12 posts tagged “mi familia”
I got an email from my aunt this morning, with pictures from her recent rip. She was married to my father's brother. Interestingly she's the person I probably have the most contact, the most connection with on that side of the family (including my father) even though I guess I'm not really related to her since she is no longer married to my uncle. Anyway, her recent trip was to Nepal, for a 20 day meditation retreat and then a week a touristing around. Now she's back home, which for her is Thailand, where she's been living and teaching for the last few years. I am always astounded when I look at the pictures of her travels. She goes to such amazing and beautiful places and always seems to make connections with families and children in those places. She has been all over SE Asia and the South Pacific Islands in recent years and not really as tourist, but staying in people's homes and becoming involved in life in small villages and such.
I can't decided if she's braver than I am, more driven, or just lucky. I know she went some huge upheaval when she divorced my uncle and really needed new direction in her life. Through a series of somewhat incredible circumstances Thailand is where she ended up. I'm not sure I'd want her life, but talking to her always seems to put my own life in perspective and make me itchy to go do something more fantastical and incredible than live an average life.
Not today though, because today I feel like hell. Everyone around me has been stricken with plague-like flu. Though I don't have a fever (98.3, I checked this morning), I went to bed with an awful headache, which got worse during the night and I slept fitfully and uncomfortably. Woke up sore all over, with my head still tight and pounding. And so here I am at work, wondering why my life isn't a fantastical adventure of living in the Pyrenees and teaching in village school while all the children teach me Catalan. Given the current state of some things in my life, perhaps I should just advertise on Crag's List Barcelona or something. I'm sure someone over there would hire or marry me. Then you could all come visit any time you wanted.
My family is now on their way to the airport. They are all about quick goodbyes and no drama, although my sister started crying, which made me cry. And my mom hugged me a little too long. Ugh, if I think about it too much I'll start crying again.
We had a pretty good visit, with minimal fighting and lecturing etc. It was maybe a day too long of a visit, only because of my exhaustion from trying to keep them entertained though, not because they were awful or anything.
Christmas went well, I made dinner and it turned out alright: roast duck, carrots, potatoes and salad. I'm pretty please with how the duck came out. The carrots I made with the recipe we use at the Wash and that came out perfectly. It was a surprisingly easy/low-key event, doing all the cooking.
I believe everyone very much liked the gifts I gave. Budgeting makes me more thoughtful and I think it worked out for me. My parents weren't budgeting at all and got me both a new digital camera and a new laptop, which I am gleefully typing on right now. Everything on it all works so well! So shiny and fast and awesome. I'm a nerd, I know, but man, nothing is really quite so happy making as a new computer. I'm reformatting and cleaning up the old one, such as it is, to give to Jami to use basically as an internet machine. Hopefully it has enough life left it in it to be useful to her for a bit.
The camera is a 7.1 megapixel Canon PowerShot and wow does it take great pictures for such a little guy. I might try and get most of my jewelry photographed and up online this weekend (although I might just clean up a little then sit and stare for hours because my family's visit took a lot out of me). I am very excited to play with though. Also I figured out how to make it chirp like a bird instead of beep. So cute!
David came out to dinner with my family last night which was great because a) they already know and like him and b) it took some of the pressure off me. They came down to the Wash as I was getting off shift and ate, drank and laughed a lot. Met everyone I work with and, I think, generally had a great time. David gave me a little, green, carved soapstone hippo with squeazles painted on it. It's so cute I don't even want to put it with the other hippos in the collection, I just want to carry it in my pocket all the time.
Also my aunt sent me a lovely frame with this picture of my and my cousins. Lisa is the bride, (I'm cheek to cheek with her) and Katie and Keri are our other cousins. I really love this picture. I scanned it to save it and I think I'll keep the lovely framed one on my desk at work.
There's lots to say about my family's visit, our tour of Nashville, visit to Memphis, how grown up my sister is, and all but I'm so tired and I have so much else to do today (much of which includes staring off into space and pretending I have no responsibilities--right now that's very important).
Gift giving went swimmingly. Family seems happy. I made Xmas dinner almost all by myself: roast duck, fingerling potatoes roasted with olive oil, carrots and shallots cooked in white wine, butter and thyme and salad, baby greens with almonds, blue cheese, warm poached pears and basalmic vinegar. Mom made the salad. It was all delicious. Especially the carrots. And the duck. The skin was perfect.
I got a new digital camera for xmas, so I took pictures. Will upload once I've actually figured the thing out.
Tomorrow is apparently shopping day. Only my family would decide to go shopping the day after Xmas.
Visit is, so far going very well. Am sitting around the living room right now with the whole family watching Love Actually. We watched A Christmas Story last night (family tradition) and Saved! earlier. Before that we walked all around Vanderbilt and Centennial park and drove all around town. And before that was breakfast and opening of presents. Not a bad Xmas day so far.
Two days into their visit and I've only been subjected to a very teeny tiny (acceptable) bit of prying into my private life and one short lecture about my career and what I should be doing with my life.
I am so tired I can barely think of a smart thing to type. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.
This morning, whether we like it or not we are braving the mall. This is utterly necessary because my dad brought two right shoes with him instead of a match pair. I refrained from actually laughing at him, because while he is hilarious, this is one of his unintentional hilarities. It is quite funny. Though not as funny as hearing him say, in a carefully measured way, "Say, what are you talking about, Willis?" Which makes my sister cringe and insist that he can't say it like that. My dad in turn assures us it's the proper Scandinavian way of expressing the sentiment. Teenageness seems to have made my sister slightly embarrassed by dad about half the time. Which is good, I guess, since it's not 100% of the time. Mostly she thinks he's funny too.
The big downside of going to the mall is that Dad will drive. Even though he doesn't know his way around the city. I will 'navigate' and my mom will 'help.' This is extra fun because Dad is a little hard of hearing and mom just doesn't listen and thinks she's knows something, but doesn't so often gives incorrect directions. At the most crucial point my my sister will interrupt to tell us we are all annoying, and cause Dad to miss an important instruction and make, most likely, an illegal u-turn and starting the whole process all over again. I know the way, where we are going, which lane to be in etc. but no driving for me, presumably because I am not The Dad. Maybe I can change all that on this trip since I guarantee Dad won't like Nashville drivers.
Am generally looking forward to their visit. I expect to spend the whole day shopping. Hopefully that will divert from the other stuff. Mom is already making pointed comments about people with southern accents (Ma, we are IN the South) and Dad is complaining about wine prices (Pop, it's room service is a $200 a night hotel, of course there's a mark up).
Now, I am off to Jami's to shower. Luckily the plumber is here now, so hopefully I will have my own hot water soon. And bless the plumber for coming, I wish I had a present for him.
Merry Christmas to those celebrating. I hope you have at least a little joy in your hearts. I have a lot so I'll share if you need.
My family's flight is still delayed in St. Louis. Ugh. My sister was complaining on the phone, my dad says the airport there is so nice he doesn't mind staying, in fact he might just move there. To the airport. Yeah, I don't know either.
So everything is ready for their impending arrival, and I'm just puttering around the empty house, waiting.
My cousin Joe called me. The whole rest of my family is at his parent's house right now drinking and being rowdy. My aunt got the leg lamp from A Christmas Story in the family gift exchange. She asked me if I thought she was going to hell for putting it in the Nativity. I love my family. Really a lot.
My sister just texted to tell me they made it on to a plane, but the plane has been sitting on the runway for 30 minutes and they don't know why. Ugh. At least they are on a plane. That makes it less likely that they will not be spending the night in St. Louis.
Here are pictures of my Shrinky Dinks from today. The first is pre-shrinking, though unfortunately that one didn't turn out (I didn't heat it long enough and when I went to seal it the art smudged. Boo.) The second one didn't smudge but was all warped. I liked it anyway and I know the recipient will too (Dinos in love!) The second came out better, it's a Victorian pattern drawn on the front, shrunk, and then the back was painted red. It actually looks really cool in real life. Neither photographed very well. I am very happy with my tiny dinosaurs though. They are cute as can be.
So we got up today to finish cleaning the house for the impeding arrival of my parents and discovered that we had no hot water. One sad call to the landlord later and it looks like we are getting a new hot water heater tomorrow. But really? On a Sunday is bad enough, the day before Xmas eve is even worse. So luckily my parents are staying in a hotel and I can shower at Jami's. But UGH.
The house is clean. I was crafty all day mostly finished the rest of the presents I had to make. My new crafting venture? Shrinky Dinks!! Yes, you heard me. Most awesome necklace pendants ever. Oh yes there will be pictures!!
Now off to take miss Hols to port of air, make hotel reservations for New Year's and go meet my folks.
I have been pestering my sister all morning to scan some pictures and email them to me. She finally got the scanner all sorted (I provided tech support like, "take the cable off the broken scanner and put it on the working one") and done and then their internet went down so she can't send them. This is typical. My parents' house has the worst internet connection I've ever seen. I'm not sure if it's a factor of the set-up in the house or their actual provider. Once she sends me these pics, then all I have left to do is get prints made, go to the wine store and wrap stuff and it's CHRISTMASTIME. Woo. And a little hoo.
It's miserable here. Rainy and dark and grim. I nearly died coming back to work on the interstate at lunch. HOWEVER.
I am filled with joy and xmas spirit and happiness. Holiday shopping nearly done. Think I did a good job. Am now excited about my parents' impending visit. (And not just because Dad said he was too lazy to ship stuff and thus was taking me shopping instead which could mean fabulous, expensive, new cowboy boots for me, woo!) And my mom got me the desk I wanted, shipped to my house in a clearly marked box, so I might put that together today so it looks extra nice in the house when the familia arrives.
Anyhooo, have given over stressing about xmas and am just excited now. Giddy, bouncing like Tigger. I also resisted buying myself stuff while shopping. Except Ghiradelli mint dark chocolates. But I feel that's my necessary reward for shopping so frugally and well. GO ME!
But let's just see how I am after another night of xmas music at the restaurant tonight. The Charlie Brown Christmas stuff was great, the rest? Not so tolerable. Especially when played rock musicians who think they funny or clever. I love them dearly, but I am full of fear at the xmas "xtravaganza" planned for this evening. All I can say is the customers better be full of the joy of the season and tipping like it's going out of style.
The only question now is, do I walk out in the rain, half a block down to my car, and get those mint chocolates out of the trunk?
Also today is Timmy Mac's birthday. Which makes it a great day, because he is great and we should all celebrate his existence in the world.
I see the utterly awesome necklace is still for sale. I'm just sayin' if you were perhaps at loss for ideas for me...
For my own part, I can not figure out what to get for my dad. His Amazon list is lackluster and my mom has bought most of it anyway. I got cool stuff for the rest of the family, but I'm stumped here. He likes wine and golf and chocolate and college football. Honestly I don't know enough about any of those things to get him anything good or that he doesn't already have. Right now I'm leaning towards Tennessee wines, a CD off his wishlist and uh, I dunno. Something else? ACK!
Certainly there was time when if asked what my own personal idea of hell is, I would have had a different answer than I have today. Today my answer is, "Four hours of Tom Petty songs played by a cover band and sung alternately by talented and utterly inept singers." Of course in hell it probably lasts more than four hours. In my reality I guess I should be glad it's only fours hours. Or should I say there's only four hours left, as I suffered through the four already. And some of it's been good, but some makes me want to jam a pencil in my ear. (My restaurant is having a fundraiser that involves a benefit show of, yes right, two two-hour sets of Tom Petty covers two nights in a row.)
It's grim and rainy here. My feet are cold. I'm so behind on laundry that all I could dig up this morning were thin, non-winter worthy socks. I did, however, put some laundry in before I left for work. And I have in front of me a cup of coffee and a hot cup of tea. Although those are really only warming my hands. Feet so cold that I am considering actually pouring the tea on them. Ha! I just made myself laugh out loud typing that. I might be a little sleep deprived.
I'm not sure how I feel about my outfit today. In fact I spent so much time dwelling on it this morning than now I'm considering making a New Year's resolution about incorporating letting go of concerns about my appearance. But then again looking good makes me feel very happy, so perhaps the trade off is worth it. I'm not sure. I need to think about it more. But I probably won't.
Incredible picture of Pearl Harbor Day at Shorpy.com.
My parents will be here in about 2 weeks. I have to finish 7 days of entertainment planning for them. I have to finish holiday shopping. I have way too much to do.
My boyfriend is 800 miles away. I probably won't see him until some time in the New Year. And yet he manages to make me start my day with a smile, just with one little email. How totally awesome is that? I swear I am going to start buying lottery tickets. You never know, I could win, and then I could see that cute boy all the time.
