WEEKEND DATE

An absence of grandparents in my life left me with only one, an American grandfather. I never saw my Irish grandparents, and my American grandmother (from an Irish family ), died before I reached the age of three. My grandfather was not tuned into his grandchildren's lives (perhaps it was because he had 35 of them!), and so I had few opportunities to know him well, although I was one of the very few that paid any attention to him.

All of this to say that I was determined early on, to be a different kind of grandfather - one that would be involved in my grandchildren's lives, and so it has been.

One time I proposed a weekend date with my two granddaughters (grandson not yet born), and it was accepted. I drove to Richmond, then we took the train north to the Washington, D.C. area. We left the train at Alexandria and took a cab to the Key Bridge Marriott, in Arlinngton, just across the Potomac River from Georgetown.

We had the best time. After Saturday morning breakfast we went to the pool where I played the role of the GREAT WHITE SHARK coming after tender, young flesh. A nice lunch at poolside was followed by a nap. We had dinner in the motel and then took a walk through downtown Arlington.

Sunday morning, after breakfast, we went back into the pool, watched some TV until lunchtime, then back onto the traian for Richmond. FUN! FUN!!

More, later.