Homebecoming

My dentist has a quirky sense of humour. This was in the seat next to me in the waiting room yesterday.

Monsieur le dentist also drives around a little Smart Car with his name written all over it, reads German history for fun, and sings loudly around the office. I heard him shout "boo!" and jump out at one of the fuscia-pink-scrubs wearing staff the other day. He has the same name as the one on the funeral home in our little town, so I assume he's lived here his whole life, knows everyone and is completely comfortable being himself. And quite successful as well.

He drove his Smart Car in the Homecoming Parade a few weeks ago. My mom and I were there, enjoying the old tractors especially; son#1 rode his bicycle up and down, school camera hanging around his neck, and got some good photos for the school newspaper and website.

We had walked down to the high school Friday night to get the ambiance of the football game for a few minutes, on a gorgeous September night. A roaring crowd, face paint, middle-schoolers giving each other their siblings' high school i.d.s so they could get in without their parents, hamburger and popcorn scent from the concessions stand. Perfect (except for the 35-14 loss to "New Pal," or New Palatine...which was okay because of the 78-49 win the next week!).

Mom and I chatted with our neighbor as we arrived home from the parade - he was out watering his lawn. He said, "We went to the parade for twenty years...time to take a break." :) And then happily greeted a man about my age in town for homecoming, who he apparently hadn't seen for years.

I thoroughly enjoy people.