Sure enough, it's that time again. Mercury Retrograde. When that little planet in the sky backtracks for the next several weeks. Oh joy!
Aaron, my dear hubby came upstairs yesterday complaining that he could feel "It's started." Then this morning I awoke to him sitting quite placidly in front of fire watching "Charley & Lola" with Jordi. Now I didn't think, "Oh how sweet, a little father and son bonding over cartoons." Nope - I knew something was up. And sure enough...Aaron calmly stated that he'd crashed his computer and couldn't get back in. Yep, it's Mercury up to his tricks. Cut to the chase: hours later Aaron finally finished reformatting, reinstalling and reploading all his files.
I spent my day trying to edit and re-edit packing for our upcoming vacation. Now, had I know months ago when booking the trip that we'd be flying out smack dab in the beginning of Mercury Retrograde...hmmm... I might have reconsidered. But ignorance is bliss and now knowing what's up, I fully expect our journey to include some technical glitches. I'm packing expecting to not see our checked luggage for a few days. Hopefully Mercury won't hold them hostage any longer than that, seeing that it's only a 7 day trip! Jordi's little suitcase is crammed with all our essentials. Don't think the little guy can pull it but oh well, that's what Daddy's are for! I'm loading up my bag with plenty of reading, podcasts and tons of knitting to keep myself busy during any delays. I find if I'm aware that Mercury's doing his thing again, then it's not so bad. We'll see!
So now I'm frantically trying to do all the things on my Before Leaving To Do List that I've totally procrastinated on (as usual---Wacky Aunties don't like following lists to closely or on time for that matter). I'll be up late again organizing things that really probably could wait until my return, repacking my clothes - trying to anticipate how I'll feel like wearing days from now! That's so hard! I can't predict that so it's doubly hard trying to pack. Result: overpack. It's the only solution. So if I'm gone for 7 days that means at least 12 clothing options. I may wake up tomorrow and have gained 20lbs of water-weight and then nothing in my closet feels right. So I must pack plenty. Oh the difficulties of being me! Maybe in my next life I'll come back comfortable with my body...but until then, I'll continue to pack like I'm moving abroad for a year.
And what's up with the "3 ozs - 1 qt bag - per person" rule! Can you tell my last plane trip was over ten years ago? As if packing my clothing wasn't hard enough, I have to bag up my hand sanitizer and dry eye drops!" Does my chapstick also have to be hermetically bagged and held hostage too? And I can't take a bottle of water with me, but instead buy it on the other side of check-in for $10 bucks a bottle? Hmmm, someone is making money somewhere, I just know it. And what's up with no more bad plane food anymore? I love eating off those little trays. So now we have to brown bag it?! What's the point of traveling anymore.
Good news though: Meg's officially pregnant. Whoohoo! I love living vicariously through my sister's pregnancy. I do feel bad seeing how green and tired she is because no matter how long ago, a woman never forgets the oppressive feeling of all-day-and-night-"morning"-sickness. You think you're dying and you'll never feel good again....and really could care less that at this very moment a human is being built deep inside of your womb. You just want this god-awful feeling to go away so you can stop eating pretzels and bread sticks non-stop. That's why pregnant women gain weight; it's all those dang crackers you have to eat to stay sane!
Enough ranting. I've got to go repack our bags yet again.
(ps: Sorry not photos this time. The computer ate them all. Don't you know it's Mercury Retrograde!)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Are you ready for my close up Mr. De Mille?
Yes, my son...my precious baby boy whose not yet four years old is channeling Cecile B. De Mille from the beyond!
This weekend Jordi discovered the joys of a tripod and the video setting on Aaron's camera. As a perpetually distracted Mother I had no idea the extent of his videographic abilities until I went to upload the camera's memory card into the computer. It was filled with little vignettes my son spent ages creating. His directorial prowess impressed me. There are all types of genres represented: sci-fi (Attack of the Killer Ikea Crocodile), in depth family portraits (Jordi and his Lions on the Couch), and even a few post-modern interpretations filled with views of uninhabited rooms, dark stairways leading to the garage. There's even a documentation of his Method Acting practice where he experiments with various freaky-faces poses; the kind that most Mother's would tell their kids: Honey don't do that your face could freeze that way and then you'd never get a date to the prom!
Wow...if he can do this now...no telling where he can go! Spielberg better watch his back...there's a new kid in town.
While most of the time I feel guilty about the amount of time I don't pay attention to my dear, sweet angelic son, there are benefits. Jordi would never have discovered his talent for directing and cinematography; I wouldn't have found a few quiet moments (...okay I admit it was more like many, many minutes...) to sit peacefully knitting all along in my "Pooh Room" (I'll explain this in another post) drinking tea and listening to early medieval music. And Daddy wouldn't have time to work uninterrupted by Jordi's frequent demands that it's "his turn" on the computer Daddy, so go away so I can do my picture work."
But more importantly, my son wouldn't have found a new creative outlet for his artistic abilities! We have a ton of photos and videos that may someday be worth a lot auctioned off on Ebay, once Jordi gets his first Oscar or Pulitzer. Or maybe he'll become the next Annie Leibowitz... The world is his oyster!
This weekend Jordi discovered the joys of a tripod and the video setting on Aaron's camera. As a perpetually distracted Mother I had no idea the extent of his videographic abilities until I went to upload the camera's memory card into the computer. It was filled with little vignettes my son spent ages creating. His directorial prowess impressed me. There are all types of genres represented: sci-fi (Attack of the Killer Ikea Crocodile), in depth family portraits (Jordi and his Lions on the Couch), and even a few post-modern interpretations filled with views of uninhabited rooms, dark stairways leading to the garage. There's even a documentation of his Method Acting practice where he experiments with various freaky-faces poses; the kind that most Mother's would tell their kids: Honey don't do that your face could freeze that way and then you'd never get a date to the prom!
 |
| Jordi's Directoria |
Wow...if he can do this now...no telling where he can go! Spielberg better watch his back...there's a new kid in town.
While most of the time I feel guilty about the amount of time I don't pay attention to my dear, sweet angelic son, there are benefits. Jordi would never have discovered his talent for directing and cinematography; I wouldn't have found a few quiet moments (...okay I admit it was more like many, many minutes...) to sit peacefully knitting all along in my "Pooh Room" (I'll explain this in another post) drinking tea and listening to early medieval music. And Daddy wouldn't have time to work uninterrupted by Jordi's frequent demands that it's "his turn" on the computer Daddy, so go away so I can do my picture work."
But more importantly, my son wouldn't have found a new creative outlet for his artistic abilities! We have a ton of photos and videos that may someday be worth a lot auctioned off on Ebay, once Jordi gets his first Oscar or Pulitzer. Or maybe he'll become the next Annie Leibowitz... The world is his oyster!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
What's a wacky auntie?
Okay, wacky is not the term I'd use to describe myself. From my vantage point I'd say, "Kim? Well she's kinda boring, tends to be too tightly wound, disorganized and way too serious about life in general." Ask my family...they say I'm a hoot! I do make them laugh, usually when I'm not really trying to either. So I'm not convinced that I'm really a "wacky" crazy gal, but I'll give it a whirl.
Now for "aunite": Well I'm an auntie as well as a mom. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely , adoringly love my son, Jordi. Especially since he's my one and only bambino, with no others lurking on the horizon (thank you age, lack of fertility and raging hormones not conducive to conception - not to mysteriously missing an ovary- don't have it, never did!). So as much as I'd love another adorable, precious, energetic, demanding, sassy, rambunctious energy zapping bundle of sweetly baby-smelling love, ... well it just ain't goin' happen in this lifetime. Fortunately my dear, long-suffering hubby agrees.
But that's okay! I'm lucky enough to have a much younger (12 1/2 years to be exact-to the day) sister who has both ovaries and mucho fertility. Bingo-I can live vicariously through her! Let her suffer through the seemingly endless, oppressive days of nausea, groin pain, sleeplessness and stretch marks - not to mention the pain and agony of childbirth (which today is easily remedied: can we say "epidural?"-unless you're my sister who pops babies out too fast to get one). Instead of agonizing over my lack of fertility I can instead channel that energy into raising my son to the absolute best of my ability, and become the wackiest auntie I can be!!!! In the process I hope Jordi thinks I'm pretty wacky too.
I'm not sure what a wacky auntie is but I think it entails lots of hugs, cupcakes, secrets, running around screaming with wild abandon, and other sundry things (probably including bailing out my niece and son from lock up because of some silly stunt they pulled). I aspire to the level of Auntie Mame, but doubt I can ever get there due to my inherent reserve and reticence to be the center of attention. How I would love to be so free and wild!
That's my goal...maybe someday I'll get there. In the meantime I'll keep inadvertently making my family laugh and loving my son and niece with abandon!
Everyone should be so lucky as to have a Wacky Auntie!
Now for "aunite": Well I'm an auntie as well as a mom. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely , adoringly love my son, Jordi. Especially since he's my one and only bambino, with no others lurking on the horizon (thank you age, lack of fertility and raging hormones not conducive to conception - not to mysteriously missing an ovary- don't have it, never did!). So as much as I'd love another adorable, precious, energetic, demanding, sassy, rambunctious energy zapping bundle of sweetly baby-smelling love, ... well it just ain't goin' happen in this lifetime. Fortunately my dear, long-suffering hubby agrees.
But that's okay! I'm lucky enough to have a much younger (12 1/2 years to be exact-to the day) sister who has both ovaries and mucho fertility. Bingo-I can live vicariously through her! Let her suffer through the seemingly endless, oppressive days of nausea, groin pain, sleeplessness and stretch marks - not to mention the pain and agony of childbirth (which today is easily remedied: can we say "epidural?"-unless you're my sister who pops babies out too fast to get one). Instead of agonizing over my lack of fertility I can instead channel that energy into raising my son to the absolute best of my ability, and become the wackiest auntie I can be!!!! In the process I hope Jordi thinks I'm pretty wacky too.
I'm not sure what a wacky auntie is but I think it entails lots of hugs, cupcakes, secrets, running around screaming with wild abandon, and other sundry things (probably including bailing out my niece and son from lock up because of some silly stunt they pulled). I aspire to the level of Auntie Mame, but doubt I can ever get there due to my inherent reserve and reticence to be the center of attention. How I would love to be so free and wild!
That's my goal...maybe someday I'll get there. In the meantime I'll keep inadvertently making my family laugh and loving my son and niece with abandon!
Everyone should be so lucky as to have a Wacky Auntie!
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