Re: A Thread for Random Musings
And we're back!
With apologies to my facebook friends who've been updated already...
This weekend I got to visit my brother Pete and his beautiful wife Mariah (1 month to go for their first baby).
So, due to my automobile being barely mobile...and certainly a gamble if I leave town...I took the greyhound. Which despite recent beheadings I still kind of like. I got my iPod charged, bought a couple of new used books (Soon I will Be Invincible and Devil's Cape (by our own Rob C Rogers)) and of course the bus to Eugene was crowded.
I got a seat in front of the bathroom. Smelled like a porta potty for an hour...*sigh*....
But I heard my tunes and read Devil's Cape (well the first 158 pages) and tada! I was in Eugene! Oops! Never called my brother to come get me.
Call...
Mailbox is full...page
Call...
call...
you know what? I'm not sure this is going to work...
Call his wife...leave message
Call Pete...Answers!
We went back they showed me the nursery, it's adorable. My sister-in-law is a huge Curious George fan...so there's a bit of CG goodness in the room. Like a lot.
So I ask Pete, "Hey, what if the baby is afraid of Curious George?"
Pete says, "We'll miss her."
Then it was off to Pizza with the in-laws...My brother hit the In-Law lottery. They not only adore him... but, and this is important, have adopted my lonely ass self. They constantly go out of their way to make me feel welcome and they're all a hoot.
After gorging on pizza and playing video games with Pete's nephews (ages 9 and 4 I think)
We went back to the house where Pete finally got me to watch Superbad. Cause he thinks I'll relate...which is odd since I've never drank and I never had sex in highschool. Of course, he was right. It saw enough of me in there to feel slightly embarrassed at the whole thing. It was funny.
Then to bed. For the first time in ...god...a year? I went to bed having never checked my email.
Saturday rolls around. First thing, I'm not a day person - realized that after getting fired at WaMu...I can do a daily routine but given absolute freedom I tend to get up at noon and sleep at 5 am
but I have a reason these days to get up early and I do so, pretty good so far around 8:30 am. So I woke up at 8:30 and went with Bother and Bro's wife...met her brother, his wife, their parents, her cousins ... a lot live in the area. We went to the Creswell 4th of July pancake breakfast and well...had pancakes, eggs, ham, and juice. Then back to Sister-In-Law's cousin's place and hung out, watched small children being annoying..but mostly well behaved. Chatted with everyone I met last year. Then we took our chairs and set up shop at the beginning of the parade route.
The Cresswell Parade, for a town of probably less than 5000...is pretty impresive. Firetrucks (and people) from all the nearby little towns, vintage and modern hotrods, planes flying over head....horses...children's groups....tractors...etc. Very nice. A tae Kwon do club marched and kicked, some cheerlading squads, boyscouts, cubscouts, it was more political this year (darn it)...
It was great getting sprayed down by the fire trucks. Very hot and I managed to only sunburn the inside of my right ankle...I felt like Achilles...oh and there was a senior citizen marching band called "One More Time" along with a (rather good) 60+ year old baton twirler.
Then it was a quick nap and off to Sister In Law's family's farm for legos with Austen (age 4) and the StarWars Trilogy (it was on and Jesse (age 9) and Brian (age 33? Jesse and Austen's Dad) wanted to watch)...I remember it being a) less cheesy and I didn't remember Leia kicking so much tuckus in the third movie. It was fun.
My Lego spaceship was admired for its look but mocked for lacking an entry point for the pilots...it also came in WAY behind schedule. 4 year olds make for rough bosses.
Dinner time came around and we had Steak, Waldorf Salad, Baked beans, rolls, garlic bread, fruit salad, steak, steak, and ok one more piece of steak. Then it was pack up back to Brother's place and get ready for Fireworks. Off to Sister-in-law's cousin's again...the fireworks show happens behind their house. Eat more (Chicken, chicken, potato salad, potato slices, and the fruit pizza dessert which was to die for). Watch small children do fireworks and cry. Austen doesn't like loud noises; spent the parade covering his ears. Reminded me of me. Interestingly though, he didn't cover his ears when playing with sparklers even though fireworks were going off around us. But once the sparkler was gone his hands went to his ears. Cute. Still don't want kids, but cute.
After fireworks it was back home for a phonecall to my WoW buddy and a search through Pete's music collection for CD's to borrow. and sleep
Today, was Pancake breakfast at the farm. Basketball with Jesse (age 9) and then Haying! (Throwing Bales into trailer and then unloading) I did one load with them (115 bales) and then had to bus back home.
This bus was empty..well mostly. It was bittersweet...there were a couple saying goodbye...college kids. It was just like when I lived in Portland and came to Eugene to visit Jenny practically every weekend....*sigh*...
No porta potty this time. Comfortable seat by myself. quick trip...now on page 278 of Devil's Cape...I love it.
City transit does not run on Sundays...so I walked the three miles back home, beautiful day, stopped at Cafe Yum and had a chicken bento meal...good ...Cage Yum is kind of like corporate hippie ...it's very nice and weird.
Then I got home and heard my bedroom fan running and went to turn it off only to find that it was indeed not on. The noise was coming from my closet. Where my washer/dryer unit was....nope. Not on...sound was coming from...water heater. Looked down...wet floor...*sigh*
Long story short, I'll have water tomorrow after about 2pm....
Cold shower in the morning.
But I'm back now...had good time...too much food...too few pictures (read: 0, left camera at home) and an appropriate number of laughs and good times. I hope everyone here had as good or better 4th of July!
Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Almost finished with "Devil's Cape." Loving it