No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on June 3, 2012

There are times that I am reminded that my life is a little different than most folks. It is the oddest things that set this off like a comment from a neighbor or someone asking me if I REALLY know someone or met someone because so and so said that I had. Or if my husband is THAT Peter David (all I can hear in my head is Zaphod Beeblebrox no I am A Zaphod BeelbeBrox, haven’t you heard I come in 6 packs now?) We had one of those happen at Disney World this past week.

My life is a little different. It has been my entire life. I grew up in an academic family with two professors for parents. I went into the theater and the entertainment industry and worked there for a number of years. I married a writer of stuff who’s work is enjoyed by many. I worked for a publisher of books that I loved to read and I got to work on Star Wars projects. Not quite the normal life.

I am very comfortable with my life. It can be interesting to watch people react to it. Sometimes the most fun I have is people trying to figure out who I am and how I fit into the picture. For example, we go to a Broadway Show and go back stage to catch up with a friend who is the lead in the show. We come out the backstage door still talking as the friend takes the time to sign a few autographs before being whisked away. I stand back and watch the crowd as does the friend’s bodyguard. He is looking for problems. I am listening to the crowd and I pick out that Peter has been made. So now they are sorting out who I am but coming up empty. Peter ends up signing a couple of autographs on the way out too.

I was thinking about this while Caroline attended the party of one of her friends. The other adults were perfectly nice and we chatted about this and that and the other. The mother of the girl introduced me to the others as Caroline’s mom and a Puppeteer and doll maker. Got some interesting questions from the group about what I do but there was also a bit of a gap that showed up. My common ground with most of these nice people was that I was a Mom. We didn’t even share common sports teams. We had a nice time but I felt a bit strange in that group. This use to happen with my bowling league but they have known me for 5 or 6 years for now so my odd life is just part of me.

I am grateful for my interesting life.

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Posted By Kathleen David on June 1, 2012

Actually we were at Epcot but only got to England…but I am getting ahead of myself.

Sunday we did go see MiB 3 again and it holds up to multiple viewings very nicely. Caroline and Shana wanted to spend more time together so we agreed that Caroline could spend another night with big sister. Meanwhile a tropical storm named Beryl was off the coast deciding where it was going to hit. We holed up at the hotel but then this was a resort hotel so we had a choice of places to eat. Again we had a pleasant evening mostly talking about the kids and various projects we had on the horizon. I read “Storm of Swords” and got to THAT scene (no spoilers please but I bet if you have read the book you know which one it was) so most of the next day was finishing up the book. And napping, I did some serious napping.

Peter picked up Caroline and brought her back to the hotel. We went to the pool until the weather chased us back in. We had a nice dinner and went to bed early because we had a surprise for Caroline.

Caroline, as long time readers and the people who have met her, is a big lover of animals. She wants to be a large cat vet when she grows up and work with endangered animals (mostly carnivores). She loves to just watch animals. So we arranged to spend a night at the Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge aka Jambo House with a savannah view. We drove from Jacksonville to Orlando very early to take advantage of whatever time we might have in the parks. Caroline’s eyes grew very big when she realized where she was going. By the time we got to the lobby, she was vibrating with excitement.

We lucked out that our room was ready when we got there so we checked in and got the luggage to the room. I went out to the balcony and there were gazelles and a giraffe out on the savannah. I called Caroline out to the balcony and pointed out the animals. She spent most of her time that we were in the room on the balcony watching the animals. She took her camera and got plenty of pictures but she also just sat and observed. Peter took a short nap while Caroline and I went to get breakfast and explore the rest of the lodge. I took her out to Arusha rock so she could see the whole area that the animals were in. She was enchanted by the whole thing. She impressed one of the Disney cast members who was there to provide information about the animals as to her knowledge about the animals she was seeing.

After getting breakfast sorted out, we went off to the Magic Kingdom where it promptly started to rain. Most of this visit was either in the rain or dodging raindrops but that’s OK we still had fun. While we were walking we saw a sign in Liberty Square recruiting people for Merlin’s Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. We inquired and Caroline found herself playing the game. She started reluctantly because she wasn’t sure about it but by the end of the day she was having a lot of fun as long as she wasn’t getting pushed out of the way by the adults. (I was appalled at the behavior of most of the adults playing the game but that’s a rant for another day.) I have to say thank you to the cast members who added to her card collection that day. She had a lot of fun.

We went over the Epcot hoping to see a friend’s show but the rain cancelled it. Instead Caroline had great fun coloring with Alice from Alice in Wonderland and talking about rabbits and tea and jabberwocky(ies). We caught up with our friend and had a nice chat that ended too soon. We got back to the lodge and some more friends joined us including Caroline’s best friend in Orlanda. The girls went out on the balcony and watched the animals while the adults sat in the air conditioning and caught up on various things. We had dinner at Jiko which was an amazing taste experience. It was one of those dinners that lasted a couple of hours as we conversed and ate and was quite enjoyable. We parted company and got some sleep with the sounds of the animals outside.

We went back to the Magic Kingdom so Caroline could complete her quest. She had done 5 of the 9 senarios. So we did the other 4 while riding a couple of rides along the way including Buzz Lightyear. She also saw the opening of the Magic Kingdom for the first time that she could remember. We had fun but it was time to drive home. So we did and got home in time for school on Thursday.

Now we have to unpack and all those little things that one needs to do when getting back from vacation.

It was nice to get away for a little while. It was great seeing Shana and Tim and our Disney buddies. My mother once told me that the right length for a vacation was one that left you wanting more but happy with what you did do. And this was definitely one of those vacations.

I am grateful for all the fun we had during our travels.

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Posted By Kathleen David on May 27, 2012

I think the last time we went on a vacation not attached to a convention, some dire weather formed and was a problem. We are paying attention to the weather outside our window and the weather reports to see what is going to happen next with this storm and how it is going to effect our plans to go home.

Had a lot of fun yesterday. We went to the Catty Shack, which is a rescue place for large wild cats and a few other animals. We went to see the five tiger cubs that they had recently acquired. Caroline had a blast and a half. She took a lot of pictures with her camera and had fun just looking at the cats. Many of which were awake and moving around but by the time that we left, they were mostly asleep. The ranch was celebrating the birthday of Freddy the Lion who is now seven years old. The animals are happy enough and interact well with the humans. We also found a good use for our old bowling balls because the big cats love to play with them. If you are in the area of Jacksonville and haven’t been there, it is worth the trip. Information can be found on their webste here.

After finishing up our visit to see the big cats, we dropped Shana and Caroline off at the Sun-Ray Cinema because Caroline was going to spend the night with Shana so Peter and I could eat a meal without worrying if there was something on the menu that Caroline would eat. We had our anniversary dinner at Ruth Chris Steakhouse and it was very nice. It was just pleasant to spend some time in each other’s company where we could totally focus on each other even though we spend a majority of the time talking about the kids and work. We discovered that this is our steel anniversary so I am going to get Peter a very nice sword.

Today plans are a little iffy due to the weather. So we are going with the flow. Might go see MIB 3 again this afternoon.

I am grateful to everyone who made our anniversary so nice for us.

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Posted By Kathleen David on May 26, 2012

Dear Peter,

Another year has passed and I love you more than I did a year ago. This year has had its up and downs. There have been some great, incredible ups and some seriously down downs but we have gotten through it with each other to support the other and have the other’s back. We have laughed together, cried together, held each other and had a lot of fun.

This year for our anniversary we decided, at pretty much the last minute, to come on down to Jacksonville so Caroline and I could see the Sun-Ray Cinema and Shana and Tim. Today we have plans to go with the girls and see a big cat sanctuary called the Catty Shack and see the animals there. Caroline is looking forward to this. Yesterday we saw MiB 3 (Men in Black 3) at Shana and Tim’s movie theater and had a really good dinner there. It was funny seeing the scene that we saw shot under the FDR drive in context and on the big screen. This is the first family vacation we have taken that has not been attached to a convention in a very long time.

I want you to know that I appreciate all that you do for me and for our family. You love and support me in what I want to do. We collaborate on different things and can use each other as a sounding board and know that we will get honest answers from the other party about our work. I trust your judgment and you have a good eye for the visual as well as the written word.

You know when I need a break and you take over things that needed to be done and get them done. It makes me feel loved that I know I don’t have to worry that things won’t be done if I can’t get to them. You know me both the good and the bad parts of me and accept both. You know when to just let me alone and when to be there for me. I know that I can trust you with anything. There are times that you know me better than I know myself.

Life is very much an adventure with you. We do cool things and met cool people. There are times that I sit back and look at what is going on around me and I smile because never in my life did I expect to be where I am and who I am with.

Our Caroline is turning into a lovely young lady. She has self confidence and self-esteem that you helped build in here. I love just watching the two of you together. I love it when you are working while sitting on the couch and she is curled up next to you with her head on your side. It is a sight that brings warmth to my heart. She trusts us to be there for her and I know in my heart of hearts that we always will be.

You were commenting the other day how we have gotten to the shorthand part of our relationship where we finish each other’s sentences, say things at the same time, or convey what we mean with fewer word because the other party is already finished the sentence in their head correctly. That is comforting to me. We are in sync on so many things.

We still teach each other things which is nice that after 11 years we have things that we didn’t know about the other person. And we learn things together.

That word “together” really sums us up. We are together and enjoy being together each day of our married life. And together I am sure we will achieve so much more over the coming years.

I love you Peter David and I am proud to be your wife.

Love-
Kath

PS: I am so very grateful to have you in my life.

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Posted By Kathleen David on May 24, 2012

We have a possum that has set up shop in the garage. The only way I figure this out is I saw it climb into the garage through a space that it created. So now we are trying to get rid of the possum. We found a pest control group that deals with these sorts of critters and lets them out in the wilderness as long as they show no signs of disease. So far we got one possum but it was not our garage possum. This morning I think we got a raccoon. Don’t feel like finding out right now.

This weekend is our 11th wedding anniversary, Saturday to be precise. It has felt both a long and short period of time. 10 years ago we were headed to Italy with the knowledge that I was pregnant. As Peter put it the only people who knew at the time were our immediate families and 300 Italian Star Trek Fans. Hard to believe that Caroline is turning 10 this year. Again the time is long and short.

Kings vs. Rangers would be a very interesting Stanley cup match up. I am torn about the Celtics and 76ers match. I wouldn’t be but Will Smith is a minority owner of the 76ers and he is a really nice guy. Mets won and are doing fairly well this season. My beloved Orioles are in first place.

We had another round of alpha cat in the house. Stalin is still the ruler of all he sees but the others gave a good go at it. Fig even joined in this time. Not because she wanted to but the two greys were beating up on her and she wasn’t going to run and hide this time. I have to deal with the cat boxes today all ways a joy. I need to do it before it starts to rain today and deal with the lawn as well. Then grocery shopping and some other errands. Busy Day.

Peter and I have something special and we are both grateful that we have each other in good times and bad. I am grateful that I have such a wonderful husband.

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