So, my muse tells me it's been a week.
Where shall I begin?
Last Wednesday, I celebrated my birthday with my family; or part of it. One of the downsides to having a gloriously large family is that coordinating our lives and schedules is pretty difficult. Especially now that everyone is grown and we all live in different places.
So, the part of the family that is closest to NY, my brother and his wife and son, my mom and sister and another sister and her son, joined me for the GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.
Before the show, I caught an early-ish train to my sister-in-law's house and we hit the mall and hit it hard. Exhausted from shopping, we went home to stuff ourselves and drink.
Then the circus happened. Everyone had a good time and we all parted ways after and for once, I made it home before everyone else. There was a bus from the center where the circus had been right to the city.
Twas perfect.
This week, T's family, specifically her sister, has thrown together a surprise baby shower. That's right. A fourth kid baby shower.
Since it is a surprise and since her unintelligent sister planned it for Wednesday, there were a few kinks in the schedule that had to be worked out.
T's dad offered to ask T to work that day so that she would be local, instead of in the city for work. Still, the party is at the sister's house and no one knows yet how they're getting her there. E asked me to say yes when T asked me to work that Wednesday so when she did I said I could work Wednesday and would take Tuesday off instead.
Unfortunately, T had a doctor's appointment this morning and so we arranged for me to take off both evenings and work both mornings. When we made this wonderful arrangement I had absolutely no plans in mind.
Sunday was one of the longest days in history but the good news is that after that, Monday didn't hit so hard. I got a lot done yesterday and then walked/jogged three horrendous miles with the running stroller T got just for me.
She tried to take Monkey to the park I walk to last Wednesday and it destroyed her.
It nearly destroyed me since I haven't done that walk with the stroller since October-ish, but we made it and then I was feeling pretty proud of myself so I ate chocolate for lunch. Pure chocolate.
Then I felt sick for two hours, so instead of working I laid around on the couch wondering how I would get through this week while my favorite texting buddy is on vacation and out of service.
It's brutal.
This morning I got a lot more done, and now with my extra morning of work tomorrow, I'm not sure there's anything left in the house that needs cleaning at the moment so you know what that means?
I'm getting out the summer clothes. It's time.
I switched my shoes the other night, because let's face it, that is the most important thing. Start showing off the beautiful spring shows ASAP. That's my motto.
So tonight, I got all gussied up for my non-plans and put on my new favorite (well, one of four favorites) shoes and headed out into Great Neck to gallivant for a while. I JUST made plans with a friend (who is on her way and I should be watching for her) and now I am in my coffee shop.
One of my favorite things about this little corner of Great Neck is that a lot of the hired folk seem to hang out here and they don't expect it when a stranger smiles at them. So I smile at everyone and to the people who look the most annoyed with unsolicited hospitality, I also say "Good afternoon!"
And they cringe.
Well, the other snobby ones do.
The other "blue collar" peeps like myself smile back.
Twenty minutes ago when I still had no plans I was sitting at the train station, contemplating a run to the city to entertain myself and I got a phone call. When I said hello and started talking the girl next to me on the bench rolled her eyes quite obviously and groaned, "Now we have to listen to this..." like me saying hi to someone was the worst thing she ever heard.
I graciously got up and walked away, because I don't like listening to other people on the phone either, unless the conversation is really good, but I couldn't believe how nasty she was about it. And we were outside, to boot. I don't talk on the phone on a crowded train at the top of my lungs, going in and out of reception, screaming to Karl about he numbers and the meetings and meeting the boss at the airport (actual conversation on the LIRR the other day) so I don't know what she found so offensive.
Still, I left. Mostly because I no longer needed to board the train.
I really should go watch for Aimee so I'll leave you with this.
The return of the warm weather has brought with it some wonderful changes in my kids' behavior. I am able to efficiently run them around outside, feed them and deposit them in bed without all the effort it took over the winter. It's magical.
We've had the windows open, we've broken out the Popsicles in the afternoon, we run, we laugh, we play.
The only downside to this gorgeous weather is what's happening in the basement.
Last year's dehumidifier broke down and I am waiting on E to get another one. I don't think he's going to rush, number one, because I told him I don't get paid to worry about what he eats on my nights off. Tonight he's fending for himself while T takes the kids out and leaves him with the baby. And number two, because our brand spanking new refrigerator is malfunctioning. The freezer won't quite freeze but the refrigerator on the other hand, has frozen and ruined all of our produce.
So, dehumidifier is number two on the list. And number three is the French drain that will keep the water from happening on the floor this year. CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT.
In the mean time, the cess pool trap has begun filling regularly again and the water level rose high enough to disturb several immensely large and disgusting spiders that have been living there.
I encountered three the other night and ran to find a garden hoe with a long handle and used it to push them all back into the hole, into the water. I waited only long enough to make sure they drowned before shuddering and screeching and fleeing that side of the basement in repulsion.
An hour later I doused the entire basement in bug killer, vacuumed it, and doused it again and I haven't seen anything since then.
Ok. Going to watch for Aimee for real this time!
Happy Spring everybody!!!
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