Old Adventures in Babysitting

Starting back in 1992, I watched two brothers, aged 8 and 10, before and after school. They lived right across the street. They were a nice family. Dad was a plumber and mom worked in the county health clinic.

We needed a little extra money, mom needed a reliable person to take care of the boys... happy all around. They were nice kids, and the youngest, Ray, was my son's friend already.

He was a total nut. He made me laugh all the time. One of those wired kids who was just full of energy and enthusiasm and interesting ideas.

It was usually their dad who came to pick them up. He'd park his plumbing van across the street and wander over to get them. He was a nice guy, always ready to chat a bit.

They spent summers at my house, too. I drove them to swimming lessons, we all went grocery shopping and roller skating and here and there around the town.

One day as we were driving home from the grocery store,
Ray turned to me and said, "I'm a homosexual."

I said with surprise, "You are?"

He reassured me, "Oh, it's okay. You're one, too."

"Um, I think you mean homo sapiens, don't you?"

"Oh yeah. I always get those two mixed up."

On another car trip (funny how kids say things in the car you'd probably never hear anywhere else, isn't it?)

Ray said to me, "I'm a veterinarian."

"Oh?" I said.

"Yeah. You know... I don't eat meat??"

"Ohhh. I think you mean vegetarian, don't you?"

"Oh yeah. I always get those two mixed up."

They left the neighborhood in 1997 and I wasn't taking care of them anymore... not that they needed a babysitter by then. They moved into a new house across town a bit.

One morning, Earl was out in front of their new house, planting some shrubs. Their new neighbor crossed the street, introduced himself and stood watching for a few minutes . They talked about this and that.
Earl was astounded when the man suddenly dropped his pants and asked him to look at a sore on his upper leg.

"Why are you showing me this?!" Earl said, shocked.

"Aren't you a doctor?" the neighbor said.

"Uh.. no. I'm a plumber."

"Oh. Well, sorry. Your son Ray told me you were a doctor."

I wonder if Ray always got those two things mixed up?


And. Totally off today's blog topic but very timely all the same... Several of the kids were in a state of high anticipation yesterday afternoon. Why, you ask? Because today is Groundhog Day. I wrote about it last year, but no one listened. They've decided to torment poor Phil again this year.