guess who?
Yep.
Geez, he’s tall.
Archive for August, 2005
the unitarian thing
I just finished emailing several key people at my current church — to let them know that I’m going (with Pete, and hopefully our kids) over to the Unitarians. It was tricky, because I wanted to be courteous without seeming like I was being all dramatic (i.e. “It’s such a tragedy I’m leaving … I know you’re all broken up about it.”)
Pete and I have been talking about this all year, but a service we went to on 21 Aug was the real deciding factor for us.
And I’ll tell you about it later, after our trip to Milwaukee to see the American Idol tour. Go Constantine!
things I could write about if I had the time
Drum lessons. Unitarians. Ice cap. Lunch. Elliptical trainer. Mobius. Furniture. Tiger. American Idol. Sleep.
school registration
Moon’s registration for high school was actually pretty cool. (I wrote about it elsewhere. Let me know if you want the link.)
When I took Peter to middle school registration a few days later, it didn’t bring on such feelings of nostalgia. More like raw dread… as when we were being taken around to the classrooms by a 7th grader who pointed out the detention teacher, prompting Peter to respond, “I guess I’ll be getting to know her pretty well.”
I *think* he was kidding.
Anyway, for those of you who are awaiting parenthood (Jeff) or watching your sweeties go off to kindergarten (Sis#1)… Moon’s registration set me back $101 for fees, and Peter’s was a whopping $280 (including bus fare). Plus about $150 for their school supplies. Start saving your pennies!
double whammy
I get my horoscope delivered right to my Gmail box from astrocenter.com and tarot.com. Because, you know, if one of them sucks, then I always have a backup so I don’t go around self-fulfilling the sucky prophecy.
Anyway, you’d think the stars were trying to tell me something.
Some changes with regard to your career situation could make a vast difference in your resources. This could involve a raise or promotion in the works, it might involve opportunities for freelance work outside the job, or it might even imply a new job, perhaps in a creative field. Whatever work you do is likely to suddenly seem more emotionally rewarding than it’s been before, and should boost your spirits considerably.
Huh. I guess that means I’ll be doing great things, eh?
Don’t let up now, for you have the power to accomplish more than you realize. Others are relying on you and it’s not in anyone’s best interest for you to let them down. Don’t try to do everything at once, even if you believe you can. Instead, move with heightened self-control to make your energy last for the entire day.
Okay, I get it. No laziness here. (Hey, I haven’t even had a chance to write about the weekend.)
knitting update
No pictures yet, but I’m thisclose to being finished with the baby sweater from the Summer 05 IK. I just need to add the ribbon closure. (The ribbon is in a bag on my dresser.)
With the half ball of yarn left over from the sweater, I started a pair of booties. It was the perfect amount for one bootie, which means I’ll be putting in another Knit Picks order. Of course I’ll need to get some extra stuff so I can spend $30 and get free shipping.
As a quick and easy distraction, I made a Special Companion from some yarn ends in my stash. It was nice using size 10.5 needles for a change, although they felt like baseball bats after not knitting on anything larger than a size 3 for two weeks. I’m using it for SpiritMan’s business cards. I think I’ll knit up a few more – pink would be perfect for my own cards.
In progress: iPod cozy #2 and Bad Penny (awaiting my replacement Denise needle). The weather was nice enough (read: almost fall-like) for me to consider taking out my bulky wool and starting the second sleeve of Banff. But I think I need it to be another 10 degrees cooler first.
clean sweep
We had quite the busy day on Friday, which also happened to be Pete’s 40th birthday. He celebrated by taking Moon to her extra bass lesson and then donating blood. We also gave him some alone time while we shopped in the afternoon and baked a cake. Pete chose Imperial Gardens for his birthday dinner. It was all very nice and low-key.
Peter had his first drum lesson Tuesday, and Pete realized he’d better retrieve the drum set from the back of the basement this weekend. More than six months ago, we crammed most of our extraneous items into the area that we didn’t plan to finish. Until yesterday, it was almost impossible to get to key household implements such as the water heater.
It took some squeezing to get to where the drum set was located, snugly tucked away in its dust-covered cases. I stood and watched, overwhelmed with the mess and disarray. Once the drum set was out, it seemed logical to move on to vacuuming and dusting the next item. Sorting the piles of junk nestled between boxes. Moving shelves and boxes to newly-cleared areas.
By dinnertime, I’d taken a whole carload of junk to Goodwill. We now have usable storage space. Have I ever mentioned how much I love that sort of thing?
Today, as you might surmise from the photo, was Moon’s master class at Good ‘n Loud. It took place at the new store on the east side of town, and I must say, it’s quite snazzy. Pete served as lead singer for most of the songs. Moon made an impressive showing. And we even had additional family in the audience — SpiritMan’s mom and Sister #3 drove up for the afternoon. (Their hearing still seems to be intact, thankfully.)
Back to normal?
I still want to sleep until 10 a.m., but I’m successfully resisting. We’re pretty much back to the regular routine. Our sunburns have healed. Moon had her bass lesson last night, and Peter had his very first drum lesson. Which he loved. Now we just need to get the drum set dusted off and back in place, since it’s currently packed up in the storage area of the basement.
Ugh, that strongly resembles housework.
This morning, I took Peter to the dentist. To his surprise, he needed to have a new set of impressions. This did not go particularly well. He accused our favorite assistant, Melissa, of using too much plaster goo in the mouthpiece. He ripped it out of his mouth, ruining the impression and tearing a small piece of upper palate skin in the process. Then he threw up.
The rest of the day has been more enjoyable. I wish I could trade our weather for San Diego’s, though.
lesson learned
When I was packing, I had a tough decision to make. Do I put extra needles and yarn into my knitting bag, or should I assume I’ll just work on one project during the flight home? I was only about an inch or so into Bad Penny, so I figured it would be a waste of space to tuck the other stuff into my bag. I left the Addis and the Shine in my checked luggage.
Less than an hour into our flight, I broke a needle. $#%@! Four hours sitting on a plane, with no project between my hands.
I’ve put Bad Penny aside while I send my size 5 needle to Denise for a replacement. I cast on for the super-secret Shine project (okay, a baby sweater for Sister #4’s progeny-to-be) as soon as I finished unpacking.
Murphy’s Law, anyone?
final entry from san diego
Today we ventured out for lunch and to buy souvenirs at Hard Rock Cafe, but otherwise stayed put in the hotel room until evening. We wanted to experience Sea World after 6. The energy was definitely different — more of a party atmosphere. Lots of sparkle.
Peter sweet-talked me into going on a water flume ride with him, and we were completely drenched. I’m a sucker for a kiss on the cheek and a sincere hug, I guess. I shivered as we wandered around and went to the last shows of the evening. After the fireworks at 10 p.m., I was ready to go. However, some of the performers from Riptide (dance/percussion ensemble) had come down from the stage after their second show, and they were messing around and showing off for the few people who were left. We stayed and listened, and I took a few photos.
It’s midnight now. In four hours we’ll be packing up and heading for the airport. It seems like the week just began. The kids are making sad noises about leaving San Diego, but I have a feeling that as soon as they lay eyes on the Madison skyline, they’ll realize that they were homesick after all.
I will, too. It’s been a great vacation, but coming home is a reward in itself.
the la jolla holla
I spent the first several days here pronouncing La Jolla like a midwesterner, until the guy at the car rental place looked at me with amusement and asked, “You know it means ‘the jewel’ in Spanish, right? In Spanish, the ‘j’ is silent.”
Ah, La Holla. “And the double-l sounds like ‘y.'” Yeah, I took foreign language in high school. Five hundred years ago.
Anyway, we drove there yesterday and enjoyed a scrumptious Italian meal, breathtaking views, and a kayaking adventure with Hike Bike Kayak. La Jolla is a sporting paradise — every other shop sells surfing equipment and offers lessons. We stopped at Surf Diva, and if I’d been a better planner I’d have scheduled myself some surfing instruction. As it was, kayaking was enough of a challenge.
Moon selected me as her kayak partner (we asked for two tandem kayaks), which she promptly regretted when I flipped us over just after we made it off shore. Neither of us could manage to climb back in, so the guide told us to drag the kayak back to the edge and we started over. Moon looked as if she wouldn’t mind staying on the beach, but she gamely took her position in the back of the kayak and we set off again.
By the way, salt water tastes terrible, and swimming while dragging a kayak is harder than it looks.
In some ways, falling in was a good thing. We were less nervous about something going wrong, and we didn’t have to imagine what it would be like to flip. We worked pretty well together. After paddling about a mile out, we ventured toward the caves and were treated to the sight of a family of sea lions sitting on the rocks. The alpha male was quite vocal and decided to take a swim. Our guide warned us not to get too close to him. Peter took his warning quite seriously and reprimanded his dad several times. His dad was more worried about heaving his guts into the ocean, having neglected to take his ginger before the trip.
Moon remarked how relaxing it was to be floating on the water, with the waves (those nausea-inducing waves, to Pete’s point of view) lapping around us. When we finally went back to shore, I was sad to leave the ocean and suggested that we come back and frolic. Peter readily agreed, since he had been very jealous when Moon and I were dumped into the water. “You’re supposed to get wet when you’re kayaking,” he told Pete. “We are still way too dry.”
So after we brought our paddles back to Hike Bike Kayak, bid our guide adieu and gathered our stuff, we headed back to the beach. Peter went chest-deep into the water, and I could easily picture him on a surfboard as he taunted the waves. I was thigh-deep when I looked down and saw a stingray next to me. It did that cool ripply thing with its wings/fins. Pete, who was a few feet away, said, “Look! There are four of them!” and I spotted the group. They were just inches away from my legs.
I freaked, and ran (leaped) toward the beach, praying that I wouldn’t land on any of the critters. As soon as I was safe, I decided I needed to see another one, they are that cool. Did I mention there were jellyfish, too? Lots of them. Some were beached. Peter decided to save one, with the help of a girl about his age and her trusty bucket.
Moon had seen a jellyfish earlier and thought it was a disembodied heart. She figured that the sea lions had been fighting, which seemed rather logical at the time.
Don’t underestimate the sea. And respect the kayakers. (Want to see more pictures? Here you go.)
vacation knitting
I’m sure you’ve noticed that something has been missing from this week’s posts. Yes, I’ve been knitting – did you have any doubt? I actually finished my second sock during the flight (not that I had much left to do – I’d already turned the heel). Here are the twins in their glorious finished state. Of course I brought the first sock along. It didn’t seem right to separate them.
Now I’m working on Bad Penny in blue Cotton-Ease. Unfortunately, I haven’t finished much of it. In my optimism, I brought three balls of yarn PLUS pink sock yarn and two Addi Turbo circulars. They’re all still in the suitcase.
Here’s something else I haven’t shown you. My bodacious knitting bag. She. Is. Awesome. I’ve had many compliments from non-knitters, even though she seems a bit lengthy for a regular purse. The color is perfect. I’m so glad the first Zelda was too small, or I would have never scored the last Molasses Dot Zelda Grand in stock at DreamWeaver Yarns. (Wanna peek inside? I’m sure you do.)
evening walk
Since we had a rental car, we decided to attempt to view the sunset at Coronado Beach. Moon heard the word “beach” and elected to stay in the hotel room. Driving over the bridge to Coronado was a breathtaking experience. My mind flashed to an image of us going over the edge, and it was reinforced by a sign advertising a toll-free number for suicide prevention. I couldn’t help but picture a free fall into the bay. Although the view of the lit-up skyline was quite spectacular, I was relieved to get off that bridge.
Getting to the beach by car was a breeze after having walked it the day before. Peter couldn’t resist the allure of the sea and immediately ran into the water up to his knees as we shouted, “Don’t get your clothes wet!” The water is much colder after sunset, by the way. I had hoped to step on the AWOL retainer, but no such luck.
The Hotel Coronado is lovely at night, but our camera only does a so-so job at capturing it. You’ll just have to trust me on this one.
We hadn’t had any ice cream for a whole day, so of course we had to stop at the Mootime Creamery. The crowd lined up outside was an excellent sign, as was the seemingly local nature of the establishment. We each ordered a cup with no mix-ins. For some reason, Peter chose raspberry sorbet, which was great until he ran into some actual fruit pieces. I made up for the trauma by getting him a Jones Soda. (I looked for a bottle with the photo by Heather, but none were to be had.)
moon’s alone day
Before we left for this trip, Moon mentioned that what she’d really like would be some “alone time” on vacation. So Wednesday we left her in the hotel room with the room service menu and went looking for indoor activities. First we went over to Enterprise to rent a car. Then we drove around a bit while I consulted the map and the attraction booklet. We headed to Balboa Park, which is adjacent to San Diego Zoo and houses many, many museums.
The Reuben H. Fleet Science Museum was a perfect destination for us. Not only we were out of the midday sun, but Peter also was able to check out a host of hands-on exhibits. We took in an IMAX movie about an expedition up the Nile (foreshadowing of our kayak tour the next day?) and a deep sea simulation. It was amazing to me how watching a movie while being jostled around could make us feel so nauseated. By “us” I mean Pete and myself. Peter thought we were lightweights.
When we came back to the hotel, Moon seemed pretty refreshed, although she had thought we were going to the beach. She was a little bummed that she’d missed the museum instead, although I don’t know that she would have enjoyed all the day camp kids running all over the place. Peter, on the other hand, is king of the short people.
an offering to the sea
Moon did not want to get out of bed this morning. She wasn’t any more motivated when we told her our destination for the day was the beach at Coronado Island. But being the good sport she is, she finally showered and dressed. Her sunburned nose and cheeks were blistered and oozing clear yellowish liquid. By no means was she planning to go near the water. Pete and Peter packed up their towels and swimsuits because they knew they wouldn’t be able to resist the waves. I’m a wader, so I wore a t-shirt with swim shorts.
We walked to the Broadway pier, where the ferry leaves for Coronado Island on the hour. After we docked, we walked toward the beach. It was a much longer walk than it appeared to be on the little map we’d picked up. Peter was complaining big time. We stopped for pizza at Alexander’s (Coronado’s best pizza!) and started looking for a place to buy sunscreen. Finally we entered a surf shop, where a cute surfer boy named Ryan sold us sunscreen, after-sun lotion (refrigerated!) and a pair of Crocs each for me and Peter. (Peter’s mood improved dramatically after that. His feet had been hurting.)
The beach was only a few more blocks away. Moon curled up on a bath towel (borrowed from the hotel) wearing her black t-shirt and jeans. Peter immediately headed for the water and Pete followed. I wandered in a few inches of surf and succumbed to the adventure of beachcombing. Looking for treasures of the sea was completely addicting. I spotted a woman walking by with a few sand dollars, and I wanted one like you wouldn’t believe. When a little girl a few feet away plucked one from the sand and yelled, “Daddy! A sand dollar!” I felt robbed… that was my sand dollar, dammit.
But by the time we left, I had four sand dollars in my hot little hands. Unfortunately, the ocean demanded an offering in return.
Peter joyfully ducked under the waves…and surfaced without his retainer. My beachcombing took a more serious twist. News of the loss spread to the point where strangers were stopping to ask me if I’d had any luck. “I have sand dollars,” I answered.
Maybe someone will pick it up, see the unusual last name embedded in the plastic, do an internet search, and find us.
seeing sea world
Huzzah for touristy adventure! We called a cab Monday morning and arrived right when the doors were opening. We were able to take the behind-the-scenes tour, and I signed Pete and the kids up for a Dolphin Encounter. The name makes it sound like some wacky kind of therapy, but it’s actually an opportunity to pet, feed and work with trained dolphins without having to don a wetsuit or get into the water. This was actually one of Pete’s goals when we were choosing a destination.
There are many, many shows at Sea World, and we took in quite a few of them. The children were especially enamoured of the sea lions, which reminded them of Foxxi with their barking and their begging for food. I bought a tray of raw fish for them. (The sea lions, not the kids.) Pete talked Moon and I into purchasing hats (well, mine was a visor) after noticing that we were turning pink. It was too late, though. Moon’s face, arms and hands were thoroughly sunburned, and I had an impressive dose of redness as well. We returned to the hotel in time to slather ourselves in aloe vera and watch the finale of Hell’s Kitchen.
still in one piece
After midnight on Saturday, I was still thinking of stuff to pack and things to do. It almost wasn’t worth trying to go to sleep, knowing that we’d be getting up in a few hours and leaving the house by 4:30 a.m. I rested, but I didn’t really sleep. We made it to the airport in plenty of time, though.
Our flight was pretty uneventful. We had a short hop to O’Hare, then our main flight to San Diego. I sat with the kids; Pete was a row away, sitting next to a Ukrainian man with a 17-month-old son. The child was very antsy. The dad tried to placate him with canned meat paste, but the boy insisted on shrieking and running into the first class section. I didn’t blame him one bit once I realized they’d been in the air for a day already. And I thought five hours was a long trip.
After we landed, we collected our bags quickly and took the shuttle to our hotel. We were early, so we checked our bags with the bellman and walked over to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Then we walked downtown for a few hours, which did not delight the children. We were tired, our feet hurt, and I suddenly realized we belonged at a resort and not in the Gaslight District no matter how historical and eclectic it may be.
Back at the hotel, we discovered our room still wasn’t ready. Fifteen minutes later: we went to our room. Five minutes after that: I stepped onto a soaking wet carpet in the bedroom of our suite. There had been a leak; the carpet had been cleaned. We moved to another room. At around 4 p.m. Pacific Time (6 p.m. our time) we all took a nap. For 14 hours.
