Saturday, April 07, 2007

Electric Avenue?

Last night, after Susan Rogers Cooper's surprise 60th birthday party (her daughter set the whole thing up, and even ordered a cake that looked exactly like Susan's recently released book Vegas Nerve), I drove my friend and fabulous author Jan Grape home.

Jan, as it happens, lives about 40 miles west of town, and I found myself enjoying the drive through the dark Texas countryside. The highway was flanked by barely glimpsed wildflowers, the flash of fence posts, and the occasional rustic barbecue joint (like Opie's, which Jan tells me is great). The emptiness of it all made me feel like I was far, far away from city life. And the street signs are great: fun, rustic names like "Bob Wire Road" (not barbed wire, mind you), "Haystack Road," and then... quite unexpectedly... "Electric Avenue."

"Electric Avenue?"

Who the heck named a street in the middle of rural Central Texas "Electric Avenue?"

And perhaps more importantly: why?

Was it because the road was the first in the area to have a functioning light bulb? Or is there a renegade early 80s fan lurking among Randy Travis and Patsy Cline lovers? Some lonely woman in love with Eddie Grant, maybe? You can't help but wonder.

One of these days, when it's not 11:00 at night and I'm not almost asleep at the wheel, I'll have to find out what lurks at the end of Electric Avenue.

If I do, I'll let you know.

Oh, and writing? Kids were home yesterday. No writing, but lots of clean laundry. Which is a good thing, b/c in-laws and parents are coming over for dinner, and now that I've done the wash, there are actually places to sit.

And, as I do on Easter Eve every year, I spent a good portion of the day trolling stores for Easter grass; I finally found some at Target, only to come home and discover I'd bought extra last year to avoid having to drive all over town this year.

Duh.

Of course, I also left Target with three sets of little paper lanterns for the back porch, a new broom, a bathing suit for Abby, several shirts, and a few bags of Cadbury mini eggs. For the kids, of course. Not me.

I need a Target chaperone, I think.

Anyway, I'm off to defend the mini eggs now. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter, and that it involves lots of chocolate!

4 Comments:

At 7:47 PM, April 07, 2007, Blogger Gracesmom48 said...

Wicked was the best musical show I've ever seen, better than Broadway, better than the Kennedy Center, just plain better!! We had a blast! On a different note, I do think you need a Target chaperone but at least it's Target. I commit the sin of shopping at Walmart once a year.. I know it's wrong!! I once went in for string and spent $182! I drive by there sometimes and the urge is so strong to go in, it's like I'm trolling for crack.. I just turn up the radio and look away and hope it will pass. But, ya know, I don't blame you because Target has the cutest clothes for little girls, it's almost like it would be wrong not to buy them because it's actually saving money. Imagine what that stuff would cost at those groovy kind of stores. At least those are the kind of arguments I use with my husband. Happy Easter, Melissa

 
At 8:17 PM, April 07, 2007, Blogger Ashley said...

Yes - lots and lots of chocolate! Especially since I haven't had any since Ash Wednesday! Can you believe it? Anyway, I hope you have a fabulous Easter as well.

 
At 4:07 PM, April 09, 2007, Blogger Karen MacInerney said...

Melissa,

So glad you enjoyed Wicked; sounds like you had a blast. You deserve it, after all those garage dustbunnies.

And yes, at least it's Target, but that in and of itself is a problem; because everything is inexpensive, you tend to buy more stuff, which adds up fast. And I buy all of Abby's dresses there; that way she can wear them wherever she wants and I don't worry. Besides, they outgrow them so fast.

Glad to see you, and hope your Easter was great! (Mine involved large quantities of ham.)

 
At 4:09 PM, April 09, 2007, Blogger Karen MacInerney said...

Ashley,

I did the whole giving up chocolate for Lent thing a few years ago in hopes of dropping a few pounds. Unfortunately, that led me to discover oatmeal cookies, rice pudding, and banana pudding ice cream, so it didn't work out too well.

This year, I meant to give it up again, but didn't realize it was Ash Wednesday until after I'd eaten a chocolate chip cookie.

Maybe next year.

I hope you had a huge chocolate bunny in your basket Easter morning!

 

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