That Lovely Lady Who Cooks an Awesome Mac & Cheese…

Helen dropped by this afternoon. I smiled when I saw her white Honda Accord pull up to the curb. She was a sight for sore eyes.  Mom had sent my daily 6 diet Cokes with her and a couple of hotdogs Helen cooked mom for lunch.  She was just finishing up her shift as my parent’s custodial engineer (someone once told me saying maid was politically incorrect).

“Baby, lock that dog in the bedroom,” Helen said before she would come inside.

Helen has an irrational fear (Cynophobia) of canines as if all dogs bite. Maggie is innocuous at best unless you are furry, feline, and you purr.  She was just barking jubilantly because we had familiar company.

Helen sat on my war-torn couch and asked me questions about how I quit smoking. 

“Baby? How many years did you smoke?” she first asked.

I had to guess as it was easily 25 years.

“How did you quit?” Helen then asked.

“I had to quit cold turkey as I would just get hooked on those expensive Nicorette gums and nicotine patches,” I told her. “Dad was also going to let me order $100 dollars in computer parts each month as well. That was a huge motivating factor for me and it was also very friendly to his wallet.”

Helen didn’t stay for long.  I watched as she drove off south to Beulah and then I let Maggie out of the back bedroom.  Maggie had an indignant look and air about her as she sniffed where Helen had been sitting.

Photo Credit:   http://www.nbdragon.cn/More.asp?id=176