The Monday Book is non-existent this week, along with a few other posts, due to the following series of unfortunate events:
My sister and her family came for a work trip to my parents’ house. Their house is small, so I got a hotel to avoid overstuffing the house with people. The hotel turned out to be a stress-adder as I had to fight for a working television, bathroom light, and wifi access. But I wasn’t going to spend a lot of time in it, because this was a work trip with my sister.
My parents like stuff.
My sister and I began cleaning out the garage–which consists mostly of putting things into piles to be looked at later by one of the parents.
We were allowed to dump some broken things.
We found a dumpster guarded by a guy who was higher than a kite and nice as nine-pence. He had dropped a big box of carpet tacks very near the dumpster. He warned us to drive over the high cement curb rather than use the driveup to the dumpster.
I managed to avoid the carpet tacks and we waved as he danced in the rear view mirror, wishing us well. To date no carpet tacks have taken down my tires but we remain vigilant.
My sister and I took my mom to lunch and her favorite thrift store as a break from cleaning the garage.
My sister left her phone in the thrift store.
Someone stole it.
We got a crash course in how to have a phone: regular plan, pay as you go, second-hand. It proved interesting.
We got my sister set up with a new phone. We did not return to cleaning the garage.
Families are exhausting–kinda fun, but exhausting.
We’ll get back to the blogs on Friday. Meanwhile, please enjoy the schadenfreude of other people’s families.
Wendy Welch: Books, Yarn, Cats, Opioids 
So you took a hoarder to the thrift store. Sister didn’t have her phone in a cross body purse out away. No one play on phone in a thrift store .or lays one down. Phone stays in purse. You sound like the most mature of all 3 of you. BUT in that work trip I see lots of moments that could be a great human funny store centered around mum. Real life..I see that and in all our real life chaos..are such funny moments that, at time aren’t funny, yet when you look back are very funny! Great blog entry. I’m from a big family ( 1 of 7 kids). So I know how things can go and a house with everyone’s stuff. ..really great blog
This makes me an enabler, taking the hoarders to the thrift store, doesn’t it…
You know I was sadly shocked that someone would steal a phone at a thrift store. Kind of like a code of ethics, but you are right. And yes, it gets funnier as it recedes in the rear view mirror. :]