In Which I Return to Blogging and Contemplate Terrifying Unmentionables

Usually, I'm able to give a bit of a heads-up when I expect to be away from blogging. My sister and her 3 year old son were down for a visit this past week-end, but I thought I'd still be able to post now and then. After all, he sleeps a lot, and I'm usually up before the rest of the house. But it was not to be.

They're gone, and I'm back to blogging, even though I'm feeling sad, and I don't like it. My nephew is quite good at telling you about his emotional interior (that language, "I'm feeling this way and I feel that way about feeling this way," is his; it's taken me decades to get as in touch with my feelings as he is with his). I feel sad because he's gone and we had so much fun. I feel sad because Patrick Swayze died, and coupled with the death of John Hughes, I feel like chunks of my adolescence are gone for good. I'm 44 years old, so I'm not happy when people start dropping dead in their 50's, even if they had no impact on my life otherwise. At my back I always hear that winged chariot, but these days, I'm feeling the hot breath of the charioteer.

My nephew gives me all sorts of insight for how to beat those feelings. We spent nights whirling and dancing around the living room to various soundtracks (Grease is great for dancing, no surprise, but so is Godspell), as well as 80's music (that strong dance beat that I hated when hearing it on radios everywhere, also makes for great dancing). We sat in wet sand and built castles. We shot water at imaginary fires. We went to Taco Bell, where he was thrilled with cheap food. We ate bacon for breakfast every day. We had secret movie night, even in the daytime.

The only thing I would have done differently? We went to see Curious George at Books and Books down in Miami. In retrospect, I see how foolish I was. I had this vision of 10 kids, us, Curious George, looking through books, and eating in the cafe.

Ha! Double ha, ha! It was a mob scene. We were supposed to form 2 lines to have our pictures made with Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat, but the concept of 2 lines seemed impossible to these pushy, rude parents and their rambunctious children. It was horrible. I wanted to shout, "Would you behave this way if you were waiting to see Santa Clause?" They probably would. Of course, Santa travels with more elves to help keep everyone in line (literally and metaphorically).

But aside from that blip, it was a great week-end. Now I'll return to regular blogging. Later this week, I'll write up my thoughts on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I'll call your attention to an article that compares the college system in the U.S. to the state of the newspaper industry (it's not just me feeling panicky). There are certainly other issues I'll think about, both mentionable and unmentionable. Stay tuned!