Tomorrow, M and T, of Vegas fame, are coming to town for the weekend. We haven’t seen each other since that fateful trip, but we keep in regular(?) contact via email. In the interim, T had a baby, M started a catering business, I went back to work, and we’ve all turned 40, so we’ve got a lot of kvetching to do.
We’re headed to SA on Friday for Fiesta, and we’re staying at Casa Turista. Mis padres couldn’t be more excited - two of their “own,” returning to the nest. Now the last time we all did Fiesta together, it was 19-8-frickin’-4(!), and I seem to remember that one night, after several contraband wine coolers at NIOSA, one of us flashed passersby from the car as we were driving home. I believe one of us was still sporting a sweet rattail at the time, and one of us was marching in a parade. I'll leave it for y'all to sort through that.
Can't wait to see how it all shakes out. Viva Helio Vasquez!
April 22, 2009
April 21, 2009
Love Your Mother
In honor of Earth Day, an original poem by Peach, age 9.
Magic
The trees are magic
They can change colors.
Gray in winter winds,
Brown in summer sun,
Red in autumn fun.
The birds are magic.
They sing sweetly, shrilly,
Angrily, tenderly, sadly.
Clouds are magic.
They can be circles,
Wisps, or large masses.
The sea is magic.
It will crinkle, wrinkle,
Bump and rage.
And now, yes now, I shall
Reveal the point of this poem:
Mother Nature is magic -
Keep her alive.
What she said.
Magic
The trees are magic
They can change colors.
Gray in winter winds,
Brown in summer sun,
Red in autumn fun.
The birds are magic.
They sing sweetly, shrilly,
Angrily, tenderly, sadly.
Clouds are magic.
They can be circles,
Wisps, or large masses.
The sea is magic.
It will crinkle, wrinkle,
Bump and rage.
And now, yes now, I shall
Reveal the point of this poem:
Mother Nature is magic -
Keep her alive.
What she said.
April 20, 2009
Weekend Re-Cap
Peach had a change of heart about the big musical audition – and I can’t say I blame her. I HATE musical auditions. Really, auditions in general are worse than job interviews, even though that’s kind of what they are. There’s a lot of secret science to it, most of which is totally beyond your control, and you are fully aware of that every time. So why in the hell do we do it? “They” know within about 10 seconds if they’re even going to pretend to listen to you for the next two minutes, let alone give you a part in their precious production. It’s very adversarial if you ask me. And at no time has anyone ever in the history of the theatre been as afraid about a performance as they have about an audition. Okay, maybe if they were about to be thrown to the lions as part of the “show.” But otherwise, never. Anyway, if she had gone through with it and gotten a part, we would have spent the majority of our summer living The Music Man everyday, so it’s probably for the best.
Seeing as we had more free time on Saturday than I had planned on, we had a craft extravaganza – lots of painting and drawing and gluing – while I dismantled the Easter decorations. GGMS’s annual spring campout was this weekend, but after the rain we’ve had, we decided against going out there and setting up our tent in the knee-high mud. I’m a sport and all, but gimme a break. Plus, I had plenty to do in preparation for a very special event later this week, which I will save for another post.
We spent yesterday celebrating the Television Twins’ First Communion. When we got to the house, they ran out to greet us in their fancy duds. I asked the first twin (the sensitive sugar bear), “Were y’all waiting for us to see your suits before you changed?” And he said, “Oh, no. I don't mind.” (even though you could tell he did) While the second twin (the all-boy whirling dervish) answered with an emphatic, “Yes! Now we can get out of these clothes!” And they had the coolest little ties I’ve ever seen – instead of the old clip-on, they have a zipper hidden in the knot, so you just put it on and zip it up – perfect knot every time. How awesome is that? I played with one all afternoon. The end.
Seeing as we had more free time on Saturday than I had planned on, we had a craft extravaganza – lots of painting and drawing and gluing – while I dismantled the Easter decorations. GGMS’s annual spring campout was this weekend, but after the rain we’ve had, we decided against going out there and setting up our tent in the knee-high mud. I’m a sport and all, but gimme a break. Plus, I had plenty to do in preparation for a very special event later this week, which I will save for another post.
We spent yesterday celebrating the Television Twins’ First Communion. When we got to the house, they ran out to greet us in their fancy duds. I asked the first twin (the sensitive sugar bear), “Were y’all waiting for us to see your suits before you changed?” And he said, “Oh, no. I don't mind.” (even though you could tell he did) While the second twin (the all-boy whirling dervish) answered with an emphatic, “Yes! Now we can get out of these clothes!” And they had the coolest little ties I’ve ever seen – instead of the old clip-on, they have a zipper hidden in the knot, so you just put it on and zip it up – perfect knot every time. How awesome is that? I played with one all afternoon. The end.
April 17, 2009
The Old Man is Snoring
And I ain’t just talking about the raining and the pouring that we’re finally getting today.
T-Bone, God love him, snores. Not like a rattle-the-house snore, just your typical sawing logs snore. If you happen to be using a chainsaw on said logs. Usually it happens when he’s sleeping on his back, so if it wakes me up, I just tell him to roll over on his side, he does, and it stops. Usually. Last night, however, it woke me up, I told him to roll over, he did, and it didn’t stop. So then I told him to roll over again, he did, and it still didn’t stop. I didn’t want to totally wake him up with all the orders and the nudging (okay, pushing), but after 15 minutes or so, I was wide awake. At 3:15.
So, I got up to get a drink, went to the bathroom, walked around a minute, and even thought about reading, but then thought better about that, what with the bright light it would require, thus guaranteeing I would never go back to sleep. And I LOVE to sleep, y’all. I could drop down and give you 20 Zs at just about any moment of the day. Not that I’m a walking zombie, perpetually exhausted. It’s just that if I quiet myself for a few minutes, I can drift off like nobody’s business.
Some of the best sleep I’ve ever gotten was in the library during law school (probably in a few contracts classes, too, for that matter). I could put my head down for just 15 minutes and feel like a million bucks after that. Also, when T-Bone and I were in summer school in Austria, I could hop on a train and be out in matter of seconds. Even on trains full of drunkass soccer fans on their way to Munich. The sleeping was that good.
I used to sleep so soundly that one time, my mom locked herself out of the house, and she banged on the window right next to the couch where I was sleeping, and I never heard a thing. Not even when she had the neighbor break the window so she could get in and retrieve my crying toddler brother, which also did not wake me up. I used to fall asleep walking upstairs, sitting upright at the dinner table, and once, even at a horse auction. I just bent over in my chair, put my head in my lap, and zonked out, right in the middle of the ring. All of which probably explains why I’m such a GD giant - the good sleeping - because did you know that you grow during REM sleep? I didn’t either until a friend of mine had her son’s tonsils taken out when he was three because his snoring and sleep apnea was so bad, and that little dude shot up over four inches in a matter of two months. The doctor said it was because he was finally getting good, uninterrupted REM sleep. That Michael Stipe is a damn genius.
I ended up bedding down on the couch, listening to the beginnings of a lovely, much-needed, rain. Which, as you know, is great sleeping weather. If only it hadn't been 5:30, and I didn't have to get up at 6:15.
T-Bone, God love him, snores. Not like a rattle-the-house snore, just your typical sawing logs snore. If you happen to be using a chainsaw on said logs. Usually it happens when he’s sleeping on his back, so if it wakes me up, I just tell him to roll over on his side, he does, and it stops. Usually. Last night, however, it woke me up, I told him to roll over, he did, and it didn’t stop. So then I told him to roll over again, he did, and it still didn’t stop. I didn’t want to totally wake him up with all the orders and the nudging (okay, pushing), but after 15 minutes or so, I was wide awake. At 3:15.
So, I got up to get a drink, went to the bathroom, walked around a minute, and even thought about reading, but then thought better about that, what with the bright light it would require, thus guaranteeing I would never go back to sleep. And I LOVE to sleep, y’all. I could drop down and give you 20 Zs at just about any moment of the day. Not that I’m a walking zombie, perpetually exhausted. It’s just that if I quiet myself for a few minutes, I can drift off like nobody’s business.
Some of the best sleep I’ve ever gotten was in the library during law school (probably in a few contracts classes, too, for that matter). I could put my head down for just 15 minutes and feel like a million bucks after that. Also, when T-Bone and I were in summer school in Austria, I could hop on a train and be out in matter of seconds. Even on trains full of drunkass soccer fans on their way to Munich. The sleeping was that good.
I used to sleep so soundly that one time, my mom locked herself out of the house, and she banged on the window right next to the couch where I was sleeping, and I never heard a thing. Not even when she had the neighbor break the window so she could get in and retrieve my crying toddler brother, which also did not wake me up. I used to fall asleep walking upstairs, sitting upright at the dinner table, and once, even at a horse auction. I just bent over in my chair, put my head in my lap, and zonked out, right in the middle of the ring. All of which probably explains why I’m such a GD giant - the good sleeping - because did you know that you grow during REM sleep? I didn’t either until a friend of mine had her son’s tonsils taken out when he was three because his snoring and sleep apnea was so bad, and that little dude shot up over four inches in a matter of two months. The doctor said it was because he was finally getting good, uninterrupted REM sleep. That Michael Stipe is a damn genius.
I ended up bedding down on the couch, listening to the beginnings of a lovely, much-needed, rain. Which, as you know, is great sleeping weather. If only it hadn't been 5:30, and I didn't have to get up at 6:15.
April 14, 2009
Everything Has Its Season*
And so it begins. Peach is auditioning for her first musical this weekend. Oh. My. Stars.
Truth be told, I brought it up to her because she happens to love the show, knows all the songs, and has been itching to test her vocal prowess for some time now. That said, she ain’t no Broadway Baby – thank Jeebus – and would thoroughly enjoy being one of the many nameless townspeople who sweep on and off the stage throughout the show. She understands that not everyone gets a part and that the audition itself is a great learning experience, yada yada yada. But of course, the drama geek in ME hopes she totally kicks the asses of all those nose-singing, jazz hands-flashing, over-emoting junior “triple threats” that will undoubtedly be there. So we’ll see how it all shakes out.
We had a great Easter, starting Friday with a two-hour walk around the lake, picnic, and snowcone (rainbow, natch). Saturday, my parents came, and we dyed eggs, hunted eggs, and ate eggs. Repeat. Sunday, after cooing over The Baskets, we beat the rain to Mass and then beat the crowd to Threadgill’s for brunch. Later, T-Bone and I spent five hours staring at the garage ceiling as we installed some storage shelves above the garage door. Holy hell, my neck still hurts – but my garage? She is beautiful! One more Hyloft, and she’ll be as fine-tuned as possible. Assuming, of course, we’ve installed them right, and I don’t come home to find that the weight of my BigAss Christmas tree up there has caused the ceiling to cave in. Fingers crossed.
* Pretend I found a clip of the brilliant bit about Corner of the Sky (Most. Annoying. Audition. Song. EVAH.) that Judy Gold used to do back in the day. Then pretend I embedded it here.
Truth be told, I brought it up to her because she happens to love the show, knows all the songs, and has been itching to test her vocal prowess for some time now. That said, she ain’t no Broadway Baby – thank Jeebus – and would thoroughly enjoy being one of the many nameless townspeople who sweep on and off the stage throughout the show. She understands that not everyone gets a part and that the audition itself is a great learning experience, yada yada yada. But of course, the drama geek in ME hopes she totally kicks the asses of all those nose-singing, jazz hands-flashing, over-emoting junior “triple threats” that will undoubtedly be there. So we’ll see how it all shakes out.
We had a great Easter, starting Friday with a two-hour walk around the lake, picnic, and snowcone (rainbow, natch). Saturday, my parents came, and we dyed eggs, hunted eggs, and ate eggs. Repeat. Sunday, after cooing over The Baskets, we beat the rain to Mass and then beat the crowd to Threadgill’s for brunch. Later, T-Bone and I spent five hours staring at the garage ceiling as we installed some storage shelves above the garage door. Holy hell, my neck still hurts – but my garage? She is beautiful! One more Hyloft, and she’ll be as fine-tuned as possible. Assuming, of course, we’ve installed them right, and I don’t come home to find that the weight of my BigAss Christmas tree up there has caused the ceiling to cave in. Fingers crossed.
* Pretend I found a clip of the brilliant bit about Corner of the Sky (Most. Annoying. Audition. Song. EVAH.) that Judy Gold used to do back in the day. Then pretend I embedded it here.
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