My enormous and amazing family was here for most of last week and I spent every minute possible with them. We all crammed ourselves into our kitchen, we all ate dinner together every nite, we went to ESPN Zone together, we did museums together, we rode in the bus together, on the train together... And when they pulled away from the city on Thursday morning, I was truly sad to see that bus leave. I LOVED having them all in our house and I enjoyed all the craziness of preparing meals for so many people. In truth, I never cooked alone -- there was always some teenaged person standing next to me, asking me if I needed his or her help. We stayed up until almost 1 a.m. every single nite, just because I didn't want to end our conversations.
So the family left on Thursday and then Thursday evening, we met our two local friends (yes, there's two of them) for dinner together, since we would be gone for the entire weekend. After dinner, we hopped in our car and drove ourselves to Brooklyn to see our two grown-up friends and one toddler friend there. I loved being with each of them every minute. When we weren't hanging out in their always hospitable house, we were walking the streets, mingling with the crowds, being a part of the world. I didn't feel misanthropic at all.
As soon as we got back to our town, we drove straight to our local friends' house for dinner. And then we had them over for dinner last nite. I just can't seem to get enough of people. I can't explain it.
I wish I understood why I'm having this sudden change of attitude. Is it because I've been hanging out with such good people that I can see more good in the world? That explanation has some holes in it -- it's not like I've been hangin' out with creepos for the past couple of years or anything. Is it because we've been working so hard at home that our house feels good to me? Is it because the days are getting longer and I'm actually getting some of those good sunshine drugs that my body needs? Whatever the reason, I wish I could bottle it and save it for those days (months on end, actually) when I want to hide from humanity, or worse.
Since I don't know where this comes from or how long it will last, you oughta just come on over and hang out with us right now. You know, get it while the gettin's good!
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Aunt Miss Kate
Last nite we had 13 people here besides my husband, the dog, and me. There were adults talking and cooking and young women hanging out, comparing notes. There were kids running all over the place and a wrestling match full of stinky boys... There was hanging out on the sofas and talking and looking at photos and 5 conversations at once and lots of coffee...
It was good. I told my LM (Little Mommie) that I could really stand to do this every Saturday nite with them. This is just how they live.
One 3 year-old nephew is here and he is SERIOUSLY cute. And funny and smart. There's something about a kid saying "Aunt" in front of my name that makes me want to spoil him to pieces. It's so automatic that it makes me wonder if I'm hard-wired for that.
I had some fun being the aunt for my new niece and nephew too. To them, I'm an adult and therefore have the qualification to possess some authority. At about 10 p.m., when everyone was getting ready to watch a movie, my niece (7) asked me what is for dessert. I told her that a cookie sounds good to me, so she ran and got one for herself. About 5 minutes later, her dad came upstairs and said, "I can't believe my daughter -- she's eating another cookie, without permission." I had to confess that I was the bozo who gave her permission and I apologized because I don't know any better... I had to go find my niece and tell her I was sorry for messing up -- and then I told her that she just can't rely on me for that kind of information any more because I obviously don't know what I'm talking about.
But the good part of that story is that because she asked me, she got the cookie. I guess that's what being an aunt is all about.
It was good. I told my LM (Little Mommie) that I could really stand to do this every Saturday nite with them. This is just how they live.
One 3 year-old nephew is here and he is SERIOUSLY cute. And funny and smart. There's something about a kid saying "Aunt" in front of my name that makes me want to spoil him to pieces. It's so automatic that it makes me wonder if I'm hard-wired for that.
I had some fun being the aunt for my new niece and nephew too. To them, I'm an adult and therefore have the qualification to possess some authority. At about 10 p.m., when everyone was getting ready to watch a movie, my niece (7) asked me what is for dessert. I told her that a cookie sounds good to me, so she ran and got one for herself. About 5 minutes later, her dad came upstairs and said, "I can't believe my daughter -- she's eating another cookie, without permission." I had to confess that I was the bozo who gave her permission and I apologized because I don't know any better... I had to go find my niece and tell her I was sorry for messing up -- and then I told her that she just can't rely on me for that kind of information any more because I obviously don't know what I'm talking about.
But the good part of that story is that because she asked me, she got the cookie. I guess that's what being an aunt is all about.
Friday, March 18, 2005
My (good) Fambly is on the Way
I have an Aunt and Uncle who, for my entire life, have been my models of sane and good parents. They have cared for me the way that my birth parents should have done but unfortunately, they didn't have the authority or power to just make it official and be my legal parents. But they are the ones that I call my mom and dad.
They are really good parents and they are into parenting. They have given birth to 3 children from their own biology, but they have adopted others so that there are 7 children with the same last name. And then there are my sister and me, who they count as their own -- They call me their eldest daughter. When I was 15, I wished more than anything that they could adopt me and that I could live with them in their house with them.
It's a strange family set up. It's even stranger because my dad (not my birth father, but my real dad) is a Baptist minister. He has been either a minister or on his way to becoming one since I've known him (and he's almost always been in my life). My family is deeply and faithfully christian -- more deeply and faithfully than any other group of people that I've ever known. They represent a paradox for me -- they are all extremely intelligent, but they have the kind of faith that tells them that god is interested in every movement, every moment. Those two characteristics just don't jive for me. In fact, the idea of god being interested in what I'm doing but not doing anything to stop the bad stuff really gives me the heebeejeebees. Really.
But I love these people so much. They have loved me and protected me and they can't wait to come see me and my husband, even though they know that we don't believe that they believe. And for them, that belief is not the kind of thing that they can just agree to disagree about -- this is real-eternal-life-business to them. I don't know how they've worked it out that we are OK... I suspect that they are praying for us every day that we'll see the light and convert. I don't know though, because they don't say those things to us and we just don't discuss it. We also certainly don't discuss the fact that my husband and I marched at the March for Women's Lives or that we voted for a different president than they did. Somehow, we've implicitly decided among us that we are not going to focus on those big differences.
When we're together, I feel loved. I don't feel like I have to do anything differently except laugh and relax and enjoy the craziness. Because you know with that many people, it's really just crazy. But the good crazy, not the crazy crazy.
So with my parents and my 7 brothers and sisters from that family, that sounds like it would be 9 people. One of my sisters has 2 little boys -- and at least one of them (the 3 year old) is on his way right now. But my sister from Boston is also coming tonite and she's bringing her freshly minted fiance and her 2 soon-to-be step-children ( my soon-to-be niece and nephew!). So that brings the total to about 15 people. My husband is freakin' out.
They are really good parents and they are into parenting. They have given birth to 3 children from their own biology, but they have adopted others so that there are 7 children with the same last name. And then there are my sister and me, who they count as their own -- They call me their eldest daughter. When I was 15, I wished more than anything that they could adopt me and that I could live with them in their house with them.
It's a strange family set up. It's even stranger because my dad (not my birth father, but my real dad) is a Baptist minister. He has been either a minister or on his way to becoming one since I've known him (and he's almost always been in my life). My family is deeply and faithfully christian -- more deeply and faithfully than any other group of people that I've ever known. They represent a paradox for me -- they are all extremely intelligent, but they have the kind of faith that tells them that god is interested in every movement, every moment. Those two characteristics just don't jive for me. In fact, the idea of god being interested in what I'm doing but not doing anything to stop the bad stuff really gives me the heebeejeebees. Really.
But I love these people so much. They have loved me and protected me and they can't wait to come see me and my husband, even though they know that we don't believe that they believe. And for them, that belief is not the kind of thing that they can just agree to disagree about -- this is real-eternal-life-business to them. I don't know how they've worked it out that we are OK... I suspect that they are praying for us every day that we'll see the light and convert. I don't know though, because they don't say those things to us and we just don't discuss it. We also certainly don't discuss the fact that my husband and I marched at the March for Women's Lives or that we voted for a different president than they did. Somehow, we've implicitly decided among us that we are not going to focus on those big differences.
When we're together, I feel loved. I don't feel like I have to do anything differently except laugh and relax and enjoy the craziness. Because you know with that many people, it's really just crazy. But the good crazy, not the crazy crazy.
So with my parents and my 7 brothers and sisters from that family, that sounds like it would be 9 people. One of my sisters has 2 little boys -- and at least one of them (the 3 year old) is on his way right now. But my sister from Boston is also coming tonite and she's bringing her freshly minted fiance and her 2 soon-to-be step-children ( my soon-to-be niece and nephew!). So that brings the total to about 15 people. My husband is freakin' out.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
These are my choices?
Sex and the City OR The Hunt for Red October OR the Trinity channel with the chubby people singing about the city of god... TV is bad. Now we're watching House for the first time. It's about some cranky maverick doctor and I'm pretty sure I hate it.
I work with doctors and people on their way to becoming doctors and I like most of those people. Working in health care has made me realize what a huge and growing industry is health care in the U.S. I've also learned how to spell health care.
One disturbing thing about my job is that sometimes I have to evaluate the materials that we use. Sometimes I accidentally open a book or a file that has some grody image in it.
I know people who had once been doctors who become librarians, but I don't know any doctors who started out as librarians.
I work with doctors and people on their way to becoming doctors and I like most of those people. Working in health care has made me realize what a huge and growing industry is health care in the U.S. I've also learned how to spell health care.
One disturbing thing about my job is that sometimes I have to evaluate the materials that we use. Sometimes I accidentally open a book or a file that has some grody image in it.
I know people who had once been doctors who become librarians, but I don't know any doctors who started out as librarians.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Aw Geez.
Working with my Man
My family is coming to stay in our house in about 2 weeks. My family -- the ones who get to stay with me -- will number about 12 when they descend upon us. They're willing to sleep anywhere and they cook for themselves and they talk to each other and to anyone around them constantly. I cannot wait until they get here! I talk more around them in about 24 hours then I normally talk in a week!
My husband is very nervous about their coming, and I don't blame him.
There's one good thing about their impending arrival for him -- we're painting and that means that we get to hang art on the walls. When we moved our stuff into the house over a year ago, he wanted to hang up our pictures immediately. I insisted that we would not hang art on the ugly, dirty, papered walls -- I insisted that we live with the bare ugly walls, lest we lose our motivation to beautify the place. So here we are -- we've now done everything that it takes to get to the point of applying paint of an actual color to the walls.
My husband and I both like color. The only white paint that will be around when we're finished here is on the ceiling and trim. We've had some fun choosing colors, but sometimes it leads to a little bit of anxiety. We are currently painting our living room a Magic Color. When we first started applying it, we were both pretty scared. It looked like some peach color that came straight from one of Don Johnson's t-shirts when he was on that Miami show (I don't think that my husband ever watched that show). But right now, the color looks even better to me than I expected it to.
Before it had morphed away from the Miami color, though, my husband and I spent a few minutes feeling each other out on what would happen if the paint didn't turn out the way we wanted it to. We each took turns being positive and negative about it, until we finally mutually agreed that we would paint the room with the paint we have and if we don't like it, we'll deal with it later. In this case, later most likely means about 24 months down the road.
I like working with this guy. Not a lotta pressure. And he is sooooo good-lookin'.
My husband is very nervous about their coming, and I don't blame him.
There's one good thing about their impending arrival for him -- we're painting and that means that we get to hang art on the walls. When we moved our stuff into the house over a year ago, he wanted to hang up our pictures immediately. I insisted that we would not hang art on the ugly, dirty, papered walls -- I insisted that we live with the bare ugly walls, lest we lose our motivation to beautify the place. So here we are -- we've now done everything that it takes to get to the point of applying paint of an actual color to the walls.
My husband and I both like color. The only white paint that will be around when we're finished here is on the ceiling and trim. We've had some fun choosing colors, but sometimes it leads to a little bit of anxiety. We are currently painting our living room a Magic Color. When we first started applying it, we were both pretty scared. It looked like some peach color that came straight from one of Don Johnson's t-shirts when he was on that Miami show (I don't think that my husband ever watched that show). But right now, the color looks even better to me than I expected it to.
Before it had morphed away from the Miami color, though, my husband and I spent a few minutes feeling each other out on what would happen if the paint didn't turn out the way we wanted it to. We each took turns being positive and negative about it, until we finally mutually agreed that we would paint the room with the paint we have and if we don't like it, we'll deal with it later. In this case, later most likely means about 24 months down the road.
I like working with this guy. Not a lotta pressure. And he is sooooo good-lookin'.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
I'm Bloggin!
Yo.
When my friend redballoon posted her first blog entry, she said that the hard thing about starting something new for her is the starting. For me, the hardest part about starting something is knowing that I'll get distracted at some point and won't have time to keep it up. What can I say, I'm a busy lady.
Today my boss suggested that we start a new blog to communicate with our users and I'm now an editor on that blog. Well, darn it, you can bet that if I'm gonna have to do it for work, I'm gonna make an extra effort to keep up with my bloggin' for fun. Besides, in case you haven't heard, there's a new blog in town that I need to keep up with.
Peace.
When my friend redballoon posted her first blog entry, she said that the hard thing about starting something new for her is the starting. For me, the hardest part about starting something is knowing that I'll get distracted at some point and won't have time to keep it up. What can I say, I'm a busy lady.
Today my boss suggested that we start a new blog to communicate with our users and I'm now an editor on that blog. Well, darn it, you can bet that if I'm gonna have to do it for work, I'm gonna make an extra effort to keep up with my bloggin' for fun. Besides, in case you haven't heard, there's a new blog in town that I need to keep up with.
Peace.
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