So much for having it all figured out when it comes to visiting clothes.  On Saturday, I wore my black shorts and a Minnie Mouse top...and almost got sent back because the shorts were "too short."  Now, I'm a fairly conservative dresser.  So short shorts on me consist of shorts that are about 3 inches above the knee.  These shorts were well within the 2-inch above the knee measurement that is required for visitors.

However, the guards interpret the rule to be that the shorts have to be 2 inches above the knee when you sit down.  Fortunately, I know this guard pretty well...so I pulled my shorts down low on my hips, promised to wear them there my whole visit, and sat with my jacket covering my scandalously exposed legs for our 5 1/2 hour visit.

Sheesh!  Note to self: cropped pants are as short as we go.

We did have a funny thing happen as we drove up to get our passes.  We were driving Dan's car and the first guard we passed said, "I like your car."  The second guard, who was giving out passes said, "I want your car."

Before I could stop myself, I said, "We can make a deal."  I would have handed over the keys to the car in exchange for our friend, no questions asked.  Possibly trying to pre-empt me from an offer of a bribe, the guard said, "I'm going to have to confiscate it."  Someday this mouth of mine is going to get me in real trouble.

At any rate, we passed a nice visit with Dan getting up to get us snacks since I was stuck with my jacket over my legs.  The weather was breezy and sunny and the hours passed too quickly.  As usual, my heart broke as we walked out of the visiting area, leaving our friend behind.

We asked about the reinstatement of Friday visiting and were told that there was a "dispute" between the union and management...that it was dependent on the resolution of the dispute.  So we won't be doing Friday visits for a while, I'm afraid.

After we got home, we had our usual recuperative weekend where we don't do a whole lot (although Dan did some work and was generally more energetic than I).  I did manage to finish a book I've been reading, The Tenderness of Wolves. 

Winner of the 2006 "Costa Book of the Year", the novel is being marketed as "literature," and as a result, I bet it's thrown a lot of people off.  It is a well-written story, rich in character, story and setting.  The story is set in 1867 in Canada among characters who deal with the fur trading industry, others who live a more "civilized" life in town, and native "voyageurs" (aka Indians).  Essentially writing a mystery, the author (first time novelist Stef Penney) does not attempt to keep us in suspense the entire time about who "done it," but does manage to keep us in suspense about the motivations of each character's heart. 

Quite a satisfying read touching on sexuality, racial tension, relationships both familial and societal.  I recommend it heartily and it's going on Dan's reading stack.

So today, it's back to work.  There is laundry to be done, projects are awaiting completion and my stack of office work is teetering ominously.  That and I have to buy a wild shirt and some cropped pants so next time we visit our friend I can move about without fear of being tossed out on my ear.

Happy Monday, everyone.

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