« I never once said I wasn't a sheep. baa. | Main | pardon me while I roll my eyes »
Monday, August 14, 2006
stuff
As kind of a last-hurrah kind of thing before T goes back to work tomorrow (or actually, as I look at my computer clock, that would be... today. In about five hours, as a matter of fact), we drove to Monterey yesterday for a car show and a visit to the aquarium and also a reminder of why we don't live in the city. Various things we encountered included (ooh, a list!):
- The kind of traffic where you can't move even when your light turns green because the cars are backed up from the next traffic light.
- A parking garage. I hate parking garages, and I didn't know it until yesterday. I don't know why but I couldn't help thinking of all the weight above me and how terrible it would be if an earthquake happened. I've no idea why this doesn't bother me in, say, a really tall building (not that I've been in many of these, although T's orthopedic surgeon is on -- gasp -- THE THIRD FLOOR of a three-story building), when it made my palms sweat in an above-ground parking garage. Maybe it's the low ceilings, or the dim maze-ish kind of creepiness, or maybe it's just that I'm a nut. I don't know.
- So darn many people at the aquarium that we vowed never to go on a summer weekend again. At least we could go in through the members' entrance and didn't have to wait in the line that snaked way up the block and then around and around in one of those maze-things they have at Disneyland for everything from the Haunted Mansion to the pretzel carts. If there ARE pretzel carts in Disneyland... I haven't been there since 1993, back when it only cost $40 for an adult to get in. My beloved jellyfish room was a mob scene, and I got so annoyed at all the people taking flash pictures because how can you sit and be soothed by floating jellyfish when you're blinded every two seconds by another point-and-shoot taking a picture of flash reflected off glass?
- A Denny's where I finally learned why Jennifer hates Denny's. I hereby apologize for ever doubting you, Jenn.
- The tail end of a wine celebration fiesta thing, which meant that as we were walking toward the Custom House to see the organ grinder, there were scores of people walking away from it wearing little lanyards attached to wine glasses, the vast majority of whom were rather humorously impaired. Not so much that they staggered -- it was a wine festival, after all, and not a frat party -- but just enough that they thought they were fine when really they weren't. I hope none of them were going to drive. One woman, who I'm sure thought she was being really quiet and subtle, said in a voice that carried across the courtyard to her companion as she passed me: "Look how burned she ish. Look at that. I don't burn like that, I just tan and tan. She'sh sho red." Which I was, and I'm not offended; I'm grateful, in fact, that she gave me something to laugh at since this was not long before I would have to brave the parking garage again and I needed something to lighten my mood.
*****************************
T is doing way, way better. Not sure if he's better than he was before the surgery yet -- I tend to think so; he's been much more active in the past four or five days than he had been for quite some time. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I'm sincerely hoping that this surgery fixes things, not only for the sake of his comfort which goes without saying, but because if it doesn't it will mean a lot of very big lifestyle changes for us, starting with the loss of his job and some serious financial struggling, and probably ending with me being a nurse in four years instead of ten or twelve and him being the one to homeschool our kids. And while I love rearranging furniture and daydream about moving out of state, Real Change on that kind of scale kind of scares the bejeebers out of me. So. While you're praying... :)
*****************************
I've been planning for school, which we will start after Labor Day. I actually found myself in the position of having to buy two math textbooks this year from eBay. This means that thus far, including some glue and pencils at Wal-Mart's back-to-school sale and a cursive workbook bought at the school supply store, we will have spent almost five eighths of a percent of the average California per-child taxpayer cost of a public-school education.
***************************
Lastly (for tonight; I'm starting to nod off), the Librivox obsession continues. Just tonight I started recording my first solo project, Silas Marner. I also volunteered to do Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, which I've actually never read but have always wanted to. Also I'm recording some of the Federalist Papers, which is I think my favorite project so far because it makes me feel all smart to say the words "requisite" and "effectual" and "enumerate". Also, any time I'm in the car alone, I'm listening to A Little Princess, which was recorded for Librivox by a woman who should record audiobooks for a living, she's so awesome at it. Thank you again to my enabler of a brother for telling me about that site. I certainly didn't have enough stuff to do before, right? Yeah.
Comments
This is not something I usually say, but with Five Little Peppers, I'd recommend stpoping after the first one, which is syrupy but tolerable. The sequels, even though they're by the same author, are so lame they require crutches. Or if you want to see an extreme example, go to Five Little Peppers Grown Up and skip to the end to see the Worst Proposal Ever Written (it's probably best to finish the initial book first, to get the flavor and learn who everyone is).
Posted by: dichroic at August 14, 2006 12:28 PM
LOL, have I ever told you how awesome you are? I like parking garages, I used to be scared of them too, but now I'm much more grateful for a structure that is secured rather than just parking in the middle of some lot where people can steal my car or something.
Posted by: jenn at August 15, 2006 02:09 PM
Rachel, don't you know that throwing more money at schooling is the answer? Your kids are OBVIOUSLY going to get an inferior education if you are only spending that little. Duh.
Posted by: mary at August 15, 2006 06:07 PM
