Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Susie of boygirlparty has it right. I love her idea about taking at least one overnight trip per month. It certainly helps my sanity, though not my pocketbook. But which is more important? It’s a balancing act. Thankfully for me just staying overnight at the boyfriend’s place feels like a vacation…even if it’s really within walking distance. Probably because it happens so rarely. Thursday nights were a treat over the summer, when my son stayed over at camp. But the boyfriend and I still have some adult time penciled in now and again. Earlier this month we had a lovely getaway, staying in a B&B up North. Next month we’ll be on our mini road trip through Wisconsin & Illinois. And some day I’d love to stay in one of the Hotel Fox artist-decorated rooms (a girl can dream). But I also enjoy mother/son trips with the boy. If only I had the resources to do it all!
Speaking of trips, I had a fantastic time at ATP NY but it seems like the event has greatly improved over the last two years (the year I went was the inaugural/trial run). Check out “All Tomorrow’s Parties Criterion Collection Poster Art Revealed”
This past weekend saw the All Tomorrow’s Parties music and film festival head up to Monticello, New York. Criterion alum, Jim Jarmusch, curated the music for the festival, which saw the likes of Sonic Youth, Iggy and the Stooges, and Explosions In The Sky take the various stages. If you had some down time between bands, you could spend some time watching 22 films that Criterion brought with them for the festival.”
In the same vein, here’s Scott C’s take on Stand By Me. “You guys wanna see a dead body?” And also movie-related, The Comet Song from the movie Moomins and the Comet Chase is composed and performed by Björk (lyrics by Sjón).
While reading aloud the other night the boy paused to note that the word “says” is not pronounced the way it looks. Welcome to the wild world of English! I haven’t tried to tell him about The Great Vowel Shift yet. One friend pointed this out: /sÉ›z/ Old English, Germanic in origin. From ’secgan,’ /seʤɑn/ “to declare.” Oh the funhouse of morphology and phonology indeed!
The boy made another sage observation recently. After watching just a few minutes of the dreadful Pink Panther remake (via Netflix Instant) he pointed to Steve Martin and said, with obvious disgust, he is not Clouseau. Then he stopped the movie, removed it from the queue and declared “I am only watching the originals.” Wise boy.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The season of my hermitude seems to have begun. I am happily in homebody mode. I could have arranged for a sitter last Thursday night, to see the Best Coast show at the Triple Rock. But I was content to curl up with cats instead and let my mind wander. Friday night I had the offer of a free kid sitter so I could attend a bachelorette party. I also had free passes to the Titus Andonicus / Free Energy show that night but, again, I opted to stay in. Seasonal allergies are to blame. But I have been feeling more creative. Had I gone out last night I would have enjoyed the School of Seven Bells show or, closer to home, Flaming Lips with Ariel Pink. But I’m still feeling under the weather…and trying to save some cash (and energy) for our upcoming trip to Chicago…to see Swans at the Bottom Lounge. Tonight friends’ bands are playing a free show at Memory Lanes but if I go to any show this week it would be tomorrow nights’ Grass Widow / Mother of Fire / Brute Heart bill at the Turf.
Five good things for this dreary yet busy Monday:
A random girly streak presented itself recently with my first foray into dry shampoos. Out of sheer laziness I opted to try the Blow faux dry, as it’s available via Amazon Prime’s free 2-day shipping. I’ve also heard good things about Lulu Organics but the price put me off, and Bumble and Bumble’s is formulated for specific hair colors. I have two-toned hair. An internet friend went on to review some other brands I hadn’t heard of (good to know there are some decent products available on the cheap) and some real world friends suggested Pureology’s antifade complex shampoo & conditioner for maintaining my hair color. I nerded out when I was able to buy some via drugstore.com, with a buy one, get one half off offer PLUS a 15% coupon AND free shipping. Must. Stop. Internet. Shopping. So it serves me right. A recent ill-advised insomnia-related purchase just arrived. And the damned thing is broken. Sharyn would SMASH but it’s already been done. Now to mess with the rigmarole of returning it, or to deftly employ a small amount of superglue?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The lad had another fantastic birthday. On the day itself he brought treats to share at school. After school we caught a showing of Despicable Me at the Riverview Theater, grabbed cupcakes at Cake Eater Bakery and had dinner with the boyfriend at Grand Shanghai. But yesterday was the BIG day. The party with friends and family at Blaine’s Brunswick Zone XL. It was scaled down somewhat from last year’s Pump It Up Party Zone chaos but still felt pretty epic. Laser tag was a huge hit and we may just return for his twelfth birthday.
Five random things for this fine Sunday:
That aforementioned art wall I am planning? In addition to various vintage oddities, I will be hanging some beautiful postcards by Trish Grantham, some of Yoshitomo Nara’s “Oh My God I Miss You!” postcards, Jen Lobo’s Devil Whale and a piece by Lisa Congdon. I am feeling motivated to make this project happen today but that means dreaded Sunday trips to both Super Target and IKEA. Ack. First world problems, for sure.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
With the weather cooling down so nicely I find myself energized - to buckle down and get things done (even with my seasonal allergies going haywire). I’ve been working out, errand running, wrapping up projects, and encouraging the kid with his homework. The lower dew point puts a spring in my step. But it also reminds me that Fall is on its way and, after that, another long Minnesotan winter. So I’m already in planning mode. Devising ways to make my home even more welcoming (to me) and comfortable so that I can be that much happier hunkering down there during the colder months. To that end I spent a little time last weekend doing something I’d intended to do for YEARS. Pulling various pieces of art out of nooks and crannies. I’d amassed and tucked away quite the collection of items I’d always intended to frame and hang. But I hadn’t gotten around to it until now. I’m preparing to display it all hodge-podge style along the main wall in the stairwell. It’s a huge, empty space that receives a lot of natural light and will be the perfect place to display my myriad acquisitions.
Five good things for today, my son’s 11th birthday!
The weather is particularly brisk today - both cold and rainy. Wouldn’t some hot butterbeer be just the thing? Preferably to imbibe while curled up with a book. And a cat. Instead I’ve promised to take the lad to a movie after school, and to dinner at the restaurant of his choice. But hey, he doesn’t turn eleven every day. That would be weird if he did. Also weird? Thinking that I have now been that magical little man’s mother for eleven years. And also that he is into the men’s shoe sizes and has to wear deodorant. Before you know it he’ll be shaving! The time, it flies.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
My son has been having a recurring dream. About a talking pig. He encounters it in his grandmother’s backyard in North Carolina. The pig says to him “hey, what’s up?” before dashing off to chase dogs. If only my dreams were so awesome! But mine tend to be on the upsetting side so I am thankful I rarely remember them. I did wake myself up the other night, standing on my bed, sleep shouting while hurling a glow-in-the-dark jellyfish toy against the wall. No idea what I was shouting, or dreaming for that matter, but it’s probably for the best.
Five good things:
This weekend has been rather full. Had friends over Friday night. Saturday we went to a record sale, the closeout sale of an eclectic furniture store, a wedding reception and a hello/goodbye party for an old friend who is off to spend another year in Mauritania. Today has been about taking care of business - laundry, cleaning, the kid’s homework, working out, etc. - but this afternoon we will depart for another installment of picnic club! And the weather couldn’t be more perfect for it. Next weekend, a bachelorette party and the boy’s birthday party. The weekend after that, another wedding! Then we will be hurled into October which will see a Wisconsin/Illinois road trip and our beloved annual Halloween celebrations. Busy bees are we.
Friday, September 10, 2010
The first week of school has been a little bumpy but we’ll get it sorted out. And we’re working out the details for the birthday party too. The kid actually asked me for a phone book - I don’t even know if we have one - so he could look up his old classmates’ addresses but 1) most live on the opposite side of the metro area 2) we haven’t kept in touch with many and 3) we don’t really know a lot of their last names let alone their parents’ names. So yeah, I think we’ll be skipping that. Thankfully I’ve got enough friends with nice kids that we’ll manage.
Five good things for this Friday:
Last night we popped by a friend’s art opening, which was good fun, but before that we ran a bunch of errands. Fairly pleasant ones. Like retrieving a coat from the dry cleaner that I’d gotten up North ($4 for the coat, $14 to clean it). And getting new prescription sunglasses at the Spectacle Shoppe, using a recent Groupon. But the last errand would have been more satisfying if I weren’t over thinking it. We stopped by a thrift store to procure Halloween costume components for the kid - a trenchcoat and hat - so he can be Inspector Clouseau (I will be the pink panther, of course). But now the stupid bedbug scare has me all kinds of anxious. Guess I’ll just throw the stuff in the dryer on high heat for an hour or so and hope for the best.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Our MN State Fair adventures were quite fine. The crowds were manageable, due to the weather and/or the holiday, and we still ran into four or five people we know. And 3.5 hours was just the right amount of time to spend there. Sadly I threw in rushed trips to Super Target and the Mall of America at the end of the day. I didn’t want my son to show up for his first day of school with worn out old shoes! So new Vans it was. Thankfully the boy seems to be liking the 5th grade so far, but has failed to bring back his homework (have to nip that bad habit in the bud) but we’re both excited about his upcoming fossil-hunting field trip.
Five good things for this fine Wednesday:
I still have two weekends’ worth of wedding photos to edit. But I’ve posted a few highlights from this last weekend up North. Embarrass and Tower, MN are both charming. And filled with second hand treasures! I scored A Woofer in Tweeter’s Clothing by Sparks on vinyl, and two fantastic Fall coats. And immediately after coming home we celebrated some lovely friends’ September birthdays. But now I’m in birthday party planning mode for my boy. It’s looking like laser tag but who to invite? Sadly we haven’t really kept in touch with his former classmates and don’t know that many other kids. Attendees may end up mostly being adults but since they’re my friends they aren’t particularly grown up.
Monday, September 6, 2010
On Friday I woke up to a blissfully chilly house and threw on my fuzzy pink bathrobe for the first time in months. Drinking hot coffee while checking on the news was most pleasant. My panic over Hurricane Earl had subsided (the eye of the hurricane stayed offshore and my son and his grandparents experienced nothing more than some gusty winds and rain). I was able to quit holding my breath and head up North feeling more at ease. But I didn’t embark on that trip empty-handed. I broke down and bought an iPhone 4 (and have more than a few buyers interested in my iPhone 3G). My hot little hands also got hold of a copy of Blameless. Had to force myself to put it down the night I got it, to turn out the lights and get some shuteye. Up North the weather was even more brilliantly brisk (an overnight low of 27°!) and the wedding festivities were fabulous. More on that later.
Five good things and one lousy one:
My boy is back! I drove back down from Embarrass yesterday to retrieve him from the airport. Much hugging was done. I told him we could dine at the restaurant of his choosing so Evergreen it was (unsurprisingly). Today is his last day of freedom before school starts so I will wait to edit my two weekends worth of wedding photos and instead take him to the MN State Fair.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
In all of last weekend’s chaos I seem to have lost a blog post. A fully formed one. Unless I imagined the whole thing, which wouldn’t be terribly surprising I guess. I do think it involved sloths.
So my son has been away for a full week now. I’ve been all right, for the most part. Even if it feels like a piece of me is missing. If I dwell on it too much I do get bummed out. But I’ve managed to keep from calling him constantly. It seems a little weird to be shopping for his school supplies without him, and especially odd to be going to his new school tomorrow for the “meet the teacher” open house. But I have been trying to make the most of his absence. The boy is a picky eater and that can limit our options when we’re together. So last weekend I ate particularly well. Friday night the boyfriend and I shared an amazing meal with friends at Heartland. Saturday I had the pleasure of shooting a lovely wedding, with tasty catering by Chowgirls and delicious and gorgeous cakes by Cake Eater Bakery. Sunday morning we ate brunch at Meritage, followed by the Am-Rep Records BBQ and a bitcherlorette party. Monday night I hit up the Turf Club’s Spelling BeeBBQ, where I went down in the sixth round on Promethean. And missed Lady Gaga by a night. Apparently she stopped in for a drink after her Xcel Energy Center performance. I could have and maybe would have been there but I was exhausted from driving…after our pizza farm attempt was foiled by torrential downpours. That white knuckle drive through flash flooding along Lake Pepin was something else, but we were able to make the best of it by stopping for dinner at Norton’s, in Red Wing. Today I plan to stop by the Red Stag’s happy hour, and our weekend will be spent up North.
Five good things for today:
Sunday afternoon I will drive back down to the Twin Cities and retrieve my child from the airport. Provided Hurricane Earl doesn’t prevent him from flying home on time. And, if he’s feeling up to it, we will hit up the State Fair together on Monday.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Sleep makes all the difference. Mistress of the obvious, I know, but it was so very necessary last night. I skipped out on all the shows I’d intended to attend (on my first kid-free evening) and forced myself to do a faceplant by 11pm instead. With the aid of magical melatonin I managed a blissful seven hours straight. Sadly I woke up with the headache still lingering but the edge was taken off a bit. It doesn’t hurt that the eagle has landed. The boy reached his destination yesterday, safely and on time, and seemed pleased as punch by having made the journey on his own. Now I can abstain from fretting about him…for a few days at least. And then I will start missing him like crazy and worrying that he’s homesick. But that’s what his new cell phone is for. Though I may need to remind him to use it.
A friend came over early this morning, on his day off, to mow my lawn (I have terrible luck with lawn mowers). So that’s another HUGE stressor off my list. Now to systematically attack the others in the mix. Starting with the kitchen sink. It’s been leaking more than I realized and everything in the cupboard below the sink is damp and molding away. Oh the joys of homeownership!
Thankfully it hasn’t been all suck this week. Tuesday’s happy hour with friends, at Tiger Sushi, was fun. As was last night’s book-making session at the Soap Factory. And today’s “Best Places to Work” luncheon ridiculousness. Hopefully more good times lay ahead.
