Time to say goodbye

And here is the time again when we bid goodbye to dear ones, when life wind down and is about to get back to be its boring self. No more deciding what to do today and the worst decision to make is to choose where to go for lunch. Tomorrow it’s already back to getting the laundry done, having to choose what to wear to work and set the alarms back in order to be on time on Monday morning.

Gone will be the delicious smell of coffee and of a turkey-cheese sandwich and having breakfast talking of the last events and news from back home. Really gone will be the lazy mornings getting out of the house around 11 to go shopping or run errands. Gone the feeling of things feeling right; having another presence in the house and not feeling animosity. Just. One. Big. Void…

Everything did not go quite as planned. Tee’s delayed arrival. The birthday party that was not. Tee’s short stay. The drama still going on back home. The pain a mother feels from stupid attitude of ungrateful children. My daughter getting sick the day I finally go to have lunch with her at the cafeteria after her many requests for me to join her one day. And of course, not every little single thing was bad. Spending time with Tee after being away for so many years, catching up on a friendship that has been going on for years. Having my mother around, enjoying herself with the kids and not having to worry about anything. Being able to spend all but one day with her, taking her out and just play tourist. Being able to enjoy her cooking after weeks of dreaming about that. Seeing my son baptized in the same gown I was baptized in 45 years ago and being baptized five years to the day his sister was baptized, also in the same gown and being absolutely delighted to see that my long desire to have it happen where it did actually exceeded my expectations.

So, now it’s time to close the book. The plane left already and is in route. I have already resumed my Saturday ritual of having breakfast at Panera while writing a post. And I couldn’t help remember the time I was here thinking about my choice for godfather and coming up with Tee’s name. Anyway, life goes on!

I am freezing my butt here so I guess I will cut it short. I have a few things to take care of before going home. Might as well go and take care of it now.

Till then…

Crap, crap, crap!

I forgot Lent started today. I only remembered it this afternoon while I was having a Crazy 88 Chinese Martini for lunch. By then, it was too late. And I remembered again tonight when I was almost done with my dirty Martini. Looks like it’s going to be a pretty lame Lent for me again this year…

Till then…

Try a little bitterness

I had started a long, very long post but decided to delete it. This blogging thing is getting to be absolutely frustrating because where it was (is?) supposed to be a place where I could spill my guts out and and somewhat serve as therapy. I cannot freely express myself, even though we all know the names are fictitious and some people still don’t know who I am exactly.

Anyway, my mother and friend made it all the way from back home, even though the country has been a pure mess for 5 weeks now. I did not have the birthday or present I was hoping to get. It is becoming clear that birthdays are following the same route as Christmas. Yeah, who cares anyway? Ain’t age nothing but a number? I am also officially now in another demographic age bracket. Geritol and prune juice, please. So yes, I was bitter not to get what I was really hoping for. It’s over now and down the drain and I’ve moved on.

My son’s baptism was a very, very, very, very beautiful. It was all I hoped it would be and then some more. The small chapel, the intimate and relaxed atmosphere and holding my son throughout the ceremony and feel the transition in his very short life. Tee was beaming as the godfather and I was happy and proud and touched. The godmother messed things after the ceremony and I cut the photo shoot short. As a result, all the usual pictures taken with the child in the christening gown first worn by myself almost 5 decades ago was cut down to 3 and I am in neither one of them. Next step in his life will be his 1st birthday in 3 months.

Tee went back home after his shortened trip and I was happy he fully enjoyed his stay. We were able to reconnect after so many years where our relationship was at best dormant or at worst tepid. Hopefully this will kick-start this old friendship of ours.

My mother is here until Saturday morning. The 5-week old strike has taken a serious toll on her business and on her sanity, having to deal with the grandkids being dropped at her place since schools have been closed for so long too. Being away from all that is a boon for her even if we are not doing much. She’s not really into shopping and we’ve been around quite a lot, so she is just content to stay home and talk. It feels absolutely nice and I will most definitely miss her when she leaves. The nice part is that she might be back in a short 3 months since we are talking about going together to take care of some family business. We’ll see how to get that going once she gets back home and after things get better.

So although I did get my week off and had my mom and friend here and baptized my son, I still feel the need to go away and rest but that may not be possible if I have to go away in a few weeks. But that sure sounds like a nice idea.

That’s enough blabbing for now. Going back to my cave.

Till then…

+1

Mom is here since Thursday, Tee is supposed to fly in tonight. Celebration weekend is on the way. Let’s hope things go without any major hicks.

And yes, I am a year older today.
Till then…

It never misses, part 3

(But it should have been the beginning of the series)

On January 20th, a handful of unions in Guadeloupe decided to go on a general strike to fight against high prices and low wages.

Guadeloupe is a small island in the Caribbean and is a department of France. It also happens to be where my mother is from and where I lived half of my life. It’s the place I often refer here as “back home” when in fact I consider myself more of a vagabond.

Do you ever wonder?

If someone is using a calculator and entered a wrong number, it can be deleted to type in the right number. If someone is not happy with a word, a sentence or a paragraph in a word processor, all that can be deleted and retyped ad nauseam.  So why is it not possible to clear the numbers punched in an elevator to erase a floor that was chosen in error? If I am going to the 5th floor and I or someone else pressed 4, I would still have to stop on the 4th floor whether I want it or not.

Just a thought.

Till then…

It never misses, part 2

After talking to the different actors, it looks like my mother will make it tomorrow but the godfather will wait until Saturday, hoping that things will calm down and that he will be able to fly out. He’ll lose 2 days of his intended 5-day stay but it will still be good if he can make it.

More as the drame continues!

Till then…

It never misses, part 1

I don’t have time right now to write extensively about it, but my dream weekend is turning to a nightmare. My mother and the godfather to be will not be able to make it. They were supposed to fly in tomorrow, but because of the situation back home, it is neither safe nor advised to travel now. We’re looking at the options for the baptism but even if it happens, it will not be the same.

I’ll write more about it tonight when I’ll get home.

Till then…

Just say no!

Today is Valentine’s Day.

This is the one day of the year when people go crazy buying roses and chocolates and celebrating love. Do we really need to have a day to celebrate love? As Terri said in a comment to a recent post, Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday.

So this morning, I found a red envelope on my chair. I felt it and there was something in it and I could not really figure out what it was. When I opened the envelope, I found this card in it. And the heart is in fact a button that can be worn. I was really surprised because the card came from the SU. I did not have anything for her because I really think the economy does not allow for such futilities and for once I appreciated the fact the SU did understand and did not expect anything else. But it is true I was very surprised by the card.

We did go out for lunch to an awesome little Argentinean restaurant a little far from home but for once, we got to go out all together as a family and enjoy a quiet moment and good food. And everybody went to bed early so I am in front of the TV with the laptop watching one more time “The Godfather, Part II”.

And of course, nothing has been done of what I had planned for today, so that means I will have to take care of all that tomorrow. Blech.

Anyway, at least it’s done for this year.

Till then…

She left me…

Three days ago, she walks in with a funny look on her face

Her: I am moving out.

Me: What?

Her: I am moving out…

Me: But… What? When?

Her: I mean right now…

Me: … (I turn around and go back to my work)