nina turns 40

Another quiet, domestic bliss sort of weekend, hanging out with cB and the kids in various configurations. Watched lots of the food channel (artesanal sheep's milk cheese--yum!), went to the farmer's market (strudel--decadent!), and even made chocolate ice cream with cB's youngest (torture--I had to leave before it was ready). Now the kidlet and I are back home, and he's been playing with play-doh and a red balloon that he got while spending some time with his dad. I've made one of our favorite dishes, and so now we'll snuggle up, watch TV, maybe play candyland, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

cB is back in town--I'm posting this from his house, as a matter of fact. Nothing went as planned last night, my friend who was supposed to pick up the kidlet from school forgot and I got a phone call from a less than happy teacher wondering where the heck someone was. They'll charge me a buck or so for every minute after six, so not only did I not get to have my evening as planned, I'm fined! But we ended up going out for Indian food after finally rescuing the poor abandoned boy, and I was just happy to be able to hang with my man after all that time. And there's something uplifting about warm naan with butter and garlic.

Back from the zoo--had a great time, the adult to kid ratio was just right, and everyone was in a good mood. I really enjoy watching my little one interact with his friends, and observing all the other dynamics of the group. It was especially cool that a couple of dads came along, too. The best part was the story time in the "African village", though I must confess I have a twisted sort of affection for the bats. All the kids went back to school to nap, and I've got a couple of free hours. I may just nap myself.

And as long as we're talking about decadent pastimes. I've become totally addicted to America's Next Top Model.

We're going to the zoo today! We haven't been since the kidlet was practically a baby, and this will be my first time chaperoning a field trip. I'm a real mom now! I even own a copy of guide to Seattle area elementary schools and have been researching which kindergarten I think the kidlet should go to in Sept. 2004. (Good lord, there's something wrong with that whole concept). It's a beautiful sunny day, I don't have to go to the office, and a certain someone is coming back from Cleveland tonight. thank you Jeebus.

Let us give thanks for the things that help us through the day!
(picture courtesy of--you guessed it--cB)

Another quiet weekend. Went to Sequim, soaked in the tub, napped, ate dinner that my dad cooked, very much like the dinners he used to cook when I was a child. Back at work, and swamped with stuff to do. Still taking Wed. off to go to the zoo with the kidlet and his class. Haven't been too mopey about cB, but yeah, I miss him a lot. It's fun to read about his impressions of Cleveland, and I just know how good it'll be when I finally get to hold him again.

Made a pasta salad for the post "graduation" potluck tomorrow. A couple of days ago the kidlet asked me what graduation meant, and I explained that it was a way to let him know that he's done a really good job at school, and is ready to move up. He has since been happily telling everyone we meet that he's got graduation because he did such a good job, and he's really smart. I no longer think this is so cheesey.

cB leaves for Cleveland on the red-eye tonight. I was hoping to nab a couple more hours with him before he goes, but no such luck. I blew off work today, did some housework, watched PBS with the kidlet and snoozed. Never can get enough sleep. I'm pissed that I didn't get to the co-op before the after work crowd--that wasn't one of my brighter moves. But as I said, the desire to sleep just took over. I'll try not to be too mopey when he's gone, but I ain't making no promises.

Look what I found. OK, so Jerry found it, but it looks awfully suspicious to me. He's always secretly wanted to be a tagger...

I hate Bush

From the NY Times: "The Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to publish a draft report next week on the state of the environment, but after editing by the White House, a long section describing risks from rising global temperatures has been whittled to a few noncommittal paragraphs." So the motherfucker is editing reports by the EPA to make the damage done by all you SUV driving idiots (among others) look like less than it is. Does this man's idiocy know no bounds? Can't he understand the consequences of his actions? No wonder Christie Whitman is quitting. Makes ya wanna go get radical, start living in trees, shit like that. At least start slapping some bumper stickers around. Cuz something's gotta be done about this asshole. And soon.

cB and I agree--sleeping together is starting to feel like the default mode. That's the way we both prefer it, and it's happening often enough that it's odd and even a bit disorienting to get in a bed when the other one isn't there. And, of course, it's a whole lot less fun. And now he's on his way to Cleveland this weekend, and I won't see him for a week. At least the homecoming will be fun...

Not much going on these days on the one hand, yet in some ways there's a whole lot happening. The preschool that the kidlet attends is having some sort of a graduation ceremony for the older kids on Saturday. Pretty funny if you ask me, more like an excuse for the parents to get together and hang out for awhile. I'm going to use it as a reason to invite kidlet's father to visit school--part of the larger plan to get him more involved in A's life. Then we're heading up to Sequim to spend some time with my dad; a sort of delayed father's day. He turns seventy next month, and his age is really starting to show. I hope to spend some time with him, it's been way too long since he and I have hung out at all, and I miss it.

Some days I'm just grateful to be here. My son contintues to amaze me with his sweet smart personality, and the way that he is learning, growing and interpreting his world. The presence of cB in my life is always a blessing, and he's made me happier than he knows. As for the rest, I'm still trying to figure it all out. My family is always so supportive and loving, my girlfriends are so strong and beautiful, and I like looking out at the world through my eyes. I hope that I can one day feel I've found my true place, and can leave a positive mark, but until then, I'll just keep trudging along and doing my best to keep an open mind and a true heart.

All my favorite things of late are from Ohio--the two Jerry's (my dad, and cB), and now I've discovered Woo City Ice Cream. It's the richest, creamiest, best flavors ice cream ever. Yes, better than Hagen Dasz, yes better than Ben & Jerry's--it's that good. And it's usually organic. cB likes the lemongrass ginger and green tea flavors, I like (big surprise) the 5 star chocolate and chocolate hazelnut. It's super expensive (five dollars a pint), but the richness keeps even a huge ice cream inhaler like me from eating the whole thing in one sitting. Oh come on, you know you've done it.

Do you get tired of hearing how in love I am with Jerry? In many ways this blog has been a record of our relationship--if you've been following along, you pretty much know our ups and downs. Well, I'm still crazy about his geeky, goofy, gorgeous, arty self. So there.

So, what are you lusting for these days, nina, you ask? Besides the obvious? Why, this of course. Gonna have a bath house as an annex to cB's isocabin, gonna take my cue from the Japanese and get clean, then soak. And of course the water has to be HOT--pluckin' chickens hot, as my ex used to say.

Had a great, lazy, decadent, relaxing, sexy weekend with cB. Didn't get out of bed before 10 am either day. Didn't do much of anything. Did meet an old Ann Arbor friend of his, and last night had a great evening aboard the live-on boat of another friend. Truly a weekend to spoil a girl, full of easy domesticity and laughter, with no responsibilities whatsoever.

I got into work today at 7:30 (ish). That's quite unbelievable really. It's nice and quiet in here, but the sun is shining right in my face, and of course, the blinds are firmly stuck in the "up" position. I'm here early so I can leave early and go spend some time (finally) with cB. On a side note, let me just say that Lake Union is particularly beautiful this morning, still and gray and reflective. Later, there will be sailboats and sea planes and all sorts of water craft zipping all around, but for now it is quiet and empty, waiting.

The kidlet is off with gramma and grampa, cB is home with his kids, and so i'm hanging out solita this evening. On the one hand it's fun. On the other hand, I'm lonely, and kinda blue. Sure am glad I've got the kidlet in my life. Ditto for cB. Although both of them can be frustrating as hell at times, I love them beyond belief.

Exciting news on the divorce front!! I dropped some papers off with the kidlet's dad, and he claims to have a new, higher paying job. Hallelujah, if it's really true. We also had a perfectly rational and grown up discussion about making a parenting plan together. Wow. That's almost scarier than when he acts totally crazy.

I really shouldn't post when I'm pissy like that. Please forgive me. Feeling much better. Home. Bra off. Dinner cooking on the stove. We're about to pop Stuart Little 2 into the DVD player for about the 40th time. Life is good. Gramma--wonderful woman that she is--will be picking up the kidlet from school tomorrow and taking him to Sequim for the weekned allowing cB and I some much needed (and oh so cherished) grown up time together. We're gonna stick close to home this time, though we do plan to do some urban exploring of a different kind.

i'm in one of those godawful pissy hormonal moods again today, so watch out. i hate to involve y'all in this crap, but it really helps to write about it. i'd rather get a big hug or something, but the chances of that happening any time soon are pretty slim, so i'm just gonna rant and bitch a bit. i hope you'll understand. better yet, drop me an email telling me how much you love me! now there's some unabashed begging for ya!

Yes, i met up with the azalea bunch for lunch today, but no, i didn't party with them. I had to go back to work and was therefore drinking ginger ale. hrmph! and i was quite late getting back, late enough that my supervisor noticed. One of these days, I'm actually going to hang out with these people when I can have a drink with them, and not be rushing out the door just as they're getting started. I hope they know how lucky they are to be working for cB and his small, inclusive company, it's such a big contrast to the politics and pettiness over at eVil corporation.

Let's not forget a big shout out of congratulations to azalea for celebrating its 11th anniversary today!

nina's perfect world

no alarm clocks
interesting things to read
three day weekends every week
coffee coffee coffee
as much time with cB as I want
lots of jazz to listen to
road trips
hot water to soak in
happy healthy kidlet

Just spent sixty bucks on socks and underwear. yup. socks and underwear. didn't even get socks for the kidlet, just underwear with characters like Bob the Builder and Spiderman on them. (Bonus points for you if you can sing the entire Bob the Builder theme song. I can.) I got three pairs of underwear and four pairs of socks, and the kidlet got his kidlet sized chones and it came to sixty bucks. I am in shock. We were not shopping at a high end store, people. We didn't even stock up that much. Just some basic necessities. I haven't even shopped for summer clothes for the kidlet yet. I'm just gonna go shoot myself now.

I watched Sex & Lucia over the weekend. Thought it was great. Thought I was hot shit 'cause I turned off the subtitles and watched it all in Spanish.

put your little hand in mine

I was just thinking about how nice it is when I'm walking with the kidlet and we hold hands. His little hand is always so warm, and it just feels so good to have that small connection with him as we stroll along.

I hate Bush

From today's NY Times: "Even as it strives to keep nuclear weapons from proliferating around the world, the Bush administration is moving toward research on a new generation of less powerful nuclear warheads." What a hypocritical idiot. Why do I get the feeling a lot more people are going to die during his tenure? Just what a girl needs to cheer her up on a Monday morning. Bastard.

Having one of those quiet, not much happenin' sort of weekends. On Friday night we had a sleepover at cB's house. It's always crazy over there when all six of us are together. It went pretty well, I thought, no non-food items were swallowed, no one got injured, and only once during the course of the evening did someone go into the bedroom and slam the door. I remember thinking, this could be my life, this could work. It'd be stressful all around for us to all live together, but that would be alleviated somewhat by the fact that cB has a rotating schedule with his boys, and I am lobbying hard to get V. to take the kidlet overnight on a regular basis. Just imagine: guaranteed grown up time each and every month. I'm not sure I'd know what to do with myself. Co-habitation is still off in the future, though. As much as cB and I would love to make a home together, there are so many factors right now that make proceeding slowly the wisest move. Not the least of which is that we'd have to move to West Seattle.