Californyāāā

I was bored this evening. When bored I look at places I might travel. I looked at Christmas in Arosa, Switzerland, Paris, France, and Berlin, Germany. I could take my girls for 9 days in Berlin, stay st the downtown Berlin Holiday Inn Express for 640 bucks. Go search yourself. Given that there may be no natural gas in Germany come Winter, that their economy is stalling, and well, let's be honest, last time I was there their Nazis were feeling frisky, it doesn't seem like the safest of plans. Besides, I have zero vacation given my long weeks away from work.

Someone asked me the other day how I was doing. I responded that it depends on the day. The day before yesterday I was relieved that this person who had so come to loathe me wasn't here to glower at me. Yesterday, I said, I missed her tenderness. I do today as well. 

Being back at work brings some measure of normality, which is welcome. A routine, fixing problems, using my mind productively, all that js welcome. Still, back at work doesn't mean I ever leave this house. 

In fact, I have been forcing myself a bit more to do so, and while a struggle, I want it. It's easiest being with my sisters or my girls. I took the latter to dine at the Whistle Stop the other night, just to get out. Why I didn't think this was another first, and a really hard one, I don't know. We went every Monday for years when the kids were little, because they ate free. We went so often we became friends with the owners. We went so often I got drunk with Jeff, the owner (along with his wife), at the bar after closing on more than one occasion. We celebrated mothers day there with out mother's and our entire family's. I won "most likely to be a Goodfella" one New Years Eve party thrown at the establishment. The owners came to our home, Melinda, the other owner, came to Jenny's memorial. So, what the actual fuck was I doing, going to our old neighborhood diner with my two adult kids sans Jenny, without a thought about the importance of the visit? Dunno.

While Robert Frost may be right that fences don't make good neighbors, they are valuable when you have a crazy dog or two who need to run around. Our hogwire fence is under construction by an expert fence builder and friend of mine, who has been building fences for over 40 years. This, he says, is the biggest job he has done. Living in Ellensberg, as he dies, this surprises me.  I would think he would be whistling, "Don't Fence Me In," but he isn't. He promises completion by September 10. It is complex, and he is an artisan who works only 5 hours a day at 65, so we will see if he meets his deadline. For those of you playing along at the kitchen table with her home game version of this blog, know that the over under bet here is sketchy, but I would lean over, given that he has to build 5 gates. There are 39 posts erected already. He is building the hogwire fencing himself, not buying the prefabricated material. The yard has a serious slope in one section, and uneven topography on the east side, which will prove a challenge. No matter what, I am ecstatic. My puppies and I need this fence done.

In other news, Abby announced today that her g.p.a. is higher than the typical student admitted to Columbia. While not her first choice, that is Smith, she would go to Columbia if accepted. It's been ranked, until this year, as the number 1 Ivy by some asshole somewhere. They refused to provide data on admissions for undisclosed reasons this year (I can guess it has to do with avoiding litigation), so it went unranked. If she goes to Jenny's alma mater (is it your Alma mater if you went there for grad school?), I would be thrilled. We have many friends in the city who love Abby and would be a great resource for her.

Leiney doesn't really live here anymore, although I suspect that may change at some point. She is enjoying time with her boyfriend, and I am glad.

Abby went to have dinner tonight with a girl who was hanging all over her at the opening night of She Kills Monsters (A deeply funny play dealing with loss and queen and straight love). Abby was dolled up like I have never seen her. I think it was a date. Then, after dinner, she is off to see Phoebe Bridget's at Marymoor with her friend Clover. Is that a date? I really live in a nest that is more often empty than not these days.



Comments

  1. Kathleen SullivanAugust 25, 2022 at 7:59 PM

    1. Please post pictures of this fence. It sounds like it's going to be epic. 2. The college admissions process is totally random and makes no sense whatsoever, but it all seems to work out in the end. 3. Totally a date. This generation loves to deny the existence of dates and relationships. I have no idea why they do this. 4. Christmas in Berlin! Do it! 5. Glad you seem to be on the upswing. Rooting for you, as always.

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