So on Friday the 17th I closed on my house, and the next Saturday quite a few family members were over helping tweak some minor problems with the house (its 50 years old and the previous owner had a higher-than-warranted opinion of his handyman skills). The kids are running around, but fortunately Emma had a birthday party for one of her classmates to go to.
So around 12 p.m., my wife takes Emma back to the old house to change her clothes.
About 12:45 p.m., something I was largely spared due to the nature of the small out-of-the-way court I used to live on gets underway — Jehovah’s Witnesses are canvassing the neighborhood. Ugh. When they approach my house, they catch my wife’s grandmother and I quickly get on my cell phone to my wife just so I can look busy so they’ll walk on by.
My wife explains that she left the present at the new house so she’s swing by to pick it up before taking my daughter to the birthday. Emma’s had her medicine, but she’s still hyper due to the move.
So my wife pulls in the driveway and she and Emma get out to retrieve the present. At which point Emma notices one of the Jehovah’s Witnesses — though she has no idea who or what they are other than nicely dressed strangers (she has only the slightest grasp on basic Christianity despite our efforts, much less sectarian differences).
As he’s walking by, one of the JW’s says “hi” to her, to which Emma replies excitedly, “I’m going to a birthday party!”
At which point I’m laughing uncontrollably on the porch, and the man has a very odd look on his face and quickly walks off.