SOOOOOO close...

Woke up to find this… 

You’re surprised, I know. 

 

8 hours earlier…

G and I were heading to bed. It was just after midnight…a little later than usual. Riley was already downstairs on the couch. I went to tuck him in.  

I wasn’t in bed but 5 minutes when I heard what sounded like a crash. I waited. I listened. Nothing.

A few minutes passed but my curiosity got the better of me so I went to investigate.

Riley was still tucked in on the couch but immediately said when I came down “What are you doing down here?”  All seemed to be okay so I headed back to bed. 

 

This morning…

As soon as I came downstairs, I noticed the tree. How could you not?!?!  Well…actually…G did not notice.

We were sooooooooo close!!! 

I called Riley making sure my voice was calm and steady.

He came down and was visibly upset.

I did not have to say a word. He immediately started repeating “It crashed! It broke!! I BROKED IT!!” Then he started slapping his head.

At times like this, he will let me hug him. It is hard to see him so distraught.

As much as we try…HE tries…there are times when he just can not help himself. And so we let it go. It’s just an ornament and the tree has to be undecorated at some point. My only concern is that he may hurt/cut himself trying to clean up the broken shards of glass.

*Lightbulb moment*   

Perhaps next year I will suggest we do it together during day light. Really…I’m not new here. But what confuses me the most…why the heck has nobody thought to do this before either?!?!?

 

From our family to yours… 

Stay safe and may we be able to get closer than 6’ to our loved ones in 2021!

 

If it still sells...don't change it!

 My latest meme…

And if you think this “NEW” recipe has the SAME GREAT TASTE…you would BE WRONG!!! 

You often read about children with autism being “picky” eaters. Picky sounds so negative so I prefer to think of Riley as a “particular” eater.

Picky is defined as “extremely fussy”. 

Fussy is defined as “hard to satisfy or please; a fussy eater”. 

Particular is defined as “exceptionally selective, attentive or exacting; to be particular about one’s food”. OK so this definition is number 7 on the list but it actually does refer to food in the description.

“Exceptionally selective”...Yup, that is definitely an accurate description of Riley’s eating habits.

Have you ever heard of a “supertaster”??  I had not until about 5 years ago even though it was a term coined in the early 1990’s.

“A supertaster is a person who experiences the sense of taste with far greater intensity than average, with some studies showing an increased sensitivity to bitter tastes. It may be a cause of selective eating.”  ~Wikipedia

As with “supertasters”, individuals with autism may have sensory issues towards certain foods that are hard to pinpoint especially in cases where communication is a challenge.

When Riley was little, the minutest change in taste/appearance (even the packaging) of a preferred food could trigger a meltdown for him and a need for copious amounts of alcohol for me. With an already limited diet, decreasing by even one food item was stressful.

I posted this meme on Facebook and was touched by the number of offers to help track down boxes of the “original recipe” Lipton’s Chicken Noodle Soup. Trust me…10 years ago I would’ve jumped on your kind offers.

While I still gasp and my heart may miss a beat (due to PTAD aka post traumatic autism disorder) when I notice “something different”, I don't immediately go into full blown panic mode anymore. Why??  Maybe it's age and maturity on my part. Hmmmm...I doubt that. Perhaps it's because I have figured out the secret to Riley World. Definitely not. Probably more like I am old and tired. 

I believe the real reason is that Riley has aged and matured and is now able to cope/manage changes without the tears and screams of frustration from his younger years. 

Sure, there is still a lot of gagging/dry-heaving but hey…one thing at a time right???

 

 

Face Masks

I posted this pic of Riley on Facebook because he had earned enough money to go buy a DVD and wore a mask like the Rock Star that he is. 

Now I will admit that I have not always worn a mask. In the beginning, it was because I never left the house, social distancing was possible when I did and, unless you made one, disposable masks were nowhere to be found.  Sewing is definitely not a strength of mine but I did manage to make this “No Sew” face mask. 

Now that we are entering into Phase 3, there are more and more people out there so social distancing has become a lot harder. So yes, I wear a mask whenever I need to go out in public.

Disposable masks are readily available at the moment and I find them more comfortable than my “No Sew” version. If you are like me and have wondered if there is a proper way to wear these disposable masks (because the instructions on the box don’t mention a right or wrong “side”)…..there is. Thanks to our niece (who is a Co-Associate Director of a Nursing Undergrad Program back east...so she knows what she is talking about) mentioned “you want your mask to vent down”. I was smart enough to realize the edge with a “wire” (so you can pinch around your nose) was the top. Go me.

So, if you have the disposable masks that have white on one side and blue on the other…the blue side should face out. Like so…

 If the mask is the same colour on both sides, the “vents” (pleats) should face down.

Do NOT be the person who wears their mask like this…you look like a loser.  

However, the ultimate loser…..looks like this…

Here’s a good video by Bill Nye on Why We Should be Wearing Masks in Public:

As our wonderful Dr. Bonnie Henry would say:  "Be Kind; Be Calm; Be Safe."

THE Best Mushroom Rollups

Not everyone who reads my blog follows me on Facebook so you may be wondering why I would suddenly decide to post a recipe.

Well…my niece, who has been living abroad for almost 2 years, is coming home tomorrow. Due to the pandemic, she will be in quarantine/self-isolation for 14 days.  I mentioned on Facebook that because I am THE best aunt EVER…I was making her a batch of her favourite Mushroom Rollups. Also, I am desperate for content for this Challenge…so a blog post it is.

I originally got this recipe from a friend back in the 80’s. It has been tweaked over the years and while a little finicky…always a hit. Enjoy!

MUSHROOM ROLL-UPS

1 Large Onion (chopped)

2 lbs Mushrooms (roughly chopped)

¼ c Butter

8 oz Cream Cheese

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Garlic Powder

Salt & Pepper to taste.

1.    Melt butter in large frying pan. Add onion and saute until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.

2.    Cut cream cheese into chunks. Add cream cheese and rest of the ingredients. Stir until the cheese melts. Let stand until cool.

3.    Once cool, using a food processor or blender, puree the mixture in batches. Consistency should be just smooth enough to spread or as “chunky” as you like.

Here’s where the finicky part comes in. In the past, I have had to pre-order the bread as I like it to be cut horizontally so you have long strips of bread. You also need to trim off the crusts.

A few years, I discovered this crustless, pre-sliced bread made by President’s Choice. BEST. THING. EVER!!!! 

4.    Remove crusts from bread (if you can not get crustless). Roll each strip of bread with a rolling pin to slightly flatten. Spread mixture to the edges and roll up like a jelly roll (from the shorter end). Wrap in saran wrap and freeze.

5.    When ready to cook, cut into slices (~1/4” wide). Brush each side with melted garlic butter and bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes (flip halfway through) or until desired crispness. Serve hot.

Voila!  

"Pulling His Own Weight"

For the past year and a half, as part of our program, Riley and his friend “Bob” had been doing volunteer/work experience twice a week. One morning was spent volunteering at a Senior’s Centre where one of the jobs was helping out in the kitchen (unloading the dishwasher and putting the dishes away). It took me a while before I finally had a *lightbulb moment”…THIS could be something Riley could do at home.

As you can imagine, he was thrilled when I mentioned it. 

One of the ways Riley copes is by “scripting”. A LOT! In the past, it hadn’t always been clear what he was talking about. This dialogue is from Cheaper by the Dozen. In the movie they are talking about chores/rules of the household so the "script" is quite appropriate.

For the first time, I only had him unload the bottom rack (plates and utensils). Watching him barely clear the countertop edge as he took the dishes out made me question my decision to have him do this. But then I decided this may be my chance for a new set of dishes. 

To our surprise, on the second attempt, Riley unloaded both racks by himself. We showered him with praise. From that moment, I knew he would start “pulling his own weight” around here.  He was most proud of himself. He was keen. SO keen that the following night he unloaded the dirty dishes while we were sleeping.

I had not anticipated he would take to this so whole-heartedly. So I quickly printed out a sign to put on the dishwasher. 

It worked. Well…at least until the other night. 

You see, it's been 8 months since he started "pulling his own weight" around here. Riley knows the routine. Pretty much every other night we run the dishwasher. He talks about pulling his own weight all…day…long. Sometimes, G forgets to switch the sign but Riley knows if he wants to live here…he has to pull his own weight and unloads the dishes regardless of what the sign shows. 

But then…there are times when G forgets (because I would never) to start the dishwasher.

The other morning I saw this and was most confused.

After some investigation, I discovered G (again) had indeed forgot to run the dishwasher. I figured out that Riley had emptied the dishwasher but had apparently noticed the dishes were NOT clean. He had attempted to wash the dishes BY HAND and dry them before putting them away. I was shocked and so impressed he would problem solve on his own.

So, if you are here soon and notice your glass/plate/utensils are ummmm…not exactly clean. It is G’s fault.

  

Hangover Prevention

This is gonna be short and sweet.

It has nothing to do with the fact I am a little ummmm…”tired”. Last night we had a social distancing get-together with my sister/BIL (who are in our “bubble”) and one other couple. FYI…we were home and in bed by 11:30…just a party animal these days. 

OK…so other than the obvious “perhaps you shouldn’t have drunk so much”… REALLY “helpful” comment you might hear…seriously?!?!? 

While I most certainly do NOT want to jinx myself, as I have “matured” …THE key to not having to spend the next day talking to the big white telephone is….wait for it….WATER!  Plain and simple. Agua. 

Lots and LOTS of water. Most definitely during (alternate between water and adult beverage) or drink at least 18 gallons before you go to bed. No…you won’t have to get up and pee in the night. Alcohol is a diuretic. And if you do have to get up…hopefully it will be just to relieve yourself. 

You’re welcome.

Tomorrow…a glimpse into Riley World. 

Shake IT UP!!!

Let’s get this Challenge started with something fun…since it IS the weekend!  

J2’s friend Monika, who is like a daughter to me, suggested I pick my top 3 cocktails. Not an easy task but a challenge I was willing to accept.  

I thought it would take me a LOT longer than it did to pick just 3!! So I decided to narrow it down by seasons and not overthink it (thanks Diane Mc) so as not to burn up too many more brain cells. 

So…without further ado…

Number 1:  NEWLY discovered…it’s called a Pear Cosmotini.

I recently fell upon this blog “The Martini Chronicles”…not sure what took me so long but it’s a match made in heaven. She even has a tab called “Martini Thursdays”. Be still my heart. 

2 oz. Vodka

1 oz. St. Germaine

½ oz Triple Sec

¼ oz Rose’s Lime Cordial

1 oz. Cranberry Juice

Where does the “Pear” come from you ask???  Well…I think it is the combination of the St. Germaine’s and Lime Cordial. When I first tried it, I didn’t have Rose’s so I substituted fresh squeezed lime juice. It was tasty but the Rose’s definitely makes a difference. It’s “refreshing” and goes down a little tooooo easily. I also like to top it with a splash of sparking wine. Because doesn’t everything taste better with some sparking wine??? 

Number 2:  Summer Season…a drink with No Name.

My Facebook friend “CS” tagged me on this one with a comment "Our new official summer drink.”  What can I say???  I HAD to try it. What kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t?!?!?  I describe this as a Sangria-ish beverage only waaaaay simpler. Even though I think of red wine as more of a winter “sport” and prefer white sangria for the summer, THIS…definitely will be my go to Sangria for the summer. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out the proportions from watching the video. Ole!  

Oh…the stuff in the pink bottle is called Pink Whitney. You can find it in the vodka section of the liquor store.

Number 3:  Winter Season…Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…flake! 

2 oz. Vanilla Vodka

2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur 

1 oz. White Crème de Cacao

1 oz. Half & Half

Lemon Wedge & Sanding Sugar for Rimming

For the Christmas season…nothing like a White Chocolate Snowflake Martini to get you into the holiday spirit. May sound sweet but alas…tis just right to give you the warm and fuzzies. Just be careful and be sure to call Operation Red Nose for a ride home. 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for some of my Hangover tips. I kid.  Maybe.  

Another Blog Challenge... "The Results"

WOW…such an overwhelming response for me to do this challenge. THANK YOU ALL!!!  

via GIPHY

I couldn’t wait to see all the ideas you would come up with. 

I anxiously waited for notifications from Facebook that you had responded. 

I waited and waited and waited some more.

While I was waiting, I even figured out what to make for dinner. THAT is how long I waited.

I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for the support you’ve shown me but….let’s just say the number of ideas/topics you responded with was ummmm...rather dismal. I guess I should be thankful that nobody used the words “natural consequences” as their suggestion. 

So, I guess this means that, for the most part, I am on my own to come up with ways to enlighten you all. I shall take responsibility for my actions. It is good to know where I stand with my friends/supporters.

Like if we were short 1 PFD (Personal Floatation Device) on the dragon boat, I would know I was the chosen one to go down with the boat. Typically, it would be the Captain but If you have a clear conscience to relinquish the life of THE primary caregiver to a young adult with disabilities…so be it.

The way I see it, the topics are going to revolve around a couple of subjects I am most familiar with…Riley World or Food & Beverages. As I have another 20 some odd posts to write…I am going to leave you with this teaser/cliff hanger. I only have so much wisdom to share.    

Another Blog Challenge

I put out a call on Facebook to see whether or not I should participate in another Blog Challenge. I had a number in my head and if I got that number of positive responses…I would do it.

I did this BEFORE looking into what this Ultimate Blog Challenge was all about. At almost 60…I still have a tendency to leap before I look. This challenge appears to be a little too serious for me. It’s all about ways to get more traffic, increase exposure and grow your blog. While worthwhile for many, I am not that motivated.

One of the hardest things for me, other than what to make for dinner EVERY. SINGLE. DAY, is coming up with a subject to write about. I definitely need some help here. So here is where you people who responded (either by commenting or liking) come in.  Please reply on your comment with a subject/topic you would like my deep thoughts on. Remember this is a PG site.

Oh….the number I had in my head. 

It was one. 

At almost 60, I’ve learned not to aim high. I'll know better next time. 

Torn and Worn Out

For as long as I can remember, I have thought “If only I could get inside Riley’s brain for 5 minutes to see how he thinks.”  That maybe somehow, it would help me to understand all the “whys and whats” of Riley World. What is he thinking/feeling?  Why does he do that?  What makes him do that?

As the years have gone on, I now think “If only I could get inside Riley’s brain for at least 5 HOURS to see how he thinks.”  Because yes, often times I am still left perplexed and confused as to what makes Riley World tick.

This morning I woke to find this…

Yup, this was the t-shirt that Riley had been obsessing about getting for his birthday. A shirt that was not expensive but not readily available. As in Sherlock Holmes would have been proud of me for actually finding one.

It stayed intact for 4 days, 7 hours and 23 minutes. The hours and minutes are a guess on my part. But some time in the wee hours of June 26^th, the Jamaica Fun in the Sun shirt that Riley was SO excited about receiving on his birthday met its demise. Oh and there were the 3 remaining cans of Sprite emptied into the sink downstairs as well.

As much as I try to maintain a neutral demeanour, I am sure Riley could sense my frustration when I tried to ask him about it this morning. Things started to escalate rather quickly. He got quite agitated, started to yell and I could see his body tensing. I decided to cut my losses because there is really no point in ruining the entire day over 3 cans of pop and a $10 t-shirt.  

You may be asking yourself, “Why do you keep buying him pop if he just dumps it down the sink? Why do you keep buying him the same DVDs?  Why does he keep ripping/shredding his shirts?”  I have been asking myself those same questions for a number of years now. And I got nothing. 

Well, that’s not entirely true. As far as the DVDs and pop are concerned, at 26 years old, Riley’s wants are not anywhere near what a typical twenty-something would want. Quite frankly, his wants are not what any typical teenager would want either. His wants are more in line with the 7-9 year old age group (his cognitive age)…if that. So why wouldn’t I keep buying cases of pop for under $5/case or keep buying the same DVD’s over and over and over again when that is what makes him happy. It sure beats the latest technology of Apple products or vehicles that your typical twenty-somethings want.

When I relate our stories, I am not looking for pity or accolades for that matter. If you can take away some awareness and a little understanding for a world that is different from your own, that is what would make sharing Riley World worthwhile to me.  

And because I like to leave things on a positive note…Thank GOD it's Friday and 5 o’clock somewhere! I'm going to be starting early tonight.  

A Pandemic Birthday Celebration

Yesterday we celebrated not one but two events. Well, to be clear, Riley was only interested in one…HIS birthday. Father’s Day was just a slight blip on his radar and only after some rather blatant helpful hints did he acknowledge it. 

With the pandemic, we were not able to go out for Riley’s usual birthday Udon. But we were able to have my sister’s family over for take-out. They are part of our extended family bubble. It’s the first time we have gotten together and thankfully the weather cooperated so we were able to be outside. 

2 Bowls of Plain Udon - that face says it all!

My sister's family - they sat together at their own table. 

This year Riley’s list had only 4 items on it. The number one desire was a t-shirt. A particular t-shirt. A t-shirt like the one we got in Jamaica when we were on a cruise 3 years ago. Seriously???  He usually starts his birthday list as soon as Christmas is over so it gives me a LOT of time to do the research. Long painful story short…I found one. 

Riley hasn't quite caught on that I wrap presents in different boxes. He was slightly confused as to why he would be getting slippers. 

His new "home" shirt!  He came down wearing it while we were still eating dessert. 

Oh...and because we can't have more than one "home" shirt at a time...found this in our hamper this morning...

Painted Rocks

Has anybody else noticed people posting on Instagram or Facebook pictures of painted rocks they have come across on their walks/hikes. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about.

Photo Credit: Kindness Rocks of SW Florida via Facebook

Aren’t they lovely? I am sure they are even lovelier to discover if you are out walking in the trails around here. I have yet to discover any. Mainly because I have yet to go out walking in the trails around here.  

This past week, Riley’s group decided to paint rocks (via Zoom). Riley is not a huge fan of painting or anything artsy for that matter (although he has gotten a lot better at tolerating art projects over the past couple of years).

They were instructed to go out and collect 2-3 rocks. They also had the choice to use paper. Luckily, we have lots of rocks in our yard so didn’t have to venture too far to get some. They could use either paints or sharpies. Sharpies it is.

They were sent a template of face features to help with the rock monsters they were going to create. How fun!

I set Riley up with his 6 rocks, new set of sharpies and face template. He was ready.

They started with the eyes…

They continued on for about 15 more minutes.

They shared their creations with each other. 

Some love to do art and are very creative. 
Some did more than one rock. 

This is Riley's rock…

Sure glad I collected all those rocks and bought that new set of Sharpies for him.

Mother's Day is Coming

Ever since Easter was considered “finished” in Riley World, R has been repeating his annual Mother’s Day dialogue.  “Next is Mother’s Day. I will make you a card for Mother’s Day. Will I make you a card??”

Today at lunch it sounded like this…

I never get the card he keeps insisting he will make me unless I remind him on Mother’s Day, in which case he scrambles to make one and it looks something like this... 

2016

2017 - If I'm lucky, they make something in his group. 

2018 - Back to last minute the morning of Mother's Day. 

2019 - Cards made in their group.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the hand made cards Riley makes me. I especially love how he signs them...you know, just I case I don't know who Riley is.   

My friend posted this on Facebook the other day. It made me laugh. I decided a friendly reminder to J2 might be in order. 

This is how he responded.  

Guess I’m not getting anything from him.  

Z is for Zooming

Who remembers when there was one phone in the house and it was attached to the wall? Does the word “Party line” mean anything to you?? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, roll your walker on over and come sit near me. Whoooaa…back it up there. You’re closer than 6 feet. 

Todays technology can be mind-boggling. Or maybe the older I get, it just seems that way. I stopped trying to keep up when J2 was having to explain the TV remote to me.

Skype, one of the first affordable video-conferencing services, was introduced in 2003. The initial release of FaceTime was in 2010. I used Skype a handful of times and only started using FaceTime last year. And that was by accident.

Zoom was founded in 2011; launched its software in 2013; and first became profitable in 2019. “Zoom’s software increased due to the quarantine measures adopted in response to the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic.”

Had it not been for this pandemic, I probably would have stayed away from FaceTime and Zoom. It’s bad enough seeing myself in the mirror let alone on a phone/screen with bad lighting and through a fisheye lens.

But…Zooming we are. Even Riley World is zooming. He wasn’t exactly happy about it the first time...

but now gets quite excited to see and chat with his group. They have even been working on some social interaction skills like making telephone calls. 

My first Zoom experience was with my book club. We have another meeting tonight and even have a guest author joining us. 

We’ve even had a couple of social zoom parties playing games. 

It seems being out of touch with people has affected me more than I thought because I get quite excited when we are zooming. I may have even been put on “mute” a couple of times by the host. That’s ok. I got my own zoom account now.

Y is for Yardwork

Prologue:

I realize it’s not #TBT (Throwback Thursday) or #FBF (Flashback Friday) but I found this old post and it is perfect for my “Y” subject.

I originally wrote this back in March of 2014. Can you believe that was 6 years ago! I figure most of you reading now never followed me before sooooo...it's like new material, right??  

Some times, it is good for me to look back and see how far Riley has come. 

Some times, I can’t believe we are STILL working on the exact. same. things…Operation IFO comes to mind. We started that back in September of 2013. *sobs softly to myself*

You’ll also get a glimpse of our old backyard. No wonder I never spent much time out there. I’ll post pics of our new and improved backyard at the end.


Before:

Now I am sure you have heard the old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”?  Well my friend Lori had one of those branch clippers on a stick that she bought on a whim and used only a couple of times. She gave it to G when she was moving. During the last snow G was in heaven. The branches on the trees around our yard were weighed down with snow so he was able to clip away to his heart’s content without the use of a ladder.  

It was a sunny day today so G decided to go out and clean up the tree carnage. “I” decided R should help him. Not sure who was least impressed…G or R?!?  So at 10:45 I shoved R out the door  R headed outside. 

G started R off with a corn broom then switched him over to a push broom. Did you know a corn broom does not push well?? Conversely a push broom does not sweep well. Just an observation.

Betcha didn’t know that the operation of a push broom required a demonstration. Welcome to Riley World! 

Now even though I was still in my PJ’s, I decided audio was required so you could enjoy the full experience. My pleasure. Two more observations before this last clip:

• Did you know the words raking and sweeping are interchangeable???
• When sweeping does not work…kicking will do.

Riley held the bag helped G bag the branches and was outside for 1 hour!!!


After:

This only happened because the District needed to replace a bridge below our house. Even though it took 18 months, we are thrilled with how it turned out. I actually spend time out there now.

Tomorrow is the last day of this challenge. I promise it will be an original.

X is for Xylophone

I’m losing steam. 

And it's "X".

Here…look at how cute J2 was.  He was 15 months old. 

Only 2 more to go.

W is for Wallpaper

Have you ever wallpapered?  Growing up my parents never did.

I think there is/was a time and place for wallpaper. 
I think there are good reasons to wallpaper. 

I went through a phase where I liked to wallpaper. It started with the boys’ rooms. Before J2 was born, I painted the top half, wallpapered the bottom and put a border right through the middle.

When Riley was born and we moved J2 into the other room, I painted the bottom half, wallpapered the top and put a border right through the middle.

When I was updating our powder room, I wallpapered two different patterns and put a piece of wood moulding right through the middle.

I had a theme going on.

And let’s not forget ceiling borders. Popular back in the 90’s. And still around today in homes where the owners are too lazy to take it down because they never painted to the top of the moulding because it was easier not to and now they can’t take it down because that would mean having to paint the entire room which they probably should but are now too old and hoping ceiling borders will make a comeback.

Another good reason to wallpaper is when the DIY “handyman” of the house decides it can’t be all that hard to drywall, tape and mud a downstairs bedroom. Textured wallpaper comes in particularly handy in this case as it can hide any “flaws”. Sort of. Maybe. Not really. But it was a downstairs bedroom and any walls were better than 2x4’s.

This downstairs bedroom was used as a guest room and as a bedroom by both J1 and J2 before they moved out for good.

It has since become Riley’s space. We set up his laptop in there so we can see him run by, between his bedroom and downstairs, every so often throughout the day.

Apparently, Riley is more in tune with home decorating than we are and decided a change was needed. As you know he is more an “actions speak louder than words” kinda guy. 

I wish I could blame this on self-isolation but this was taken just before Christmas.

There was obviously a "loose" seam.

These were taken around the time that we started social distancing. 

Same wall as above only obviously there were more "loose" seams. 

Oh...and the other wall. 

Harder to pick at the seams when you have to balance on top of the hide-a-bed. 

He tried to "hide" some of the evidence in his computer desk. 

Just to be clear, Riley is more than happy to be home. As much as I’d like to blame this on COVID-19…that would be a lie. Am I upset??  15 years ago…I would have been. Today, can’t say I blame him, I’m sick of that wallpaper too.