Last Friday I was growing increasingly frustrated with all the workers in our building. Two of the six flats are being renovated, plus the council is working on the roof. So there are guys going up and down the stairs and scaffolding, yelling in the stairwell, smoking in the stairwell, buzzing to get in and out, etc., from about 7:00 a.m. every day. Add to this the construction sounds and you get a picture of life in our flat these days!
Last Friday afternoon someone kept buzzing to get in but when I answered the phone nobody responded. My simple response was to set the buzzer phone to ‘privacy’ so it wouldn’t ring. Jonathan seemed bothered by this, saying we might miss the delivery of the package Bonnie had promised to send. He answered the buzzer and I went (frustrated) into the bedroom with Julian. Next thing you know there was a knock on the door. I leapt into action, ready to tear somebody a new one. I threw open the door to find my sister Suzanne standing there!
Suzanne says she made the trip just for the look on my face when I opened the door. I hope it was worth it. Everyone kept asking if I was really surprised and I was; I really was. Yet at the same time it made all the sense in the world that she was here—it just seemed right. Just that morning I had been thinking about upcoming visits from Mom and Bonnie. I was mapping out all the places I could now take folks and thinking about how much more oriented I feel in the city. I was thinking it was such a shame that when Suzanne was here I was so disoriented and overwhelmed. So when she showed up at my door it just made sense! We had a really good time sight-seeing. Suzanne finally got to Edinburgh Castle and also saw Holyrood Palace. We went with Mike & Mo out to Culross and saw Culross Abbey, where they were married. Suzanne also got a good dose of our favorite cafes, including the Elephant House and Two Thin Laddies. Jonathan and I even scored a night out! Suzanne watched Julian while we took in dinner and (most of) a movie. She also helped us out with a few things around the flat. There’s nothing like a sister to come in and do the household jobs you’d never let anyone else do!
So, hooray for surprises! If anyone else wants to come and do our dishes and laundry, wash our floors and scrub our bathroom, come on over!