Tending my grandson Ethan and walking in the desert

My grandsons Ethan and Jamal in the last photo I took of them. I was so concerned about my daughter taking this big test I completely forgot to take my camera. She was to be gone all day, so she came and picked me up Sunday afternoon. After a lovely dinner at the Olive Garden where we met her husband Chad and my grandsons, Jamal and Ethan, we stopped off to their home at the edge of the desert north of town. She thought it might be relaxing to go to the club and dance for an hour or so, so she got her dancing shoes and off we went. What a lot of slim dancers, especially the ladies who may have been dancing the west coast swing for years. My daughter Ronda was as lovely and graceful as any of them. She had recently taken off a few pounds in preparation for the July convention held here in Phoenix and looked very slim and trim! She danced with one dancer after another and introduced me to many of them. I didn't dance but really enjoyed myself!
The next morning, both her husband Chad who is a very busy general manager for a company, and she took off early, as well as my grandson Jamal who works at Walmart's. Ethan and I got up and had a leisurely breakfast. Ethan had to stick around and give a tow truck driver the key as he came to pick up his dad's company car.
Ethan is ten, and I swear this summer he has grown five inches, since I took the photo. He is a tall skinny drink of water. I call this the slim family. His dad Chad is also a slim trim man, and Ethan is showing signs he will tower over him just as my grandson Jamal does whose shoulders have broadened. He has a much bigger frame than Chad. He is slim, too, and working hard at Walmart's to make money for his second year in college. Ronda says he is determined he is not going to get any student loans! He will earn money as he has a scholarship on his grades that will last as long as his grades are up. Wow! That kind of attitude is impressive.
After the tow truck driver picked up the car, Ethan asked me if wanted to take a w-a-l-k. He said he had to spell it or Bailey the dog would go bananas. He recognizes that word. I wouldn't be surprised if he could soon spell it. Although it was still very hot, it is always hot in Phoenix in the summer, I said okay as it was breezy and overcast. I thought I might be able to survive a walk.
Bailey is a very active dog on a walk. He wants to sniff every bush. Some of the houses had fake dog sculptures sitting out in front to scare thieves off I guess. Bailey would indicate he recognized these figures as dogs, but what the heck, they did not move, so he did not bark. He is supposed to be well trained enough not to bark on a walk. A real huge dog from the sounds of it took him by surprise as we went by the fence and startled Bailey into a few furious barks, but his master Ethan soon had him quiet again.
Ethan asked me if I could make it a little further. I said yes, so we walked to the edge of the desert and sat in an arbor there for a few minutes so I could catch my breath. Bailey loves the real desert. If he sees a little animal there he goes crazy as he is trained to go after such in his genes. But when we got back to the house, I knew I had walked to the end of my capacity in this searing heat.
After lunch I found a dvd someone had sent Ronda of the dance convention where she had advanced to finals in the Jack and Jill number. That is when the male dancers draw the name of their female partners out of a hat. I saw her dancing several times but could not find the finals. I decided I had better show Ethan the video I made of how the ladies of the west worked so hard. I had promised to tell him stories about the old days, and I did not want to fail at my job. Ha.
When Ronda came she showed me her dance in the finals. She was very graceful and skilled as usual, and she tried to analyze why she did not place in the finals. I could not see a lot of difference between the dancers who were all experienced west coast swing dancers. I thought the ones who placed either danced with a little more vigor and energy or their male partners did. That was the only difference. Ronda can dance all night, but her style might not yet include enough all out go get 'em vigor. Remember Benjy who won the So You Think You Can Dance one year? He is a west coast swing dancer and he has electric energy to the max, and so does his sister Lacey. They came make me tired just watching them dance together.
But as Ronda said this kind of dancing sure is good exercise to keep trim. I never saw so many good figures in one place.
Ronda's test was connected to her nursing. She hopes to find a good job more closely related to some of her interests, one of which is breast feeding. So she talked about some of what she had been studying as we traveled to and fro. Dancing is more her avocation or hobby. She went to college a second time to secure a nursing degree. She says the test was as hard as she expected but she thinks she passed it but will not know until October. She has always been good at passing tests, so I am hoping for the best.
I brought home some spaghetti and meatballs for Doc. He is always wanting spaghetti, so I brought him the best from the Olive Garden.
I was exhausted last night, so had to rest up. Now I am ready to go again. I hope I can get down in that pool today!
I happened to take a full mirror length look at myself out to Ronda and screamed to myself, "Oh, I need to lose weight." But I am feeling good and hope to start dropping a few ounces each week, slow but sure. I am fully recovered now I feel from being on my vegan diet too long. Too strict! It was dangerous. But I feel the discipline was good for me so there were some pluses from doing it 3 years.
I really enjoyed my grandson Ethan. Next time I swear I will remember my camera! Ronda lives 40 miles north through heavy traffic which is why I don't get to see them often. But what a beautiful location. And great schools for the kids.