Duck, Duck, Goose...

I'm sitting at the small bar in my garage watching over my children playing in the driveway. They are making chalk drawings and spying on our neighbor. Riley is wearing a cute blue tee and a ruffly blue skirt. Lucy is wearing a red tee from Rawhide in Arizona, khaki shorts and red cowboy boots. I'd post a picture, but my camera battery has bit the dust.

This has been a great vacation. Usually, when I plan my vacations, I usually plan to do something ridiculous like a garage sale or finishing my novel. But this time, I had only vague plans to do some things, if I felt moved so to do. What have I been doing? Tanning. I know! But I'll tell you what, nothing has felt so wonderful as sitting in the sun cooking myself. My arms and shoulders are a lovely bronze and my gold bangle bracelet looks good on me. Also, the heat of the sun is welcome after such a lengthy winter. By the way, last night I dreamed that it snowed; I was really pissed.

I've been doing my homework, like a good little grad student, and I've been trying to keep up with everyone's blogs. But, really, Doc has been hogging the computer, so I haven't been able to do much more than glance around, see that everyone is OK and go back to slacking/tanning. Yesterday, I took Riley to school and then Lucy and I went to the library. I got a bunch of videos, including Popular Mechanics for Kids video on roller coasters. I may not get to an amusement park this vacation, but I will have lived vicariously through this awesome video and Roller Coaster Tycoon 2.

After the library, Lucy and I grabbed a couple of McGriddles and headed to the park. We sat in the morning sunshine and ate our breakfast in the Garden of the Five Senses. When we finished eating we walked around the other Gardens and crossed a bunch of bridges (Canton City Park is silly with bridges) and made our way to the walking path. As we walked the path, we saw a half a dozen geese with their babies, hanging out in the shade. We were able to get up really close and get a good look at them.

We spotted a family of geese as they swam down the stream that runs the length of the park and followed them for a good ways. Then we saw a mother wood duck and her babies swimming the other way. We followed them for a bit. She was much more touchy than the geese were, squawking if we got too close.

*****

Last night Doc and I got to go out. Mom and Dad came over to watch the kids and we headed out to spend our gift card for Chili's that Doc got for Christmas 2005. We stuffed ourselves on cheese dip, steak, corn on the cob and Texas Toast. Seriously, we could barely move. Then we headed over to the Moose to watch American Idol. Snore. I think all the tanning has burned away any enthusiasm I have left for this season. Though, I must say this: BLAAAAAAKE! Eeeeeeeeeeeee!

The lodge was empty, so we decided to jam the jukebox. Then I provided dialogue to the characters from On The Lot, or American Idol, Only With People Trying To Make Movies Instead Of Sing. Not even Carrie Fisher could get me to pay attention to this crap, other than to mock it. So, surprise, the Moose was a bit of an anticlimax. Come on, you guys! Join already.

So, home we went, where I passed out in a haze of steak and Jack Daniels. Ah, vacation.

I'm off to frollick in the sun. But don't worry, we've all got our sunscream on.

It's That Time Of Year Again...

I'm off for 11 glorious days. And, if my raise + backpay (from all the way back to July 2006) comes through, we'll be off to Geagua Lake! Let's hope my fellow bureacrats pull it off! Otherwise, the closest I'll come to an amusement park will be playing hours of Roller Coaster Tycoon. All things considered, it looks like it will be a good break.

Speaking of Beavers...

Every great weekend has a catchphrase (see post title) and this one is no exception. I realize that it is early Saturday morning and for most people, it is usually the kick-off and not last call. But due to babysitting issues, my weekend started yesterday morning and ends in about 4.5 hours.

We had a great time last night reuniting with friends I haven't seen for over a year. Everyone is settling comfortably into their thirties and are much more relaxed and mellow than they used to be. Everyone except for the one who was still 29. She began to bemoan the fact that she would be thirty soon. All of us were like, eh, it's no big deal. I added: "You know, your thirties will be so much better than your twenties because you will realize how bad your twenties sucked."

As I said it, I realized what a relief it was to admit that my twenties weren't the best time of my life. Here's why:

1. No experience, therefore, lousy jobs.
   
2. Spiraling in and out of depression due to many life-altering decisions must make in twenties.
   
3. Parents still seem like authority figures; I still acted like teenager.
   
4. High mobility/no permanent residence.
   

My thirties are wonderful due to the direct opposite of the above statements. I think that my thirty-something friends would probably agree that it feels like you've got a firmer grip on the reins of life by the time you hit, say, 32.

The Joy of Ennui

I don't really have much to say, obviously a lie if you know me at all. I guess more precisely, I don't really have much time to put fingers to keyboard these days. I suppose I could tell you about the fun Shawn and I had at Peek 'n Peak last week, sans children, accusing each other haughtily of being boring. We practically wallowed in ennui. What a luxury when you are the parents of the very young.

It went something like this:
Shawn: My dad never liked cucumbers but loved pickles...
Me: That's boring!

Me: What a lovely night sky!
Shawn: Oh god, I'm bored! Entertain me.

Shawn: Here's your horoscope for today...
Me: Boring!

Me: I'm bored, why don't you commit a heinous crime so that we can get some action around her.
Shawn: That's boring; I couldn't be bothered.

And on and on; all spoken with an uppercrust soap-operatic flair. Maybe it's one of those stories you have to be present for to enjoy, but if you have toddlers and infants, you may understand the joy of finding yourself good and bored.