Saturday, August 28, 2004

Much To Do

We have lots to do. We need to make a plan. First we need to eat. Geoff is on his way to Pipes, and will return with breakfast; when hunger strikes, follow the surfers to their local eatery, and you will find well made, cheap, tasty food, in huge portions.

After we eat, we want to bring a bed frame out of the garage: Max is ready, eager even, to transition from his toddler bed in our room, to a high bed in the big boy room. This is good. He is not one to go for changes, and this is one of those changes that is becoming increasingly necessary. For all the furniture shuffling this will require, we will be glad we had the big breakfast.

At some point we need to transition from domestic chores to social calls, and head south for a visit with Nicholas, Holly and Rich. Either we will all go do something culturally enriching and educational, or we will go to the mall and look at hermit crabs.

Throughout the day we will wage war against the ants. They were a nuisance, then a plague, and now they are Public Enemy Numero Uno. They must die. They have committed unspeakable crimes against Alex's beloved crabs, and our pacifist, peace loving, environmentalist, granola munching resolve has dissolved. Die ants, die!

Plus:

Mail Sophie and Grandma Nancy's birthday gifts
Shower
Do some laundry
Write thank you cards to very many people to whom we are very many grateful
Pack for the Oregon Trail Version 2.0

The Papaya has her own "to do" list to work off of. She is a junior Olympian practicing springboard diving, the high jump, gymnastics, and white water rafting without a kayak. Judging by her consistent and energetic resolve, she will take gold in all her events.

Thursday, August 26, 2004

One satisfactory result of the train delay was that I was able to go to Moonlight Beach for Mom's Night Out. We missed Jola, Josie and Vera. And they missed a beautiful sunset, and a huge buffet of delicious food. I was tempted to pull up a thesaurus and find another word for food; a word with more praise and awe for the wonderful variety of tasty, healthy and generous dishes we shared. There were a great variety of salads and fresh fruits, and Yanina's sandwiches and even a Combo pizza from Costco, which is always savory and welcome.

We talked about the last days of summer and the first days of school. We sat comfortably in our chairs and wiggled our toes in the sand. Anne and Yanina had been swimming. Karen brought lots of wood for a fire. Janice had the good dessert sense to come with graham crackers, marshmallows and decadently thick chunks of chocolate; she sacrificed some hangers, and with expert roasting tips from Maria, we forged ahead! Even after the sun had dipped, the light from beyond our horizon made art in the clouds. We sat around the fire and felt the comfort and warmth that keep our friendships glowing.

Sunday, August 22, 2004

Being at a computer is somehow a legitimate way to squander time. If I were parked in front of the TV it would appear as though I were wasting time, being lazy. Butt, when I am in front of a computer there is the appearance of work being accomplished; it's an intellectual pursuit, an interactive process. "I need to check my email" sounds like a reasonable excuse for sitting in the comfortable chair and staring blankly at 9 offers for drugs, breasts and second mortgages. Surfing the internet is vital to my ability to stay informed and connected. So, even if there is a stack of unsorted mail on the kitchen counter, the children haven't been fed, or ants have built a superhighway through my kitchen I feel justified. There are very important things, necessary "stuffs," for me to attend to, here on the computer, far from the laundry, dishes and bills.