No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on November 23, 2010

So there I was waiting for the train to get into the city for the SFWA Holiday Party. I had it all planned out when a voice over the loudspeaker informed us of equipment problems on the tracks. I waited to see if the problem could be solved but the ticking clock told me that this was getting absurd. I was going to spend more time on the train than I could at the party.

So I went home and then to bowling where we did better because I was there. And the twitch in my sinuses during into a full blown seriously painful headache. Still have the vestiges of it this morning. I would have been very miserable at the party and even more so on the train. There seems to be a cosmic reason I didn’t get on a train.

Today is getting ready for Thursday. I am going to venture into the store and get the supplies we need for a family dinner on Thanksgiving. I know what everyone likes so I am planning accordingly. The division of labor is that Peter does the Turkey, Ariel and Caroline make the dessert, and I do all the sides.

There is also the cleaning of the dining room to be done. And various other things that we try to do before the holiday.

What we are NOT going to do is shop the day after Thanksgiving. I plan to hole up in the house and do other things. The malls are already crazy with the pre-holiday doorbusters and I am almost afraid that someone is going to get hurt on Friday trying to get that cheap Flat Screen TV or Nintendo system.

The Weather is encouraging me to do things outside today. The problem is that I can’t rake leaves like I usual do since they are repaving in front of our house as I type this. So maybe I’ll put up the Holiday lights for all to see.

I am grateful for pleasant weather right before a holiday.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 22, 2010

For the SFWA Holiday Fete. I was of two minds about this but I think I am going to go this year. I have some people I need to talk to and some I want to talk to which outweigh the few that are going to be there that I am trying to avoid. There are a couple that are trying to avoid me but I really don’t care.

Social situations are interesting studies in human behavior. I still like going to them and watching the dynamics around me ebb and flow. There is the knowing that a few people won’t be there this year because they are no longer on this mortal coil and some others because they got out of the business entirely. Nametags are handed out which is nice because I am really good at faces and the context that I last saw them but names can elude me.

Also sometimes it is just good for me to get out of the house and back among my peers. We are not isolated here by any stretch but we do tend to stick to the house a bit. Of course a lot of the work that we do has to be done here. All my tools and fabric are here. Peter can write anywhere given a laptop and a flat surface but he likes his office because he had it designed for him and he has it set up just so for him.

We are being a little more social than usual this year. We have a couple of appointments set up to see friends who are coming to New York for various reasons so it is nice catching up with them outside the convention circuit.

I am grateful for chances to talk to people.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 21, 2010

It was a very nice day. The weather was good fall feeling weather but not too cold which made walking around the city very comfortable.

We started at the Central Park Zoo. We have a membership with the zoo so getting in is quick and painless if you have your card. We couldn’t find our updated cards so we went to the membership window and got a substitute and waltzed right in.

Caroline and one of the Sealions at the Central Park Zoo

They have a new section since we had been there with a couple of snow leopards, a red panda, and the snow monkeys among other animals from that region. That section feels more like the Atlanta zoo with habitat for the animals to hide in if they don’t want to deal with people. The snow leopards didn’t so we didn’t see them until the second time we went through that part of the zoo.

We walked through remembering the first time we took Caroline to that zoo oh so many years ago (in two weeks she turns 8 years old).

After that we walked to where we had arranged to meet Brad and George for lunch. It was rather crowded so Brad went to see if he could do better at another place that they both liked. We got in there and had a very good meal with lots of great conversation and laughter.

George, Brad, Peter, and Caroline

It was nice to have one of those long lunches that moves from point A to point B eventually with some diverging conversations. We caught up on news. We told stories about what has happened to us. Caroline had fun talking to George who she kept calling “The Great Ancestor” because George played the character in Mulan. George took it with the good humor he is well known for.

I think sometimes we move so fast through life pinballing from one point to another, we need that sort of stop to bring things back into perspective. Just to take a breath and step back and review. And yesterday at lunch that is just what I got to do.

I am grateful that we had lunch with Brad and George.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 20, 2010

Today we are taking Caroline into the city to the Central Park Zoo (Thank you Zoo Membership!) and to have lunch with our good friends George and Brad. We don’t see them that often so it is always nice to have the chance to get together.

Friends and food are two great things that go great together. Sitting down and breaking bread with people you like makes the meal all the better. If the food is good that is a bonus but the company can make bad food that much better. Good food can’t cover for bad company.

I woke up about 5:40 this morning and after some tossing and turning, I got up so Peter could sleep. I noodled on the Internet a bit. I cleaned up the kitchen while waiting for my coffee to brew. I noodled around on facebook a bit. I read over a couple of communities on Live Journal that I help moderate.

Now I am writing this. Once done with this, I think I will work on another project for about an hour and then get ready to go.

This is all dependent on how late Caroline sleeps today. Once she is up, we start getting ready to go to the city.

I am grateful for good friends and fine food.

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Posted By Kathleen David on November 18, 2010

The Ultimate didn’t happen but then that was dependant on what our friend was doing and it got complicated like is usual does in their line of work. We left it open to when their schedule clears up and, with any luck, before they have to fly home.

So we did a bunch of stuff we hadn’t done in ages together. It was nice just spending some time with my husband in New York City. We had a gander at the new Disney store in Time Square and found ourselves missing the 5th avenue store mightily. The new one is very nice and the decorations are worth a look and it is doing well business wise. However there are only two floors and most of the first floor is NYC Disney merchandise. The 3rd floor (there is no second floor) is divided up in various departments for kids. They do have a cool put together your own Car from Cars station.

Caroline had a grand time with her sitter so she was happy.

This weekend we are meeting another friend in the city for lunch but more on that if it happens.

I am grateful for kitten meeps. She has this funny sound that she makes that sounds like she is saying meeeeeep.

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