I've spent my vacation so far doing what I like best--hanging out with my friends and family. My friend Amber from Maine was in town last weekend, and my parents graciously agreed to babysit Friday night so I could go out with the girls. (OK, maybe they were just grateful to escape the House of Christmas Fighting--my mom showed up at my house carrying a bottle of wine and a bag of cookies. When I asked if I could get her anything, she hoisted up both, and said, "No, I've got everything I need right here." I'm pretty sure the babysitter went to bed a little tipsy that night, but hey, how picky can you be with free babysitting??)
We went to dinner and drinks Friday night, then re-convened Saturday morning for bagels. Afterwards, we took a harbor cruise, and saw tons of bottle-nosed dolphins up close! It was a gorgeous day, bright and sunny, and the far-off mountains were framed with palm trees and covered in snow. It was a pretty cool sight to look from the water to the beach to the palm trees and finally, to the snow-capped mountains. Only in California!
Saturday night we had dinner at my house. I made lasagna, and the girls brought the rest of the meal, including a really yummy ooey gooey butter cake (good job, Monica!). Mark had worked very hard on making Christmas tree ornaments for the girls, and laid them at their place settings. The girls really liked them.
Monday morning we woke bright and early and headed south to San Diego. We hadn't seen my parents for two days, and I think they really missed us. (I greeted my mom with, "You can run, but you can't hide.") I think it was a bonus that we showed up on their 46th wedding anniversary, because nothing's more romantic than having your kids and grandkids around. I felt a little bad right up until dinner, when my mom fixed a veritable seafood bonanza, with shrimp cocktail and jumbo crab legs. After that amazing meal, nothing could've made me feel bad!
We also had visitors on Monday afternoon--Ann Fera and Sasha Fera-Schanes. (If you want to read all about Sasha's amazing adventures the past few months, click here.) Sasha and I argued about our blogs and our mothers--Sasha says her mom reads mine everyday, and likes it better than Sasha's blog. I argued the same for my mom about Sasha's blog--I think my mom's her biggest fan.
I love them because they showed up carrying their own mugs of tea--they didn't want to trouble us for anything. We laughed about Sasha's European travel adventures, including her stay at a farm just as the farmer's wife and child were leaving the farmer. (Talk about uncomfortable timing!) Ann regaled us with a story of a Christmas Eve dinner that was so funny, my face hurt after they left. That's what I love about the Fera-Schanes family--they can turn any situation into a funny story, and have you rolling on the floor.
Sasha came back on Tuesday to visit, and was amazed by my two-year-old nephew Johnny. It still freaks people out that there's a blond-haired, blue-eyed Dinsdale (all the other kids had black hair and brown eyes when born--but obviously, Brandy's genes were stonger than Smed's!). He's a rare one, that little boy. And another funny kid, too. I handed him a chicken, which Mark corrected by saying, "It's a rooster, not a chicken."
"Yeah, but he doesn't know the difference," I said, underestimating my nephew. Johnny sat quietly for a moment, and when we'd changed the topic, he very slyly started crowing under his breath. "Ooo oo oo oo oooo," he said, glancing up at us, and Mark, my mom and I just laughed. "You DO know what a rooster says!" I congratulated him, and was rewarded with ten more impersonations of a rooster crowing. (He probably would've stopped if we'd stopped laughing and clapping for him, but it was so dang cute.)
Johnny LOOOOVES Mark, and chased him all around the house, yelling, "Mok! Mok!" Mark tried showing off his new skateboard, but Johnny's not one for sitting on the sides--he wanted to push Mark up the street on the skateboard. Later, inside the house, he jumped up on Mark's skateboard, trying to ride it, and I grabbed him off just before it went shooting out from under him into the hall door. Whew!
Our last visit was dinner with my friend Nicky Tuesday night. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner at a local Italian eatery. We got there early, around 4:30, and there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. We left around 6:30, going out a door a large family had just entered through. "Can we use this door?" I asked Nicky, as it was very clearly marked "Emergency Exit."
"Sure, that family just came in through it," Nicky said, and I said, "Yes, but they had a wheelchair." Well, Nicky being Nicky proceeded to ask the table of men next to the door what they thought, and they simultaneously yelled at her to open the door and not open the door, because the alarm would go off. I saw where this was heading, and pointed Mark back around the way we'd come. I could tell which decision Nicky made just seconds later, as the fire alarm sounded and every diner at every table whipped around to stare at Nicky holding the door open.
"I can't believe that lady opened the emergency exit!" I said, herding Mark past the staring diners. I've found that pretending not to know my friends works best in these situations!
And so here we are now, on New Year's Eve. We're going to a party at Scott and Mari's new house, which I'm excited about. (And we're leaving my parents' house, which they are excited about--I think they need a couple weeks of kid/grandkid-free time.)
I'm sure everyone else is blogging deep, emotional thoughts about the year they just had, and the resolutions of the coming year ahead. Not me...I am proud to say that I lived this past year the best way I could--to the fullest. I spent my vacations and most weekends with the people I love most--my family and friends. I spent my energy on the person I value most--my son. I don't have any regrets other than not being able to travel the world freely like Sasha did, but that will happen someday soon, after my son is raised and grown (and in the meantime, we did explore parts of the world in Epcot Center--not quite the same, but the best we could do, since Mark doesn't have a passport yet!)
So, though I don't have deep thoughts or profound revelations about either the year ending or the new one beginning, I do wish you all a very happy New Year! I plan to keep living my life to the fullest (and hope you do, too)--laugh out loud, and cherish your friends and family as though they may not be here tomorrow (because if I've learned anything in the past few years, it's exactly that--they won't be here forever so treat each other accordingly!) Damn, sorry about that--I guess one deep thought did sneak its way in after all.
Anyway, Happy New Year, everyone!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment