Life at the weir - 4
Sunday May 28, 2006:
My parents swung by for a visit this morning, which was fun. I ended up sending Kiska with them and keeping Roxie (their older dog) since Kis was so excited to see them. She thinks it is kind of boring out here, since I am not throwing tennis balls (to rest her gimpy leg) and the water is too high for her to swim much. Rox is not quite the same guard dog, but she is easy company since all she wants to do is sleep.
Mom and Dad brought me yummy seafood chowder (sealed in vacuum-packed bags using my dad’s new toy), my sleeping bag (since I broke the zipper pull on the one I had borrowed), and some company. Our friend Laura, who is a couple years older than me but works with my mom, tagged along. She was ogling fishermen, and despaired over my attitude, (me: “yeah, he is cute, but I am over here and he is over there, and there is a river between us”). Apparently she will be back once school lets out to coach me on picking up anglers in the river, which should be fun. Hanging out with her is always amusing, and I could use some company as I explore the area.
Mom offered to bring out the mosaic project that she has been trying to get me to work on for two years now. I told her no, I have to focus on my thesis when I have free time, which disappointed her. My dad started hassling me about my thesis, saying that he wasn’t sure we could go fishing Wednesday after all, since I had to work on my thesis, etc. Finally he asked to see what I have been working on, so I pulled up my correlations matrix (printed out it is three pages by four pages of numbers). He seemed impressed and a little bewildered (exactly how I feel when I look at it, actually). My new threat is that if he doesn’t quit bugging me about having to work on my thesis, I will explain the statistics to him. That should keep him off my case for months.
My mom has taken exception to the notion that my life is unusual. She asked me, in full seriousness, “Why do you think your life is weird?” then dismissed my answer. My impression is that she thinks I am trying to single myself out as being oddly special and wasting energy justifying that perception. I don’t think her understanding is quite accurate: I believe my life is wacky, but so is hers, and so is yours. Life is absurd. Recognizing that and finding amusement in the absurdity keeps me sane and humble (along the lines of another favorite bumper sticker: “I am unique, just like everybody else”), rather than feeling like the universe is out to get me personally.
My cell phone just rang: it was Jacob returning my call from last week, wanting to know if I am busy today. Answer: yes, and I’m far away too. I immediately tried to call Heather, holding very, very still. No dice - it kept beeping “NO SIGNAL” at me. Funny that it somehow got connection long enough for me to talk to Jake (who I haven’t seen in literally four years) but not make a phone call.
My parents swung by for a visit this morning, which was fun. I ended up sending Kiska with them and keeping Roxie (their older dog) since Kis was so excited to see them. She thinks it is kind of boring out here, since I am not throwing tennis balls (to rest her gimpy leg) and the water is too high for her to swim much. Rox is not quite the same guard dog, but she is easy company since all she wants to do is sleep.
Mom and Dad brought me yummy seafood chowder (sealed in vacuum-packed bags using my dad’s new toy), my sleeping bag (since I broke the zipper pull on the one I had borrowed), and some company. Our friend Laura, who is a couple years older than me but works with my mom, tagged along. She was ogling fishermen, and despaired over my attitude, (me: “yeah, he is cute, but I am over here and he is over there, and there is a river between us”). Apparently she will be back once school lets out to coach me on picking up anglers in the river, which should be fun. Hanging out with her is always amusing, and I could use some company as I explore the area.
Mom offered to bring out the mosaic project that she has been trying to get me to work on for two years now. I told her no, I have to focus on my thesis when I have free time, which disappointed her. My dad started hassling me about my thesis, saying that he wasn’t sure we could go fishing Wednesday after all, since I had to work on my thesis, etc. Finally he asked to see what I have been working on, so I pulled up my correlations matrix (printed out it is three pages by four pages of numbers). He seemed impressed and a little bewildered (exactly how I feel when I look at it, actually). My new threat is that if he doesn’t quit bugging me about having to work on my thesis, I will explain the statistics to him. That should keep him off my case for months.
My mom has taken exception to the notion that my life is unusual. She asked me, in full seriousness, “Why do you think your life is weird?” then dismissed my answer. My impression is that she thinks I am trying to single myself out as being oddly special and wasting energy justifying that perception. I don’t think her understanding is quite accurate: I believe my life is wacky, but so is hers, and so is yours. Life is absurd. Recognizing that and finding amusement in the absurdity keeps me sane and humble (along the lines of another favorite bumper sticker: “I am unique, just like everybody else”), rather than feeling like the universe is out to get me personally.
My cell phone just rang: it was Jacob returning my call from last week, wanting to know if I am busy today. Answer: yes, and I’m far away too. I immediately tried to call Heather, holding very, very still. No dice - it kept beeping “NO SIGNAL” at me. Funny that it somehow got connection long enough for me to talk to Jake (who I haven’t seen in literally four years) but not make a phone call.