"mary, we have to get up."
"What time is it?"
"8:30"
"What time do we have to leave?"
"8:43 if you walk fast to the car."
"So, I can sleep for like eight more minutes and still have time to brush my teeth?"
"Yeah"
"Cool."
We got up, dressed, teeth brushed and out the door in about four minutes. Then we spent some quality time congratulating ourselves on being so low maintenance. Shelly went to work and I walked from her office to the California ScienCenter.
I got there at 9:15. The place didn't open until ten. So, I walked around a bit, and then sat down and watched the schoolchildren on field trips come wandering up. One little girl saw me watching their game (one of those hand games children play when they are waiting for something to happen), and invited me over to play. They taught me their game and I taught them to play "Down By the Banks". The teacher really liked my game.
Right, so I had just become a chaperone on this field trip. For the record, I love children. Love kids. Hate babies. Love kids. Important distinction there. But anyway, I was now a chaperone to these kids. Not only was I a chaperone, I was clearly the cool one.
I had very much fun in the ScienCenter with the kids. Although, I didn't like the whole exhibit on anatomy. I don't think I've ever explained the "pink goo" theory of anatomy here. As far as I am concerned, I am a consciousness in a body which consists of bones, pink goo, blood (around the outside, between the goo and the skin) and skin. I don't ever want to be exposed to whatever is in the pink goo. So, the anatomy section didn't sit very well with me.
Also the live animals in the displays... neat, but not good for the animals when there are five ten year old boys banging on the glass all "Hey! Is that thing alive?"....
Otherwise, the kids and I had a great time. We learned about communication and speed and transportation and geology of CA and other stuff. When they went to get lunch they were all like "Oh no! Didn't you pack your lunch?" and I was like "No, Silly, I didn't know I was joining a field trip" and then a bunch of kids offered to share. I explained that I had to go meet my sister for lunch and hung out while they ate.
Then Shelly and I went and picked her boy up from the airport. From there we went straight to lunch. Which was... interesting. We went to a restaurant specializing in the food from El Salvador. Where everyone only spoke Spanish. Shelly keeps forgetting I don't speak Spanish. She wouldn't order for me and made me point in the menu at what I wanted. But the food was very good...
I'm a little bit annoyed by the way my sister is advertising Kentucky to her friends. For starters, because she's never lived there. She's talking about Cincinnati and calling it "Kentucky". Which isn't fair. She's never lived in Kentucky for real. Just Northern Kentucky. And she talks like Kentuckians are all so backwards, including our family. It's very very very annoying.
Tonight I think is going to mostly be devoted to "Hey! The Boy is here!" and getting ready for the big dinner tomorrow night. Cause we haven't even managed to buy the groceries we're going to need. Mashed potatoes, gravy (vegetarian gravy), and tofurkey. We're buying the pie. Surely we can manage those three simple items. Well, surely Shelly's Boy can. Although there has been talk of going out dancing tonight.
Last night we went to some club and I had a cosmopolitan that was clearly just vodka with color. It was *so* strong. And Shelly managed to get two drinks for free (she did all the ordering). It was fun. I think she's just about over the bad meeting. She's reached the point at which she's angry at her superiors for not helping her more and not managing to throw some constructive criticism her way until *after* she'd managed to "fail".
The current drama is that tomorrow night.... my sister is having ten guests. She only has two forks. She has five chairs. She has three plates. I'm not sure what she plans to do about that. The chairs aren't important, but the forks and plates kinda are.....
