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Pre-Birthday
He who is in love is wise and is becoming wiser, sees newly every time he looks at the object beloved, drawing from it with his eyes and his mind those virtues which it possesses.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Monday, May 29, 2000
One year ago: An Ideal Husband
Two years ago: Short Subjects
Three years ago: Dark Convictions
I got up early today (for a weekend day) to drive up to Bellingham. It was grand to have almost no traffic on the road. If only it could always be that way! It would take one of those science fiction disasters where ninety percent of the population is disappeared, though, which I wouldn't want to have happen. I laughed when I found Jack still asleep when I arrived at ten o'clock.
Just after Jack got out of the shower, his older daughter A---- called. She said she wants to come back home! Jack figured he couldn't get a bus ticket today, on the last day of the holiday weekend, but he told her he'd arrange for her to pick up a ticket for tomorrow.
Wow! If she really comes back it changes plans for the summer. Jack wanted his younger daughter H---- to come up and spend a long time with him, but could she still do that and share a room with A----? (Could she stand it?) Jack also had an idea about a trip to Disneyland with H---- and me, but that will probably go to by the wayside. A---- still has legal problems to face and a year of school missed, also. But the way for her to put her life back on track is to start, one step at a time. But how to prevent the same patterns happening when she and her dad are in the same house again?
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We drove to Fairhaven, because Jack was in dire need of coffee. We ended up having lunch at the Colophon Cafe -- a good name for a cafe inside a bookstore, or is it a bookstore/cafe combo? That combination is not uncommon. I have to say my salad didn't taste that great, since the lettuce was coarse and bitter. We completed our business at the bus station (which is also the Amtrak station and the Alaska ferry terminal -- clever!), then walked around looking at the boats. Jack picked up info on renting boats. We should do that this summer.
At the mall, I found that the movie showtime must not have been quite correct on the webpage we checked before leaving the house. Shanghai Noon started at two fifteen, and tickets were selling fast, according to the box office guy. Jack had already gone ahead to the video store, so I went quickly to fetch him. He went ahead and buy two Bubblegum Crises videos, and we made it in time after walking briskly back to the theater.
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A large family, including a tiny girl (almost a toddler) sat near us. Jack wanted to get up and move immediately, but I said no. I was wrong! The tyke moved from seat to seat, whined for soda, said she was hot, said she was cold, and so on, throughout the movie. I didn't blame her -- I'm sure it wasn't her idea to be there! A small latina girl piping up in spanglish behind us added to the mix.
All this hubub didn't ruin the movie for us. Shanghai Noon was funny! I especially liked Owen Wilson as Jackie Chan's partner -- he had a real sweetness and low-key daffiness going for him.
Jack developed a headache during the movie, which worried me. We made it through the grocery store, then home for dinner. As we were sitting on the couch, Jack put his arm around me and said some very affectionate things which I appreciated. This was in honor of my birthday which is tomorrow.
I ended up cooking the halibut and preparing the rice, corn and salad (all lowfat stuff because of Jack's gall bladder). We ate while watching the new Bubblegum Crisis video Jack purchased today. Jack's a bigger fan of this series than I am, but it was OK. I was happy to see him enjoying it, since that meant he was feeling a bit better. (Jack is still in pain from the gall bladder attack of a few weeks ago, but he got a letter from his HMO approving the outpatient surgery, which is a relief.)
The second tape started with a boom that gave the subwoofer a workout! It turned out that the levels were too high, causing distortion throught the tape -- it wasn't really watchable!
We were both asleep early, Jack on the couch, and me in the recliner. I'm not used to sleeping there, so we switched in the middle of the night. The next time I'm up there, I want to get the computer equipment cleared from Jack's bed upstairs. I'd rather sleep in a bed, but then I'd be further from Jack if he needs to sleep in the recliner which does seem to be better for his back and his breathing. Sleeping a floor away would make it not very much like spending the night with him.
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