Suburban Musings

To the guy who’s put up with my picky-ness and my family for 24 years…who’s eaten concoctions ranging from celery casserole (?!) to luscious leftovers…who’s endured our animal kingdom and all the carpet stains, rainy walks and dogfarts that it represents….I love you! I’m in it for the long run.
What is the traditional 24 year gift…I think it must be Tupperware….or maybe copper, ’cause we’re trying to save our pennies for a real vacation NEXT year!

Do you do this, too? Start the new week with big plans…usually weight-related! Yep…I had yogurt and all-natural granola for breakfast (even with flaxseed…now that’s really good!), have my water bottles lined up on my desk, lunch packed with healthy food, etc. but something always happens…often around 3:00 on Monday afternoon. That’s when someone’s bowl of M & M’s starts beckoning…or the gang decided to go OUT for lunch, instead of eating IN….or whatever.
How many years have I been telling myself that I need to lose 10 pounds…or 20 pounds,which is what I still carry after that last pregnancy (yes, he’s 13 now…shut up!). I exercise regularly, eat a pretty healthy diet….but still cannot lose it, and, in fact, have actually slipped upward a few pounds with age creeping…that really sucks.
I guess something I read recently really is true; the difference between thin people and overweight people is really quite small; a couple cookies a day, chips with lunch, etc. That’s me. Here I am. 200 extra sweet calories per day. Ugh. That’s 2 extra miles a day I need to start running to counterbalance that. So, I’m taking it one day at a time. Today…raw almonds for that 3pm craving. And maybe popcorn to replace the 8pm ice cream bar…eeek carrots would be better, I know.

My husband and I admittedly live a suburban life in middle American. But once in awhile our media jobs allow us to do some pretty cool things. Last night we were part of a small reception in someone’s home, for a delegation of VIP’s from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. How fascinating to carry on conversations about the intricacies of cataloging specific pieces so the average American can find and appreciate them, about the cosmopolitan lives of people who’d already lived in numerous states and multiple countries, and about the comparison of the merits of different art museums. Our hosts themselves are unique; she was born in Taiwan, raised in Guatemala and Spain, as her father was a foreign dignitary; she now teaches university art in Anchorage, while living in the midwest! He is an accomplished pianist who discussed the accoustical differences between a Steinway and Baldwin piano, yet works in the Informatics Academic world!
How mundane our life is, but then again, everything is relative; our home would be considered practically a mansion by New York or London standards, our kids are well-grounded and yet not too sheltered, we both have jobs that are improving the future of the next generation.
P.S. they have a great website… www.metmuseum.org You can even shop the gift shop!

My 13-year old often says random things that could be construed as very profound; he definitely sees the world through different glasses than many of us.
Today’s comment, after hearing numerous reports of fresh spinach and the threat of salmonela: “Yes! Finally…no more spinach!!”

I have entered a new world, unlike any you’ve probably ever experienced. Its the world of the high school marching band, and its not for the faint of heart. This time of year is ripe with band competitions, featuring dozens of marching bands, each consisting of at least 100-200 teenagers (and their own cheering sections), concentrating hard on rolling their feet in the perfect marching gait, hitting “their mark” on a certain yard line at a certain beat, holding a heavy instrument high in the air (but not knocking off that plumed hat!)….all while playing music with no mistakes! Whew! Oh yes, there are also props and flags and twirlers and drum majors perched precariously on 15 foot ladders.
Throw in some hormones and Y-chromosomes and you’ve got a very volatile event…and I am now smack dab in the middle of 17 of these events, between now and the end of November. Its sure to be exhilirating and exhausting…fabulous and freakin’ crazy, too. Wish me luck…and lots of energy and patience!

Went great.  Got organized.  Didn’t fill out any paperwork yet, tho.  Actually worked! I think I’m gonna like it.

Whew!  Its a good thing that I finally found a job (starting tomorrow…yeah!).  I was running out of projects to complete.  Here’s a condensed list of what I’ve done while I’ve been home for a month:

• refinished kitchen table
• sewed 3 pillows
• made various pieces of jewelry for friends and family
• cleaned out 2 closets
• washed 12 couch cushions (thanks, cats!…I hope your new home is less stressful for you)
• gardened
• moved living room furniture around
• etc. etc…..I’m dangerous when I’m home alone

Wish me luck on my new job!  I think I’m going in, feet to the fire, right away!  Very busy season for the company and I’ll be in the thick of it.  I hope its as fun as I imagine!

I used to think that families who were dysfunctional had divorce or suicides or incest or some awful things lurking, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized this is not necessarily true.  Probably most families are dysfunctional, in fact.  We all put up with rudeness from our family members, perhaps a fair amount of insensitivity and even their self-centered-ness, but why?  Maybe its because even though people age, they still act as they always have when they’re in the company of siblings, parents, etc.  The youngest will always be the youngest, the middle child will always have those middle child issues, parents will always treat their children somewhat like they are still children, etc.  Sad.  Sad for those of us who think we’ve grown up and achieved a certain amount with our lives, only to be dashed back to earth by the very people who should care about you the most.  I don’t totally fault them, mind you, because they can’t help themselves and in fact, don’t even realize they’re doing anything.  Those patterns are their paradigms;  they don’t hear when they say something which could be construed as hurtful or know that they haven’t heard a word you were trying to say.

I guess that’s why you have friends;  at least you can choose them!