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Family MattersWhen our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them. But when they are away, we console ourselves for their absence by dwelling on their vices. |
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Thursday, July 22, 1999
One year ago: Swing Fever
Two years ago: Digressions are Sunshine
It's been too long since I've seen my sister M---- and her family, so I called her from work today, and suggested I stop by on my way home. We chatted and laughed as she cooked lentils and rice, and I brought her up to date on what I've been up to.
My younger nephew B---- has mastered riding a two-wheeler in the past few days. My sister said he'd been out yesterday morning, tooling steadily up and down the block. Like my sister, he's a strong-willed person, and when he's set on a path very little will turn him from it.
We sat down to eat, but my presence made B--- rather excited; he kept popping up from his chair for one reason or another, despite admonishment. Salsa made the lentils and rice very tasty!
After dinner, I showed my nephews the new Weird Al site, and they listened to his new song and looked at the blurred, postage-stamp video. My older nephew J---- already knew most of the song by heart, although he insisted it was "My, My, Mister Anakin guy" instead of "This here Anakin guy." B---- didn't want his mother to laugh at all; he didn't realize it was supposed to be funny! We also looked at some Pokemon websites. J--- seemed to get a kick out of studying the screenshots of all the variant Pokemon electronic games and identifying the pocket monsters. One site even had images of an illegal game, spotted in Singapore, where someone had taken an old Smurfs Gameboy horizontal shooter and inserted Pikachu images instead!
My brother-in-law wanted me to investigate a problem: when he wrote an email letter to the editor of the New York Times, the computer would sometimes disconnect from the net! He wasn't able to repro this behavior while I was there, though. I think he might have been confused by the series of status dialogs that appear when you click on an email link and don't have the email program already open; it's a different experience than when you compose email in the usual way. I was amused that one of the letters he'd sent in the past few days (and one to which he especially drew my attention) was commenting on an essay about how the fact that sixty percent of the U.S population isn't online yet, was really not such a bad thing. That fits right in with my brother-in-law's deep concern about the online world. Why this is something he views with alarm, I don't yet quite understand.
It was a fun visit! J--- is now on the second of the Harry Potter books, after really enjoying the first one that I gave him for his birthday.
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I spent a long time on the phone with Jack tonight, before getting ready for my trip to Portland tomorrow. He'd sent me mail yesterday, but only to my work address and I didn't get to the office yesterday. His daughter A----, on the run for quite a while, was in Harborview Hospital after taking a bunch of LSD. So he drove down yesterday and took her to his house in Bellingham.
So she's not on the street, and she's safe, but she is still being a royal pain to be around. Jack is really down about it. He spent the day today arranging for her to be seen by a physician, and talking to the parole officer. She's still shrieking, yelling, stomping around, tantrumming. Having someone in your home who's proved herself entirely untrustworthy isn't a situation that can continue for long.
It makes me sad that there isn't anything I can do to help here, except listen. Jack isn't in a place where he can listen to suggestions; says he's tried them all.
For me personally, I wonder when I'll get a chance to see Jack and spend time with just him, alone? I don't think that will be happening soon.
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So I've packed my clothes for a dancing excursion to Portland. I'll be staying with Vicki Jean, which will be grand fun!
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