We're baaaaaack...
dragonflora and I have made it back safely from Redneckia, and are now working on losing our innate Arkansas twang that reemerges whenever we immerse ourselves in our extended family for more than a few hours.
In all seriousness, the trip went pretty much fine, and it was not as bad as we had feared. We actually had fun snarking at each other playing cards and dominoes, and we got to take one of our younger cousins to see Pirates for her birthday (which is always enjoyable).
And it was an important time for us to go. We are lucky enough to have four grandparents all still alive, but they are not in the best of shape. One of our grandmothers is in a nursing home with advancing Alzheimer's. Luckily, she was able to recognize us when gently reminded of who we were, and while she can't remember what she had for breakfast in the morning, we had some nice conversations with her (which is good, because I understand that she doesn't always have very social days. I'm glad that we caught her on her good days). Our other (paternal) grandmother, while still more or less okay, is taking very definite steps in that direction herself. She's not able to get around physically very much any more, and she occasionally gets lost in public places (like restaurants). Our maternal grandfather is pretty sharp mentally, but he is lonely after our grandmother had to go to the nursing home, and his physical health is starting to decline. He can't stay as active as he used to--he has a bad knee injury from World War II that makes it hard for him to walk any kind of distance--and his hearing is almost gone. Our paternal grandfather is more or less okay, but for all of them, their friends are dead, dying, or mentally gone (and all four grandparents obsess over the obituary--pronounced "bitch-wary", which may make it into a story--section of the paper, trying to see who they know). At any rate, it was really depressing to go, but I'm glad that we went when we did.
Although it was also frustrating dealing with people who are incredibly loving and giving when it comes to their family, but who are rabidly racist, sexist, and xenophobic. It wasn't so bad this time, but there were the occasional opinions expressed such as the idea that Americans have such a hard time in the middle east because we've made "the arabians" welcome in our communities. No other explanation, but just that because we accepted them in our society (or merely tolerated them, in some cases) they hate us. I guess the theory is that "they" are jealous or something. Anyway, the reproachful commentary that I can't resist making never does anything aside from making them confused and upset, so it's an exercise in futility on both sides, and is pretty much the reason I can only make myself go every four years or so.
On a more superficial level, the other social dichotomy encountered visiting Arkansas is the incessant commentary on one's excess weight versus the equally incessant offering of food and the corresponding irritation when said victuals are not accepted. I was pleased to see when I stepped on their scale (we don't own one) the first day there that I had lost 5 pounds in July. But with the giant pancake breakfasts and plates of chocolate frosted pecan brownies and several days of eating out, I fear the worst. Jeremy and I did take the dog on his usual 4 1/2 miles this morning, and I walked with my grandfather for half an hour most mornings we were there, but I don't know if it was enough to help...
And when we arrived home, I had an official rejection letter from Roswell. So the job search continues. I am on the verge of deciding that if buzzermccain gets a job in Chicago, we will move up there too, and I will start volunteering at museums there to get my foot in the door. But I have a pretty decent gig going on here with my cataloging work, so we'll see.
dragonflora has another week here, and we will be bumming around Bton as construction permits. And allergies...I think that I must be allergic to something around here, because my runny nose and sore throat reappeared almost immediately after returning. Anyhow, some of you I will see at the various tabletop games, and others on the Friday Buffy larp where we will be NPCing villains. So we will see you all around....
Hope that everyone had a good week! My computer has been freaking out lately, so between re-running all the spyware and virus scans, I haven't had time to check out friends' posts. (And my sister is staying in the back room with the internet computer, so my time online is limited. Luckily for her she can foist me off with her surgery game on Nintendo DS...
In all seriousness, the trip went pretty much fine, and it was not as bad as we had feared. We actually had fun snarking at each other playing cards and dominoes, and we got to take one of our younger cousins to see Pirates for her birthday (which is always enjoyable).
And it was an important time for us to go. We are lucky enough to have four grandparents all still alive, but they are not in the best of shape. One of our grandmothers is in a nursing home with advancing Alzheimer's. Luckily, she was able to recognize us when gently reminded of who we were, and while she can't remember what she had for breakfast in the morning, we had some nice conversations with her (which is good, because I understand that she doesn't always have very social days. I'm glad that we caught her on her good days). Our other (paternal) grandmother, while still more or less okay, is taking very definite steps in that direction herself. She's not able to get around physically very much any more, and she occasionally gets lost in public places (like restaurants). Our maternal grandfather is pretty sharp mentally, but he is lonely after our grandmother had to go to the nursing home, and his physical health is starting to decline. He can't stay as active as he used to--he has a bad knee injury from World War II that makes it hard for him to walk any kind of distance--and his hearing is almost gone. Our paternal grandfather is more or less okay, but for all of them, their friends are dead, dying, or mentally gone (and all four grandparents obsess over the obituary--pronounced "bitch-wary", which may make it into a story--section of the paper, trying to see who they know). At any rate, it was really depressing to go, but I'm glad that we went when we did.
Although it was also frustrating dealing with people who are incredibly loving and giving when it comes to their family, but who are rabidly racist, sexist, and xenophobic. It wasn't so bad this time, but there were the occasional opinions expressed such as the idea that Americans have such a hard time in the middle east because we've made "the arabians" welcome in our communities. No other explanation, but just that because we accepted them in our society (or merely tolerated them, in some cases) they hate us. I guess the theory is that "they" are jealous or something. Anyway, the reproachful commentary that I can't resist making never does anything aside from making them confused and upset, so it's an exercise in futility on both sides, and is pretty much the reason I can only make myself go every four years or so.
On a more superficial level, the other social dichotomy encountered visiting Arkansas is the incessant commentary on one's excess weight versus the equally incessant offering of food and the corresponding irritation when said victuals are not accepted. I was pleased to see when I stepped on their scale (we don't own one) the first day there that I had lost 5 pounds in July. But with the giant pancake breakfasts and plates of chocolate frosted pecan brownies and several days of eating out, I fear the worst. Jeremy and I did take the dog on his usual 4 1/2 miles this morning, and I walked with my grandfather for half an hour most mornings we were there, but I don't know if it was enough to help...
And when we arrived home, I had an official rejection letter from Roswell. So the job search continues. I am on the verge of deciding that if buzzermccain gets a job in Chicago, we will move up there too, and I will start volunteering at museums there to get my foot in the door. But I have a pretty decent gig going on here with my cataloging work, so we'll see.
dragonflora has another week here, and we will be bumming around Bton as construction permits. And allergies...I think that I must be allergic to something around here, because my runny nose and sore throat reappeared almost immediately after returning. Anyhow, some of you I will see at the various tabletop games, and others on the Friday Buffy larp where we will be NPCing villains. So we will see you all around....
Hope that everyone had a good week! My computer has been freaking out lately, so between re-running all the spyware and virus scans, I haven't had time to check out friends' posts. (And my sister is staying in the back room with the internet computer, so my time online is limited. Luckily for her she can foist me off with her surgery game on Nintendo DS...