It was a pretty eventful weekend, starting with my train ride home on Friday night. To make a long story short, the scheduled train was disabled before it got to my station. We had to wait an extra hour and had to board at an intersection rather than the station because the train arrived on the center track. Which meant waiting outside. It was lightly snowing and some college students were singing carols (very professionally -- must have been part of a choir). So it was enjoyable, actually, until the train came and we saw that it was already standing room only.

So our group of 50-some people got on and packed the aisles, from front to back. (A lot of people got free rides, since the conductors couldn't navigate the aisles!) I was lucky enough to be offered a seat after someone got off at the next stop (one advantage of having silver hair!) But at the downtown station, I had already missed two connections and next one wasn't due for 40 minutes. I went to the food court and drowned my misery in nachos bel grande.

(One good note about the train ride -- I found a quarter on the connecting train home. There was another one between the seat and the wall in front of me, but I couldn't get it without making a spectacle of myself!)

I didn't get home until 8:30.

On Saturday, I awoke facing a day with tons of stuff to do and snow coming down at a steady pace. I managed to do three loads of laundry, make a run to PetSmart for kitty litter and water conditioner, and a long-overdue trip to the grocery store. I spent $73 for 32 items -- so, basically, three shopping trips in one, which was about right. I got virtually everything on sale, and got another 10% discount for turning in my Dominick's card. (Dominick's is pulling out of Illinois. Not sure why Jewel wanted the card, but I didn't want it). When I got home, I called my son and he helped me schlep them all upstairs. After a quick lunch, I drove to a neighboring suburb to attend my grandson's first violin recital. He played "Lightly Row" as a solo. He was calm, focused, and pretty much in tune! I was so proud of him! The rest of the concert was pretty fun, too. The teacher, a member of the symphony, played a piece of her own -- magnificently! One of the students was an elderly lady -- I admired her so much, for becoming a student so late in life and for gamely joining all the little ones on stage.

After the recital, I came home and finally put up my tree and decorations, and then pretty much collapsed. On Sunday, I did some housework and wrapped all the presents I've bought so far. I did a little cooking -- pork cutlets and broccoli cheese soup -- and then I went over to my son's house for dinner, where he introduced me to my new smartphone -- a Motorola Moto X. We ordered the sim card and set up an account with Straight Talk at his recommendation. It will be $45 a month with no contract -- pretty much unlimited services -- but I can downgrade if I find I am not using it much.

We have to wait for the sim card to come before it is operational, but I think I'm going to like it!

After dinner, my DIL's mother, who is living with them temporarily, came over to watch the last episode of Survivor. (They don't get CBS at their house). I didn't watch; I read till I fell asleep. We are comfortable enough with each other that it didn't matter that she let herself out at show's end, while I was probably snoring!

So it was a satisfying weekend, a good combination of work and fun, and progress made on the countdown to Christmas.