Down the Shore and Other Rabbit Holes

More about vacation...

We got to see almost all of "The List" a.k.a. my college friends for a few hours at Grill's house. It was definitely weird to be around them all drunk while I was sober. Sober and breastfeeding. Everyone except for JP seemed to take to the Manling, although as we left, he grudgingly conceded that I had an ok baby or something very apropos for the Jipper. It was great to see Jackie K before she moves out to Cali to go to acting grad school. I can't wait to say "I knew her when...." Plus Barrett drove up from Baltimore, but Reds stayed at home. I think she's still having trouble with her nervous breakdown, whatever it is. I still can't get over how such a pillar of strength has crumbled. It defies my comprehension. I just hope she's ok. Georgia made some delicious food; I think Mark is in love with her. I asked Grill why he hadn't fed me like that when we were roommates; he said he wasn't ready for her then. We're all convinced they are secretly married, the shady bastards. Snatch and the Prof hung out with Mark and the Manling and I in the kitchen and the Manling kicked and knocked over the Prof's beer several times before she figured out to move it. She later called me from the same room and left a messgae, "When you're done nursing, call me, we'll hang out" which was fairly comical to hear later because you can hear me saying "jackass, you're supposed to call me when I'm not here."

We drove down to Ocean City that night, or should I say, I drove. I insisted on driving over the Ben Franklin bridge after taking an impromptu tour of Girard and Spring Garden away from the gentrified area of Northern Liberties, and finally making it to Delaware Ave as all the bars were letting out. There's nothing like the AC Expressway in the middle of the night to make you love driving, especially when blaring The Loon by Tapes N Tapes. I miss driving with the windows down, music way up, the humidity making the cool night feel sensually warm, and singing at the tops of my lungs. I'm sure the Manling was thrilled.

Vacation went on and on and I can really imagine writing any more about it. I'm lazy, I know. Some highlights:

• The Manling's first visit to the Ocean. He loves the water and sat right in the tidal area, nearly getting swept away once or twice.
• Mark bought the Manling a pair of Leopard creepers for when he really starts walking.
• We took him to the Kutztown Fair where he came head to head with some cows, ate his first funnelcake and cotton candy, and went to his first demolition derby.
• He saw his great uncle's chicken hatchery and got to sit on the tractor.
• He met his aunt, uncle, great uncle, and great aunt for the first time.
• The Manling acted like a seasoned pro on both flights.
  

Rats!

Grrr. Of course the new Decemberists album leaked the week I was on vacation and I couldn't sample it for purely evaluative purposes.

Vacation (Meant To Be Spent Alone)

Well, we're back. 10 days of abject insanity.

Of course the new TSA regulations started on the day we were flying. We were taking a red-eye flight, so when we got to the airport, there was absolutely no wait through security. Our bags got searched because I had left in the Manling's Butt Paste and a small bit of hand sanitizer. The darling TSA lady let me keep the Butt Paste, AKA liquid gold for it's magical abilities to fight diaper rash as well as it's price, but confiscated the hand sanitizer. No big deal. The Manling slept right through the flight, as did the other 5- 6 babies on board. Our rental car was an amazingly nice Hyund@i Sonata, and we headed up to Nascar Nance's work so she could show off the Manling to all of her cronies and toadies at work. Home to her house by 10AM Eastern, 8AM Mountain time for a nap. Smoketown Road festivities including bonfires and grilling until late in the night.


Saturday we went out on the boat to Blue Mountain Reservoir with a passle of grandkids, my mom, and Vidalias. I don't think I've been boating since about 1992 or the late 80s. I needn't go back for another 15 years either. Mark and the Manling had a good time though. Mark tried to learn how to waterski which was quite hysterical. I think he swallowed about a zillion gallons of green opaque lake water - ugh. The Manling did a little tubing. He had on a pink lifejacket and looked pretty hysterical himself. I tried to stay in the shade and willing us not to capsize or sink or anything Giliigan's Island-esque. I'm just not a big fan of boating.

Later that day we drove down into Philadelphia to see Jackie K perform in Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, which was set to a Beatles score and costumed in the 60's. 1960s that is. The Manling came with us, and we met Snatch and Sarah there. (I've decided to stop using initials and to start using people's names, or at least the names I give them.) The Manling sat through the performance fairly rapt for a 10 month old. He'd watch for a little bit, then eat a few snacks, then nurse, and repeat. After the intermission he was a bit more rammy, and during the scene where the outlaws were hiding in the woods, shushing each other as they hid, he let out a hell of a yell, at which poit the actor doing the shushing through back an extra shush at him. This brought down the house. Maybe the Manling has an incredible sense of comic timing.

Afterwards, we all went to Grill's house for Jackie's going away party (and meet my baby session). On the way there, Mark happened to see my ex-boyfriend, Mike Murray. I was totally surprised by that because I think Mark only met him once or twice and to randomly run into him as he was bicycling and we were driving around Rittenhouse Square, and to have Mark recognize him and remember his name, was a little uncanny. We chatted for a bit and then off to Grills' house.

More later. The Manling has boycoytted his nap and must be removed from his crib before he explodes.

Songs: (not about vacation; just about this damn nap that's not)
The Smiths::Asleep
The Cure:: The Exploding Boy
Cold War Kids:: Quiet Please
Ben Fold Five:: Lullabye
Modest Mouse:: Sleepwalkin
Jawbreaker::Sleep
Stereolab: Baby Lulu
Jazz June:: Falling Asleep on Lincoln Drive
Supersuckers:: Sleepy Vampire
Plimsouls:: Hush, Hush
Colin Meloy:: Baby Song (Weird and Wonderful)

It's Been So Long

I really feel terrible that I haven't updated this in forever. Like my hordes of readers out there really miss it...

Let me see, I got to see the Railbenders and 4020 a few weeks ago at the Breckenridge Beer Festival. It was a great show, outdoors, free, and lasted for what seemed like ever. I didn't participate in the Beer Fest because I was driving, but the Manling, Luanne and her husband, and I had a rip-roaring time. Until...

I got a blast from the past. I saw this scrawny dude wearing sunglasses doing the elbow noodle dance and rolled my eyes because he was totally trashed and wearing a woman's bright orange and yellow tanktop. A few songs later he corners me and asks me if my name is Anne. I say yes, then figure I better ask him what he said to clarify because my name sounds like 800 other things, especially when loud music is blaring. He repeats the question and asks me if I went to KU. I of course say yes and he says, "I totally know you from like 9 years ago," and I'm thinking who the hell is this? So I take off his sunglasses because he was not forthcoming with info and finally ask who he is because I have no idea and I'm thinking it could be anybody I was ever rude to at Turkey Hill or Shorty's and he says....

"My name was Ziggy" and proceeds to give me like 10 hugs and I of course hate that and he is thrilled to see me like we were best friends back in the day when he really annoyed the hell out of me. Anyway, he looked great compared to before: not fat, short hair, just a little strung out looking and bad taste in clothes. He was too drunk to talk to so I mumbled something about living in Denver as he asked me for the 5oth time what I was doing there and trying to avoid hug after hug after hug. I asked him if J. lives out here and he said yes but of course no other relevant info.

I totally never would've recognized him because he looks so different. I had to ask my friend B what his real name is, because he didn't tell me that either. For all I knew it could've been "Clarice."

One of the fellow Railbenders fans had posted some pictures of the crowd, and I saw my "best friend" Ziggy there captioned "douchebag in a tanktop." I posted on the forum how it was that this weirdo was hugging me, and I found out that Ziggy had ripped off 2 shirts from the band without paying. I guess despite his change in appearance, he still is a douchebag.

Other past events to recap:
Craftwise, I have made a pair of Elvis jammie pants for the eponymous Ms. P, and will be making several pairs in various patterns for the Manling when I have a chance. I crocheted a large ball for the Manling to scurry after and throw around the house. I crocheted and felted, but not constructed a stroller diaper bag for Luanne. I am about 1/3 done with a crocheted pink and fuschia fuzzy blanket for my friend S's baby.

I still haven't found the missing diamond stud earring that I have now lost twice. I know it's here in the house, but it has eluded my grasp for well over 8 weeks now. I am still very disenheartened since they were my 30th birthday present from Mark.

Travellingwise, my mom, stepfather, and nephew just visited us for 6 days. We went down to the Fours Corners area and did 2 days in Mesa Verde. Mark was very disappointed because the Centennial hikes allowing you to see sites rarely or never open to the public were sold out for months in advance. We did tours on the three major cliff dwellings. What a stupendous sight. What amazing ingenuity and tenacity those Indians of 800+ years had.

And tomorrow, we fly back to PA/NJ for 10 days. I am so not prepared. We still have no one to come feed the cats, and I only got the dog boarding situation taken care of yesterday. The high cost of plane tickets, rental car, dog boarding, and random expenses will probably make this our last vacation in just about forever.

The money situation continues to be vy tight around the old homestead, and I'm starting to believe I will have to get a job. In a way, I am rather excited because I would love the adult stimulation, and because I secretly think I am failing the Manling by not stimulating his little intellect enough, but I am also dreading the high sick-rate of daycare. We shall see, we shall see. I reckon I should get back to packing etc for the trip.

OH!!! About an hour ago the Manling was playing next to me. My "constant vigilance" slipped for a second and he pulled a wooden chair onto himself. He has a huge fat lip and his front teeth cut up the inside as well. He stopped crying within a minute or so, and there's not a lot of blood, but it's really broken my heart.

Listen to these songs:

• Ben Folds - You To Thank
• Colin Meloy - Pregnant For the Last Time
• Gary Jules - Mad World

They'll give you a rough idea of how I'm feeling lately.