I don’t think I have an single full-course post in me at the moment, but there are few tidbits I’m willing to share…
1. Further evidence of the suckage of Dell
Following my traumatic relationship with the sexy Dell laptop (I fell for its looks, but like most gorgeous creatures, it was fickle, unreliable, and ultimately a failure in the hard-drive area), I naturally ‘unsubscribed’ from the usual barrage of software update notifications, promotions, reminders, etc., etc.
I have now unsubscribed three times.
Unsuccessfully.
So on a weekly basis, at least, I get happy fuzzy e-mails from Dell.
Ok, I know that e-mail is relatively innocuous, but my Dell experience was bad (for “bad” read “unf&^%kingbelievably frustrating and stressful). I don’t want to hear from Dell. Stop calling me, dude. It’s over.
2. I can still see clearly now, although some details are apparently fuzzy
Four months, exactly, after my laser eye correction and I am still reveling in being able to see without glasses or contacts.
I was so pleased with my experience that I wrote the clinic and gushed a little. As a reward, they made me a patient mentor (as in a mentor to patients, not a mentor with patience). Ok, I’m fine with this idea, happy to talk to pre-surgery candidates about my experience, yada yada yada. Except they keep referring patients to me whose prescription and other details the clinic claims are like mine – and so far they are over 50 and wear bifocals.
3. I caved
I made the mistake of going to the welcome back to school corn roast and annual general meeting at (what is now only) Robert’s school – the school where I have been chairperson of the Governing Board for the past year, a position I was determined to give up.
Well, the real mistake was going to the meeting alone, without backup. Naturally, the principal cornered me, sweet-talked me, fed me roasted corn… I was helpless. So I’m back for another two years, albeit with promises to accommodate my schedule and stress levels. We’ll see. Stupid corn.
*the zombie snack of choice
Go forth and multiply
A friend recently contacted me, and a few other friends who are also parents, and asked for our input – she has a friend who has a one-year-old child, and who is struggling with the decision to have another, or not, and when. After I sent in my two-cents, it occurred to me that I could share this fiddling small change with the rest of you.
I realize none of you actually asked, but until you DO start suggesting topics*, this is what happens.
So, here’s what I sent to my friend – and I’ll forward any insight from the comments, should any be forthcoming:
I have two boys, 25 months apart, and although sometimes we sit back and wonder what the heck we were thinking, the benefits outweigh the hard work.
I am the oldest in our family, and my sister came along when I was seven – my brother another six years after that. So when I left home for college, my mother still had a pre-schooler! From our perspective as kids, we felt like we didn’t really know each other. My sister and I are friends now, but that took some doing as adults. My brother is practically a stranger. From our parents’ perspective, it must have seemed like an endless cycle – just when you finally get one through toddlerhood/childhood/adolescence, here comes another one, and another after that.
When Dr. T and I decided to have kids, we specifically decided on plural, and I said I wanted them to be close together. We actually aimed for something like “Irish twins” (there was a non-starter conception between the two boys).
Sometimes our house is non-stop chaos, but there are plenty of reasons I’m glad we ended up with our boys – they are close enough in age that when one has a friend over, the other can join in without it being an “imposition”; they have each other, not just at home but at school and at extra-curricular events; they share games, toys, books, jokes, bedtime, homework routines, and so on… When they were little, it was hard work sometimes; unlike my parents, though, when we were finished with diapers we were really finished with them. Chicken pox was a one-time occurrence at our house.
Now that they’re older, they’re developing their own interests, but they still spend most of their spare time together, even if it’s not always daisy chains and singing 😉
Colin started high school this week, so for the first time EVER they are in school at different places, taking different buses at different times – and for the first time I am actually worried about them getting to and from school, because they don’t have each other. Of course, my worries are pretty much groundless, but hey, mums gotta worry!
So, to summarize – two is good, close is good. (wow, that was waaay shorter than the first part)
*which is a neat idea – reader-generated topics! I may regret this, but feel free to send me something to write about. If you ask nicely, I’ll even try to avoid ending my sentences with prepositions, ’cause I know they freak some people out.