Asleep In Front of the TV Tonight

 It's been a weekend around here.  

When we last left the blog we were headed out on a one hour and forty five minute ride to a high school football game. One grandchild was marching in the band, one grandchild was cheerleading, one grandchild was mini cheerleading with her cousin and one grandchild was trying to avoid and not make contact with parents, grandmother or aunt so that they would not be able to meet his homecoming date. 

We stayed through the halftime show and left so we could get home by bedtime (we missed and got home around 10:30 pm).  I spent two quarters sitting on metal bleachers and my sciatica was screaming all night and all day Saturday. So glad we skipped out early.  

While I was at the game, my youngest son called wondering where I was.  He expects me to be home when he needs me. A police detective, he was being promoted on Monday and needed me to sew on new stripes.  I said to leave the shirt and patches on the table for me. 

Since I couldn't get to sleep on Friday, I slept in on Saturday.  I had other things on my list and didn't sit down to sew on the patches until evening. I had planned to sew them on by hand.  They were so thick and my hands are so weak that I spent the night trying to find a needle strong enough and sharp enough to push through. And I couldn't find one. 

Sunday I was up bright and early to get out my sewing machine.  To get to the sewing machine, I had to shift lots of boxes in my spare room. I did find one box I was storing that was designated for Goodwill. That went in my trunk. An hour or so later, after tipping over a few collections and finding things I forgot existed, I had the machine. 

I have not sewed on the machine for a very long time.   I found a Youtube video to show me how it works.  I spent way too much time trying to troubleshoot what was wrong with the bobbin. The problem was me.  I swore I had the rewind switch in the right place. I did not.  I did some sample sewing and it all came back to me. 

I did learn a hint in my internet searches.  Someone recommended drawing around the outline of the patch with chalk so that you could make sure the patch is not moving while sewing. The shirt is long sleeved and stiff canvas. . . It was a challenge to try to turn it even with the end caps removed for sleeves.  I caught the fabric a few times so I got to rip out stitches and sew each one on twice. 

I am ashamed to admit that this project took several hours. However, now that I am on a roll - I am going to attempt a concept of an idea I have for a Halloween costume for trunk or treat. Because why not. If it works out - I will share it.

Meanwhile, the person who volunteers in our charity office sent out an appeal for workers to cover 10-12 and 12-2 in the office on Monday. I thought I sent a text saying I would cover 10-12.  But - I sent a text saying I would cover 10-2.  The ceremony was supposed to be at 2:30 so it would be tight, but work.  Then when my son picked up the shirt, he said it had been moved to 2. I was able to get someone to come and sit from 1-2.  I got home, we picked up our preschooler early and headed to city hall.  My son got tied up in a court case and they moved it back to 2:30.  My daughter in law, their three little ones, and gramma and grampa came back to my house. We went back for 2:30 and due to other circumstances, the ceremony got moved to 3:00.  

The end of the story is - he got promoted! We were so exhausted with all the sewing and driving and supervising small children, we drove to the grocery store, had dinner and fell asleep in our chairs.  I hope we are able to sleep tonight! Tomorrow is my husband's postponed dentist appointment and my middle son's birthday.  I am making lasagna for his family for dinner at my house. 

Here are some photos.  The first one is to protect the faces. He does work undercover a lot.  He and his wife have the three older boys, the fourth is a nephew.  

Here is his oldest son (skipping school) to pin on dad's new badge. Please note how nice the stripes look on dad's sleeve.