(no subject)
So, as noted, I had recently been away for a time. I took what is likely my first true vacation as a working man. I find that I'm not a firm believer in my own value as an employee. With the corporate mind-set these days, it always seems like if I depart for too long they might start wondering why they even bother to keep me.
Anyway, went to Florida and met the wife's family, or at least a fair number of them. It went relatively uneventfully. A lot of hanging out in the garden on lawnchairs talking and drinking, interspersed with going out to eat or swimming. We visited Sea World with the kids, which seemed to be enough to waste one day of the trip.
Overall I suppose it went well enough. jezzara's family seemed to accept me for the most part. Her hippie-ish aunt kept insinuating that I was too stern with the kids, and it took them a while to get used to the idea that I don't drink, but a lot of the angst that she was expecting from them failed to rear its head. Her grandparents weren't too judgemental, her mom's 'clingy' boyfriend turned out to be a nice guy who was just trying to get used to a relationship with an opinionated woman. And though we did kind of want to slap her aunt for intimating that her own lovely (but spoiled) daughter was a heifer, nothing horribly unpleasant came of that.
I spent most of the time with the kids; my own and my adorable little niece. Ended up spending most of the day of the family barbecue dunking preteens in the pool, but it kept them out of everyone's hair and kept them amused. So, not much of a waste there, either.
The most negative thing I can say about the trip is that her family made me feel like a slacker. Hippie-aunt has worked retail all her life, true, but everyone else? They've got stories, they own their own businesses, they've done something. Outside of psychology and the arts, both of which I'm likely too far out of practice with to do much about, I really have no bloody idea of what I want to do with myself. I don't doubt I could get out there and do it if I found the motivation, but I guess I'm just one of those people who's still waiting for his inspiration.
Since coming back, I've found it difficult to readjust to some of my normal life. Part of that is summer break, though, and the fact that I'm keeping the kids with me as we can't afford day care this year. They've been fairly good so far, but it will take a bit more getting used to. I still remember the laundry list of duties and passwords for work, though I've been a bit sluggish about picking up the rythym again. Still, it will come.
Anyway, I'm about to head back home. I'll likely take it easy again today while the kids play... my stomach's doing flips on me, has been for the last day.
May the water you find in the desert not glow at you in the dark.
Anyway, went to Florida and met the wife's family, or at least a fair number of them. It went relatively uneventfully. A lot of hanging out in the garden on lawnchairs talking and drinking, interspersed with going out to eat or swimming. We visited Sea World with the kids, which seemed to be enough to waste one day of the trip.
Overall I suppose it went well enough. jezzara's family seemed to accept me for the most part. Her hippie-ish aunt kept insinuating that I was too stern with the kids, and it took them a while to get used to the idea that I don't drink, but a lot of the angst that she was expecting from them failed to rear its head. Her grandparents weren't too judgemental, her mom's 'clingy' boyfriend turned out to be a nice guy who was just trying to get used to a relationship with an opinionated woman. And though we did kind of want to slap her aunt for intimating that her own lovely (but spoiled) daughter was a heifer, nothing horribly unpleasant came of that.
I spent most of the time with the kids; my own and my adorable little niece. Ended up spending most of the day of the family barbecue dunking preteens in the pool, but it kept them out of everyone's hair and kept them amused. So, not much of a waste there, either.
The most negative thing I can say about the trip is that her family made me feel like a slacker. Hippie-aunt has worked retail all her life, true, but everyone else? They've got stories, they own their own businesses, they've done something. Outside of psychology and the arts, both of which I'm likely too far out of practice with to do much about, I really have no bloody idea of what I want to do with myself. I don't doubt I could get out there and do it if I found the motivation, but I guess I'm just one of those people who's still waiting for his inspiration.
Since coming back, I've found it difficult to readjust to some of my normal life. Part of that is summer break, though, and the fact that I'm keeping the kids with me as we can't afford day care this year. They've been fairly good so far, but it will take a bit more getting used to. I still remember the laundry list of duties and passwords for work, though I've been a bit sluggish about picking up the rythym again. Still, it will come.
Anyway, I'm about to head back home. I'll likely take it easy again today while the kids play... my stomach's doing flips on me, has been for the last day.
May the water you find in the desert not glow at you in the dark.