About to Leave the Ranch

Sarah's 19th birthday celebration took place in Room 307 of the Holiday Inn Express in Dickson, MO. Presents were opened on time although we were one day late with the angel food cake. After an exquisite meal on the 15th at RB's, there was no room for the cake which had been made at home and carried for 350 miles. On Saturday yellow icing was applied on the cake's sides first - then the top! The proverbial "icing on the cake" was applied according to the Larson-family rituals prescribed by some ancient anally-focussed relic. I didn't know that Susan worshipped at the altar of some cakebox goddess named Betty Crocker!

Unlike 2007 when she couldn't recall turning 18, Sarah will remember that this birthday coincided with over 60 days clean! Last August she smoked weed before starting the first day of her last year of "high" school. No wonder she couldn't remember her birthday much less the details of her graduation. She's fortunate she graduated and we're all fortunate she is still alive.

Time to look ahead.

Like the two of us, you may have believed she had a bed and was confirmed to move to a halfway house in Nashville. Not so fast kemo sabe! Loooong story but one of small successes. Sarah is either the grand wizardress of manipulation or her communication skills are improving. Wanting her to have ownership and participation in her recovery decision we listened as she made the case for an alternative halfway house in Ann Arbor MI. We held off serious conversation until after we'd had a great afternoon of birthday shopping at the Opry Mills Mall.

You win some you lose some. Skipping the blow by blow action, we agreed to sleep on things but not before the little rebel overstayed her parole to the parking lot to talk to BF on the cell phone. They managed over 50 texts messages in 2 days, too. He hasn't figured it out yet and she's not giving it up although some cracks are appearing in the foundation. BF did find that his old "contacts" have changed their phone numbers so as a result he may still be clean.

I digress.

After Mass at St. Christopher's we celebrated Susan's 60th birthday with Maine Blueberries and Pancakes at Cracker Barrel at Interstate 40 and MO 46. (These tidbits make this sound credible?) Not romantic, but moving, Sarah was in tears at Mass and at Breakfast until the Holy Spirit uncorked a workable alternative that we could all agree might succeed.

Susan will return to the Ranch on Wednesday, pick up the newly discharged Sarah, and then head directly to Ann Arbor for a sniff test. Sarah has been accepted for residency in a minimum 90 day stay program. We hope longer. After the prelims, S&S will head to Gma Betty's cottage on Long Lake for a few days R&R. Then back to the halfway house in Ann Arbor which is not quite halfway to Carmel IN, but I guess the name "halfway house" wasn't really intended to refer to our geographic peculiarities but rather to Sarah's quest for health and her personal journey to drug-free living.

I said you lose some, too. Susan is not going to be able to accompany me to visit Tom in SF and Geyserville. We're heart-broken that she will not be able to spend time with Kate and her Mother, nor with me and Kevin. Darn. Darn. Darn.

We have hope! We hope. Now you know about Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.