours."
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And I'm just wondering what y'all think out there in 'blogland' - which of us is the worse parent?
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While living in Norway, Ryan and I went to Paris on his spring break, he was 14 and Jessie was 16. I called Gary on his birthday and he told me he had lost Jessie that day. Lost Jessie - IN ANOTHER COUNTRY...
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He had gone shopping for ski's and she didn't want to go in the last store he was going to. He just needed to run in and check if they had maple syrup (Ryan's beverage of choice over there - he seriously used enough on a waffle to qualify it a beverage). No one sold it except this store - sporadically. So, being the great parent he is, he handed her a diet coke and told her not to go anywhere and LEFT HER IN THE CAR. When he came out to the car, she was gone. Having a bit of and ego and knowing Jessie, he ignored all the puppies, and babies and umpteen other stores connected to the parking lot and headed back the way he came - assuming she had followed him in.
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He went to customer service and asked if a mentally retarded, English speaking girl had come in (it was a club membership like Sam's Club - so she should not have been able to get in without a card). A half an hour later, he found her checking out the toys in the toy section.
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So I ask you - Gary? ... or Lori?
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I am just dying to know......
8 comments:
I would have to say that Gary takes the points on this one. In the series of events you did not have control over the leaving. In Jessie's situation, well, she shouldn't have been left alone. Shoot, I didn't leave her out of my sight at Wal-mart! ;)
Sorry you had a rough parenting day, sweetie. :)
Gary...he doesn't read this does he?
- Sarah
No!!! How'd you guess? (If I mention something, he will come over to my computer and read it, but he does not have it saved in his favorites or anything).
Gary wins!! Woo hoo! If ever there were a loser in this contest, it is YOU Lori!
I have to agree - Gary wins the worst parent category. I loved your parenting consequences, that if Ryan wasn't attending seminary he didn't have a reason to need a car to get to school. I'm glad that he was still communicating, and also glad that your sleuthing abilities enabled you to track him - you're brilliant! When my girls were teens, the consequences of not attending mutual were no weekends with the friends - give up one social event, you give them up for the rest of the week! It did motivate them a tad to make it to mutual. Way to make it to 18 before he tried to fly the coop!
Ok, I'm not voting but just wanted to comment that it's kind of hilarious that Ryan ran away to the Alamo. Of all the places to take a break... And I also wanted to point out that you didn't loose him so no competition there. Ok, so maybe that was a vote.
BTW - a comment on how COOL your son is! Besides not being afraid to go to San Antonio, he actually left a note - a reasonable, not-cuss-you-out note, AND he did talk to you! SO much more mature than I was. He would've been WAY out of my league in high school. But I still think your consequences are spot-on.
Hands down - Gary! Kinda like leaving a 3 year old in a running car (Brad's ex did this one-but come to find out, that was Brad's fault!)
Loved the reasoning on needing the car. And I can only hope Darin is as reasonable when he runs away with keys, a car and a credit card! (so far he's only made it to Paula's, and she's been briefed to let him know she only wants the 4 kids she has!)
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