In Through The Out Door
I'm using this post as a venue to ramble about Thanksgiving (I live in the New York remember) and reply to your comments. I don't actually hate you. Isn't that great! :D
I eventually found out what number anniversary it was. Nineteenth. So there.
I'm a very left brain oriented person. I love puzzles that take long amounts of time contemplating a move of one place. (But, I suck at chess.) I like instructions and have actually earned state medals in being able to follow instructions. Geometric proofs and laboratory worksheets are my friends. Even in my art, the only reason I'm good at it is, because I take everything from a detail centric perspective and can recreate parts realistically to make a whole, not that sweeping creative flow stuff. So, when I cook it's by the book and I basically treat it like a science experiment. I'm not intuitive that way. For this reason I am barred from the kitchen during the preparation of Thanksgiving (although they will complain later that I didn't do anything to help, the hypocrites.) Instead I cleaned my room. MY WHOLE ROOM. All the drawers emptied and sorted, leaving me with two garbage bags full of old papers. I felt so domestic. ;) I was able to pull out some things I haven't looked at in ages. For example, I never realized how extensive my magazine collection is, but it goes back at least five years (or more, I might not be sure) and has New Yorkers, New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine (yes, these are all different publications,) Popular Science and National Geographics. Posterity will be pleased to find these. If they're my offspring they should inherit love of past epochs.
On a more surly note, I was reorganizing my library and found a new niche of books hiding at the top of my closets. A bittersweet occasion as this pile of old volumes promptly fell on top of my face. My nose still feels sore, but my Uncle (who's a family practitioner) assures me nothing is wrong with it.
Both sides of the family came over, but before the dinner we had to go visit my father's mother who was unable to walk. It was truly sad and depressing, she could barely sit up, talk and I swear didn't move her body of her own free will the entire two hours we were there. Eventually, my Uncle put her to bed and she appeared a bit better (her eyes were open and she kind of grunted hello) but it was incredibly sobering nonetheless.
The dinner itself was excellent and lovely to be surrounded by family. Hannah (my cousin) brought me a birthday present three months late, but I don't mind, because she spent so much time hand making the card that my maternal instinct just went OMG!Thisisamazingfora9yearold!I<3ladybugs! The present was actually good to, now my family won't moan that I need to keep better maintenance with my nails, because I have no reason not to with my own manicure set. I'm not that girly, but without risk of being caught stealing mom's why not?
Dinner was the regular deal. Turkey and gravey, bread, nut and sausage stuffing, candied yams, cauliflower mash, peas and jellied cranberries. The last being my favourite. Oh, and sparkling apple cider. I still don't think I got enough of that, but everyone says that I did get two cups. I don't believe them.
We had to watch a Taylor Swift special on NBC, because most of my cousins like her. I don't really mind, I actually like some of her stuff (moreso before it's released as a single and then overplayed to death), I'm just not that avid a fan. Was still better than the Bob Dylan documentary I go so excited for when I was eleven only to have it be total shit and boring as hell.
For the weekend we drove out to Grandma Dolores' house in Long Island. Well, four kids in the backseat for three hours wasn't the most comfortable thing I've experienced. Actually, since my parents like to sit really far back and we needed leg room upfront, because we had my pitbull terrier/Labrador riding with us I couldn't move my legs the whole trip. I actually forgot how to walk once the door was finally opened. A few stumbling steps and I was strong enough to make it up the front porch, but something about the ride messed up my perception, because I got really dizzy and felt like the car ran me over. That was pretty scary.
Grandma was sweet as always and, surprise, my Aunt and (new) Uncle were there. Since Grandma is intending to rent the house the older women were packing up all the valuables. Cutlery, plates, statues, magnifying glasses, lamps, etc. I am apparently going to inherit all this later, but they wouldn't promise me the couch I wanted, because it was "old and disgusting." Well, yeah, but it has so many memories and I want it, while no one else does, so what's wrong with that? We would have to store it for a couple years. And the men, oh so typically, disappeared into the den to watch soccer.
One of the family friends owns a bookstore in East Hampton, so I usually buy a ton of books there and in preparation I printed out my to-read list, 106 long. Grandma took one look at that and promptly threw my ass into the basement to scour Grandpa's library for anything I wanted. I got Jack (cousin) for company and he picked out The Godfather, but as it was a signed, first edition Grandma couldn't let him keep it. Apparently, this is still biting away at her guilty conscience, because it was the only book he wanted. At the end I didn't even need to spend any money, because I came home with the one each of William Styron, Nabokov, Pynchon, Faulkner, Garcia Marquez, two Virginia Woolf, and the complete collections of HG Wells and Oscar Wilde. Made good. ;)
Now if I had known we would be hosting a wedding party I would have packed nicer clothes! The party was lovely anyway, thankfully. It was for a gay couple who finally got married in Connecticut in October on the first day they met 39 years ago. My sister found this the most romantic thing she's ever heard and went all jazz hands and hand clasping and awwing. I did too, although I wasn't so physical in the showing of my pleasure. It was really sweet. We got to hear stories of how much a sizzler Grandma apparently was when she was younger. Awkward much. Also, I learned that not only did Mom and Dad go to Columbia, Grandma and Grandpa went to Columbia. I apparently should really attend it(oh, really dear it would be so wonderful, unquote) to continue in the Karl legacy. Which is the exact reason I don't want to.
What else . . .
Oh, I saw Harry Potter 7. It was pretty intense and I really wanted the twins' outfits (I'm a stylish cross dresser.) Now I won't be ostracized even by the losers! *claps*
And I picked the poems I'm going to be reciting for the National Poetry Recitation Contest this year. Hopefully, I can place in regionals (pretty certain I'll make it past school level, although my English teacher has upped the ante by making participation mandatory.) Turning back to my old favourite Edna St. Vincent Millay and a new addition of Robert Browning since they've eliminated Andrew Marvell from those allowed. *pouts*
And that was my vacation. This week is bound to be super busy what with Model UN and Spanish exchange. Do my flisters have any recommendations of things I can do with my girl from Tenerife that are really American or specific to English-speakers (I know some of you don't live in the states, but you could still give input)?
I eventually found out what number anniversary it was. Nineteenth. So there.
I'm a very left brain oriented person. I love puzzles that take long amounts of time contemplating a move of one place. (But, I suck at chess.) I like instructions and have actually earned state medals in being able to follow instructions. Geometric proofs and laboratory worksheets are my friends. Even in my art, the only reason I'm good at it is, because I take everything from a detail centric perspective and can recreate parts realistically to make a whole, not that sweeping creative flow stuff. So, when I cook it's by the book and I basically treat it like a science experiment. I'm not intuitive that way. For this reason I am barred from the kitchen during the preparation of Thanksgiving (although they will complain later that I didn't do anything to help, the hypocrites.) Instead I cleaned my room. MY WHOLE ROOM. All the drawers emptied and sorted, leaving me with two garbage bags full of old papers. I felt so domestic. ;) I was able to pull out some things I haven't looked at in ages. For example, I never realized how extensive my magazine collection is, but it goes back at least five years (or more, I might not be sure) and has New Yorkers, New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine (yes, these are all different publications,) Popular Science and National Geographics. Posterity will be pleased to find these. If they're my offspring they should inherit love of past epochs.
On a more surly note, I was reorganizing my library and found a new niche of books hiding at the top of my closets. A bittersweet occasion as this pile of old volumes promptly fell on top of my face. My nose still feels sore, but my Uncle (who's a family practitioner) assures me nothing is wrong with it.
Both sides of the family came over, but before the dinner we had to go visit my father's mother who was unable to walk. It was truly sad and depressing, she could barely sit up, talk and I swear didn't move her body of her own free will the entire two hours we were there. Eventually, my Uncle put her to bed and she appeared a bit better (her eyes were open and she kind of grunted hello) but it was incredibly sobering nonetheless.
The dinner itself was excellent and lovely to be surrounded by family. Hannah (my cousin) brought me a birthday present three months late, but I don't mind, because she spent so much time hand making the card that my maternal instinct just went OMG!Thisisamazingfora9yearold!I<3ladybugs! The present was actually good to, now my family won't moan that I need to keep better maintenance with my nails, because I have no reason not to with my own manicure set. I'm not that girly, but without risk of being caught stealing mom's why not?
Dinner was the regular deal. Turkey and gravey, bread, nut and sausage stuffing, candied yams, cauliflower mash, peas and jellied cranberries. The last being my favourite. Oh, and sparkling apple cider. I still don't think I got enough of that, but everyone says that I did get two cups. I don't believe them.
We had to watch a Taylor Swift special on NBC, because most of my cousins like her. I don't really mind, I actually like some of her stuff (moreso before it's released as a single and then overplayed to death), I'm just not that avid a fan. Was still better than the Bob Dylan documentary I go so excited for when I was eleven only to have it be total shit and boring as hell.
For the weekend we drove out to Grandma Dolores' house in Long Island. Well, four kids in the backseat for three hours wasn't the most comfortable thing I've experienced. Actually, since my parents like to sit really far back and we needed leg room upfront, because we had my pitbull terrier/Labrador riding with us I couldn't move my legs the whole trip. I actually forgot how to walk once the door was finally opened. A few stumbling steps and I was strong enough to make it up the front porch, but something about the ride messed up my perception, because I got really dizzy and felt like the car ran me over. That was pretty scary.
Grandma was sweet as always and, surprise, my Aunt and (new) Uncle were there. Since Grandma is intending to rent the house the older women were packing up all the valuables. Cutlery, plates, statues, magnifying glasses, lamps, etc. I am apparently going to inherit all this later, but they wouldn't promise me the couch I wanted, because it was "old and disgusting." Well, yeah, but it has so many memories and I want it, while no one else does, so what's wrong with that? We would have to store it for a couple years. And the men, oh so typically, disappeared into the den to watch soccer.
One of the family friends owns a bookstore in East Hampton, so I usually buy a ton of books there and in preparation I printed out my to-read list, 106 long. Grandma took one look at that and promptly threw my ass into the basement to scour Grandpa's library for anything I wanted. I got Jack (cousin) for company and he picked out The Godfather, but as it was a signed, first edition Grandma couldn't let him keep it. Apparently, this is still biting away at her guilty conscience, because it was the only book he wanted. At the end I didn't even need to spend any money, because I came home with the one each of William Styron, Nabokov, Pynchon, Faulkner, Garcia Marquez, two Virginia Woolf, and the complete collections of HG Wells and Oscar Wilde. Made good. ;)
Now if I had known we would be hosting a wedding party I would have packed nicer clothes! The party was lovely anyway, thankfully. It was for a gay couple who finally got married in Connecticut in October on the first day they met 39 years ago. My sister found this the most romantic thing she's ever heard and went all jazz hands and hand clasping and awwing. I did too, although I wasn't so physical in the showing of my pleasure. It was really sweet. We got to hear stories of how much a sizzler Grandma apparently was when she was younger. Awkward much. Also, I learned that not only did Mom and Dad go to Columbia, Grandma and Grandpa went to Columbia. I apparently should really attend it(oh, really dear it would be so wonderful, unquote) to continue in the Karl legacy. Which is the exact reason I don't want to.
What else . . .
Oh, I saw Harry Potter 7. It was pretty intense and I really wanted the twins' outfits (I'm a stylish cross dresser.) Now I won't be ostracized even by the losers! *claps*
And I picked the poems I'm going to be reciting for the National Poetry Recitation Contest this year. Hopefully, I can place in regionals (pretty certain I'll make it past school level, although my English teacher has upped the ante by making participation mandatory.) Turning back to my old favourite Edna St. Vincent Millay and a new addition of Robert Browning since they've eliminated Andrew Marvell from those allowed. *pouts*
And that was my vacation. This week is bound to be super busy what with Model UN and Spanish exchange. Do my flisters have any recommendations of things I can do with my girl from Tenerife that are really American or specific to English-speakers (I know some of you don't live in the states, but you could still give input)?