I haven’t finished painting the cabinets. They need another coat.

I don’t even have a good excuse, particularly.

I mean, I had to housesit the weekend after I put the first coat on, but it’s not like I was housesitting on the moon.

And then I had the week-long migraine, but I played tennis for 12 years before I ever missed a match because I had a migraine.

So I could have been painting.

I’m just sorry.

I’m going to have to get on the stick and do it this weekend, though, because the children are coming for Independence Day for hotdogs and whatever you have for Independence Day before going to Decatur for the fireworks.

Calling them “the children” makes me sound desperately elderly, like they’re my children, which they are not, or my grandchildren, which they definitely are not, as I am a mere petal, too young for grandchildren. Also, there will be actual grandparents here.

The children I’m referring to are actual children, my timeshare children, who will be bringing their parents. Which makes it sound like I suffer the parents to get to the children.

It’s a little tradition we started last year, since I live close to the train station, and we don’t have to fight for parking spots in Downtown Decatur and lug in cooler kits and blankets and all.

But anyway.

Instead we all come here and them as what can stand the heat play in the yard, and everybody else stays inside, where it’ll be no hotter than 71 degrees (see petal, above). There will be friends and food and non-stop talking.

Independence Day. I’m looking forward to it.