Bill's Excellent Surprise!

It's a winter wonderland out there this morning.  These photos were taken Sunday during my drive over to my sisters' to visit with CB.  

The charming old barn remains standing in a field toward the end of our South Center Valley Road, while the wreaths and barn are my sisters'.

Their farm, with its white vinyl fences, looks very festive this winter, partially due to the extra time they've been enjoying in retirement.

While looking at these photos, I was drawn back to a winter scene from our past when we lived on North Boyer.  And, since I found the photo, I'll post it too. 

Wintry scenes of homes, past and present, are the best because they revive cherished memories of another time when it seemed that life was so simple. 

I really don't think it was any simpler then than now, but our minds allow us to think so.  

Hence, why dispute it!

I haven't minded the snow this morning, even though it is falling with a serious intent to leave a healthy blanket of whiteness all around. 

There's cold, cold, single-digit weather ahead, so if the blanket is substantial, maybe we'll enjoy pretty scenes for several days, including Christmas.

Yesterday it rained and drizzled and Sunday's snow melted and dogs had to stay in the garage for long stretches while their coats dried.  They didn't complain too much. 

During that rain and drizzle, I managed a good start on wrapping some presents and some efficient moments of writing short notes in Christmas cards.  

The latter marathon continues, but if I remain disciplined, I may just finish that holiday task today.  Wrapping presents, at this time, does not require quite as much urgency as finishing the cards.  

With yesterday's start, I should once again be able to avoid last-minute fighting for the spool of tape, the scissors and the wrapping paper and the sheets of pretty "to" and "from" labels.

There is ONE present, however, that will wait until the last minute.  It has a story with it that has already been oft-repeated and will probably receive equal time in future years. 

The story starts last week when I was, for the 44th year, trying to figure out what to get Bill for Christmas.  I know I am not alone in having the husband who buys what he wants, making him most impossible in gift selections.

A couple of years, I've done okay, like the year I gave him a laptop computer and the years he opened Kindles.  He also liked the fishing lodge stay over on Bull River this past summer. 

I've done so well in these past few years that I knew this one would be tough.  Finally, I arrived at an idea.  Since he liked his Kindles and his laptop, why not continue on the tech trend----even if he often suggests a serious shunning of us weak souls who check our i-phones every five minutes.

Bill likes to remain above all that stuff.  He proudly announces at any opportunity that he doesn't do Facebook and he's never shown much interest in having an i-phone cuz that flip phone does him just fine.

Well, I decided to ignore past behavior in hopes that possession of his very own i-phone would bring about a change in attitude. 

So, last week I went to the AT and T store, located in a small strip mall off HWY 95 north of Sandpoint.  Not a lot of foot traffic out that way----except . . . .

As I stood in the store and Justin, the clerk looked up information on Bill's phone, which is included on our family plan administered by sister Laurie, Justin did comment that "Yes, that is a pretty old phone.  Let's see what we can do."  

While Justin searched, he asked an occasional question to which I answered.  During one of those interchanges, I suddenly felt a presence immediately to my right. 

After spitting out the answer, I turned my head and WHO SHOULD I SEE without eight tiny reindeer:  Bill Love. 

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I barked, alerting everyone in the store that there might just be a dispute about to unfold.

"THIS IS MY HUSBAND!" I added, looking at Justin, while I'm sure the rest of the customers thought it was gonna be really good cuz it would be a "domestic dispute," no less.

"So much for the surprise," Justin responded. 

And, yes, so much for the big Christmas surprise for Bill in 2017. 

Turns out Bill had left his pickup at Rokstad Ford just down the highway and while waiting for it to be repaired, he decided to walk along the highway to Taco Bell for lunch. He was on his way back to the dealership when he spotted the Subaru with the IRL sticker on the back window. 

Hmmm, he thought, Marianne must be getting her phone screen fixed.  So he walked in to say hi.  As an aside, I did drop my phone the week before and happily had just discovered it was the screen protector, not the screen, which needed replacing. 

Once I got over the shock of seeing my husband standing there watching me purchase his Christmas present, I announced, "Well, go pick out your phone!"

So, he did.  It's a good thing he surprised me because the delight in his eyes and later knowledge that he sure does like looking up Google maps on cell phones served as great relief that his period of shunning i-phone users had officially ended with the knowledge that he would soon own his very own. 

Well, it had almost ended. 

On Sunday while driving to Spokane for a Lady ZAGS game with Willie and talking with me from his "ancient" flip phone, Bill told me a story about his experience at the Presbyterian Church. 

Seems he pulled out his flip phone and announced to a group of people that he would soon be putting the flip phone aside in favor of his "surprise" Christmas present, an i-phone.  

To which one of his friends announced that he had attended the men's ZAGS game the night before and had sat behind NBA Hall of Fame star and ZAGS alum, John Stockton.

"Bill, you'll be glad to know that John Stockton pulled out a flip phone and talked to someone during the game," his friend said. 

Bill seemed so pleased that he and the great John Stockton had a connection (no pun) that I said, "Well, I can take the i-phone back." 

"No, no," Bill said.

"Really, I can take it back because I don't want to be hearing for the rest of my life that if a flip phone was good enough for John Stockton . . . . 

"No, no," Bill said, adding, "Maybe someone needs to tell John Stockton he needs an i-phone.
So, I'd say I have a firm commitment with Bill.  He's gonna love his i-phone and he's not gonna bring up the wonderful flip phone ever. 

One more problem:  the phone arrived at our house within two days.  So, I told Bill he'd better go to the store and get it connected and that once that happens, he won't be able to use his flip phone ever again. 

"You can use the new phone for the rest of the week until Christmas Eve when I have to wrap it," I explained.  "Then, you'll need to put it in "airplane mode" so it won't ring from inside the box."

Bill seems to think that will be okay, so I'll wait until long after any grinches think they need to call Bill, put it in the box and on Christmas morning, when he opens his gift, he'll be pleasantly surprised!  

Now, I've got to start thinking about next year's present for Bill.

Maybe it will be slippers, or possibly John Stockton will agree to have lunch with Bill and they can talk basketball and flip phones. 

Happy Tuesday.