What Went Thankful

So I'm thankful for all of the usual reasons: family, friends, Sufi. Even though the last two weeks have been very sad for some of my best friends, I'm fortunate to have gotten to spend a little extra time with them. I do wish my brother could be home today since yesterday was his 25th birthday, but he went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which is pretty cool.

I'm also thankful for a few less important things:

1. Fess Parker Frontier Red - which we drank last night, after we won it at an auction at Lucy's school. It's a wine I would have never chosen myself, but it was delicious despite having a screw cap. It was so good that we went out and bought another bottle for dinner today, and at $10.99 it isn't over-priced either.

2. You may have noticed a new box on my blog -- for the Sixty One. It's a music site where you earn points for listening to new stuff, and can then spend those points to bring attention to songs you like. It is addictive. You can check out my hand-selected picks by listening to the stream through this page.

Almost forgot, I review the new Surf City EP for Donnybrook.

Not ready for this

Of late Lucy has started referring to one of her school friends as her "boyfriend." Our conversations have gone a little something like this:

Me: "Where did you get the idea of a boyfriend?"
Lucy: "You had a boyfriend and then you got married."
Me: "Yes, but I was 25 and you are 4."
Lucy: "Will you call A's mom and have him come to our house so we can get married?"
Me: "Don't you think you are a little young to be thinking about getting married?"
Lucy: "Oh Mom, we're just pretending."

Me: "What is it that you like about A that makes him your boyfriend?"
Lucy: "He likes to play with me, except when he doesn't want to play with me, and he makes me laugh."
Lucy: "I just love my boyfriend. He's in my heart."
Me: Silence.

Also I review the White Denim record for Donnybrook, as well Larytta, and going back a few weeks, the latest from the Sea and Cake.

It was a long afternoon

I learned today that a good friend lost her father. I've known her since first grade and spent so much time at their house over the years that I got to know her father pretty well too. May he rest in peace.

While still reeling from this news I looked outside and saw our neighbors playing with the stray cat that had appeared and then disappeared last week. This was no typical outdoor stray. This cat seemed HUNGRY and came when called. I regretted letting it wander off last week because I knew he had a home, but without a collar I had no idea how to find the owner. It ended up across the street today because it had followed a neighboring high schooler home from school, and she was as taken with the cat as I was.

My neighbor's son suggested checking at one house a few blocks away because he thought he'd seen the cat there. But the trick was that I couldn't leave the house because I was waiting for the cable guy. So I brought the cat inside and put him in the basement. I put Sufi in Lucy's room. I called the Vet's office and the tech suggested making Lost Cat signs which I did.

When Cary came home I had a few minutes before he and Henry left for violin, so I went out to hang the signs. I spotted a neighbor not far from where the cat might have come from. He sent me to one house, who sent me to another, where, I'm not kidding, a guy with a Russian accent was working in his garage with a blowtorch.

Anyway, it turns out the cat was Mr. Blowtorch's. Hurray! So I sped home, scooped the cat into the car and delivered him home. I learned his name was Tommy. To his credit the cat took off again before I could even get back in the car, but at least next time I see him I know he has a place to go to, even though I'd probably run too if my owner was playing with fire in an enclosed area.

What a weird day.

This will be the first week in my life where I'll have gone to multiple wakes. I hope it will be the last.

Why is it always a mixed bag?

Henry had a pal from school over, and it went really, really well. The kid was fun to have around, and got us all out of the gloomy pissiness that seems to infect the family when we spend too much time together.

That was the bright spot. I was feeling good because I'd called a mom of a kid that I didn't know and no blood was spilled. Lucy cried so hard because she didn't have "anyone from outside this house" to play with, but she survived once we broke out the model magic clay.

Cary came home with a grin from ear to ear. He'd upgraded out TiVo without asking first. What he didn't know was that a) I'm still recovering from the TiVo impersonators and the techno-fear they instilled in me and b) my parents have this newer TiVo and it's a pain in the ass c) we will get fewer channels than we do now for the same $$. It's reasonable to suggest that he should have known all three facts. BUT, he was trying to do good. AND there is a chance it will all work out. I wash my hands of the entire process starting ... Now!

Finally, a purpose for Twitter

So this is totally mean-spirited of me, but it's been a crappy day, and following the fool(s) at http://twitter.com/UglyShitOnEtsy has made me laugh and laugh.

Hope is the thing with feathers

I'm sure this election is full of a lot of very specific memories for everyone. These are mine:

Lucy: "John McBush isn't a good President. Barack Obama is better. John McCain is nice." This morning she asked if she could have a sleepover with Barack Obama. I thought, "my god, Lucy wants to spend the night in the Lincoln Bedroom!"

Henry: He sat this morning glued to CNN. Then he put his hands in the air and said, "The Democrats did it! It's their turn. Until now every president has been white. Now an African-American gets a turn. "

My brother: He and I exchanged exclamatory text messages. He said he could hear people cheering in the streets outside his Manhattan apartment.

Cary: He held onto my hand for dear life through Obama's entire speech. He also kept commenting on how great the picture was on our new TV.

Here are my hopes:

1. I hope my mom gets some more sleep now that Sarah Palin can't do any real harm until 2012, and maybe never.

2. I hope the Republicans actually work with Obama and we see more of the John McCain of last night's concession and not the McCain that campaigned.

3. I hope the rest of the world hates us a little bit less.

4. I hope Lucy doesn't find out that Sasha and Malia are getting a puppy.

Not the good kind of record

I just got two calls from school today in the span of 15 minutes. I think we just set a record. I feel a little queasy.

Now I actually have to go to school to pick Henry up from Spanish and try and contain Lucy while we wait for class to end. She just asked if she can wear her Tiger costume (again). Maybe I will say yes so at least I can be amused for a little bit.

It could always be worse but it was certainly messy

The good: Henry finally finished reading the biography of Mozart aloud to me. Next up is James and the Giant Peach. I hope he keeps this up.

The bad: He was not home for even five minutes when he knocked an entire bottle of Dave's Insanity sauce onto the kitchen floor.

The ugly: I thought dumping baking soda on it would make it easier to clean because it would soak up the mess, but it just made it look like vomit -- vomit made up of habernero peppers and glass shards.

Only my child

can put me in this maddening position.

First, you must know that Henry freaks if Lucy makes any noise at all while he is doing his homework. Thank God it usually only takes a few minutes.

So, I go to the trouble to get her on the computer, and after several false starts she is finally content and quiet.

Then he has disappeared.

Then I hear the sound of the violin.

He doesn't want to finish his math, do his reading, or practice his spelling. He just wants to play violin.

So once again I find myself in the ridiculous position of getting mad at my kid for wanting to play music.

I wouldn't mind so much if I hadn't just arranged everything just so to accommodate his idiosyncrasies, only to have him ignore me anyway.

----------------
Now playing: Stereo Image - Pack Moves
via FoxyTunes

Get your Holiday shopping started early

I just discovered Indie Fixx -- they cover handmade goods of all types. I will definitely be consulting them to get gift ideas.

And to motivate you, they are having a really great giveaway, so check it.

A few bright spots

So I pulled myself up, dusted myself off, and got distracted.

1. Lucy has been cracking me up. She got out the Mr. Potatohead yesterday, decked it out, and said, "I made Cary. Hi, Cary. You're a potato."

2. Cary and I were in hysterics over a fake political campaign where I run for State Senate and my slogan "I want to serve you so I can stop serving them" -- where them refers to my family.

3. I've been cranking out the submissions for the next print issue of Venus - in better bookstores everywhere on 12/1/08. I've more or less quintupled my contributions. V. exciting.

4. I'm lucky to have such lovely friends, and it's great to get to see them once in awhile.

Trough

1. Yesterday we finally got that phone call from school. Henry had refused to do what the teacher had asked and had gotten very upset. The call itself and the reason for it wasn't that bad, but I had to take the phone call with the bus coming up the street and Lucy clinging to my leg and screaming.

2. Today Henry came home with his pant legs wet up to his mid calves, his socks ruined, and his shoes sopping wet because there were puddles under the swings.

3. And we got his school pictures back and you can see food on his face. Food. on his face. I'm livid. Did no one inspect him? Now we have to hope that they bother to schedule retakes before he has his lunch.

My mood is crap. Between the TV and the neighbor's lawnmower I think I'm about to eat my own head.

I've got some stuff up at Venus and Donnybrook. I seriously don't even feel like linking to it.

They call them long weekends for a reason

I'd just like to say, for the record, that long weekends piss me off. My kids don't have school again until next Tuesday, and I have no earthly idea what I am going to do with them from now until our routine resumes.

I would welcome the time with my kids if they were just nicer to each other. Every time Henry plays the piano Lucy screams. I can't believe I'm actually telling my kid to stop practicing piano. I feel more like a referee than a mom.

On the bright side, I've got a bunch of stuff up on the web. I declare my love for Sigg bottles at Venus. Also at Venus I express disappointment in the latest Stills record. At Donnybrook I cover These United States and Her Space Holiday, both of which are excellent.

Testing 1,2,3

So this probably won't be a regular thing, but Lumpyhead's mom wanted pictures, so pictures you shall have.

Cardigan - random brand, Dress - Liz Claiborne, Socks - Chinese Laundry, Shoes - Sanita

This is the first time I have ever worn this dress because it is too big on top, so I was excited to realize I could just throw a sweater on and no one will know (except you, dear reader).

Also, it's a big hair day.

Driven to distraction

To keep myself from dwelling on the big things that I cannot control (i.e. the election) and the little things (i.e. the downfall of the TiVo impersonators and my feelings of technological inadequacy), I've done some window shopping.

It began when Emily Martin (of Black Apple fame) mentioned Wardrobe Remix on her other blog. Now I just sit and stare at the pictures of people in their everyday clothes while my brain fuzzes over. Sweet, sweet peace.

I have actually learned a few things too. Buffalo really needs to get an H&M or a Zara. And I am going to embark on a little wardrobe remix project of my own, which is to wear skirts on occasion instead of just jeans and T-shirts. I don't plan on taking any photos of myself to add to the anonymous fashion parade, but if I do, I will be sure to post about it.

Time to concede

The TiVo impersonators finally got the best of us. Cary and I dismantled them last night and re-installed our old TiVo. Now once again we can have audio and video that are in sync! We can use the microwave without making the TV freeze!

It makes me feel a little queasy to think of the amount of time and energy that I devoted to trying to make these stupid things work. I just want to watch a little TV at night. I don't want to devote the better part of my day to trouble shooting only to have the system fail just when it is time for Project Runway.

Cary and I may be technologically landlocked, but at least we are happier.

Not so great news from the Vet

The Vet called to say she got the report back from the Histopath regarding Sufi's tumor. The Histopath thought the Vet didn't get the whole tumor. Shit. But he couldn't be sure. Which leaves me wondering why the hell couldn't he be sure? The Vet tried to pawn the blame off on the lab techs that took the sample for the histopath. I really don't care who is to blame I just wish the news was better.

In annoying, but less important news, I spent the morning running around trying to get a NYS enhanced driver's license. And I learned something about myself. No, not that I hate senseless buracracy, but that my birth certificate is not valid proof of citizenship. Apparently in the state of Illinois it was (is?) commonplace to give out a hospital certificate with a little poem about angels and my mother's thumbprint. However I never received a copy of the state's record of my birth, which is the only proof NYS or the US Govt will accept for creating travel documents. So, close to $50 later, nearly 1/2 of which was for UPS overnight shipping (why do they only give me one choice for shipping and it costs $19!), I will have all the documentation I need to spend another $80 on the enhanced driver's license, so I can still go to Canada. Grr.

It's already Sunday afternoon?!

I've slept the weekend away. I've had a terrible cold and have pretty much spent several hours each day completely knocked out. I hope this doesn't lead to insomnia tonight...

Our TiVo impersonators still don't work correctly, nor is the picture good enough for Cary to enjoy football. I don't even care any more, but I wish we had never bought them. TiVo made TV so much better and these things make it an infinite hassle where there is always a new problem to worry about.

I've got a couple new reviews up. I review The Donkeys' Living on the Other Side over at Venus and I review Lightbulbs by Fujiya & Miyagi at Donnybrook.

In which I bitch about the PTA

Why is it that the PTA at Henry's school seems to go out of their way to make me feel like I am inconveniencing them every time I volunteer to help? I volunteered to be the room parent last year because they asked me to, and I did not enjoy it. This year I wrote on the form to "call me if no one else volunteers" because last year that is what they told us to do. Sure enough, someone called me and asked me to be a room parent. I said sure. This was a couple of weeks ago. Then I got a call today, three hours before I was supposed to be at a meeting for room parents, saying that "people who had never done it had asked if they could be room parent, so they had to let them because that was their policy."

To which I say, "fine." But instead of saying, "we really appreciate your offer to help" she acted like she needed to comfort me that I hadn't been chosen and told me that I shouldn't fret because "I could still get into the classroom on party days." What? Is the classroom like a secret society that I need a key for? And why didn't they wait to call until they knew everyone had responded? Isn't that just common sense?

This is probably the fifth time I've dealt with the PTA and every single time has been unpleasant, insensitive, and rude. If I didn't feel guilt for not having a real job I would have a much easier time saying no. I think that's why I feel so crappy about this. That, and because in three years at Henry's school I have yet to make friends with even one other parent.

What I woke up to this morning

A huge tree had cracked in half when the remnants of Ike passed through last night.
But I was still happy to see how nice the Cimifuga looked surrounded by the Toad lilies and Astilbe, and I was grateful that the lawn was the only thing crushed by the falling tree.

Apropos of nothing, I've got a new review of the glammy Semi Precious Weapons up at Venus.