Not a boring week

Some weeks end the same way they start – a blur of nothing.

I can not say that for this past week, it has been a week of the unexpected, like some cosmic force is here to shake everything up and see where things land.

Our geek friends from NY came to dinner and left us with wireless internet. This in a house that 2 months ago had still been on dial-up because we live in an area not deemed populous enough to warrant modern conveniences. Like cable.  Which brings me to –  

I lost American Idol, oh the horror!  Our local Fox station decided to convert to digital early, and since we do not get cable and only have a dish that cannot see the local channel satellite because of the trees, we have been using an antenna to get those and – ah – you know what happened. So we need to get a digital-to-analog converter and hope to god that works or I will be at my mother’s house every Tuesday night.

I sent out a bunch of screenplay queries on Tuesday afternoon [remember snail-mail?] and on Thursday afternoon I get this phone call from California – can you send us your script? Woo hoo! I got that baby out yesterday.

My father had surgery on his face a week ago because his prior skin cancer had come back – or maybe it is a new one in the same place – and it was apparently very large because he had to get back on the table 3 times. And they stitched him up from his  cheek to his hairline. And we found out yesterday after he saw the doctor to get the stitches removed that the kind he had was the least scary one – it was basil cell carcinoma. Whew, whew, whew.

A friend of mine from high school found me, and I found another old friend from years ago in NYC. I love it when that happens.

I endured a mediocre restaurant and a mediocre concert last night. Sometimes life has to go back to mediocre, if even for one night.

My husband woke up in such pain this morning that he called the dentist at home at 8:00 on a Saturday morning and we met him at his office for an emergency root canal and now he is on massive pain killers and soaking with hot salt water.

Some other friends that we have not seen in 2 years for no reason at all other then they now live an hour away from us called out of the blue and we are seeing them tomorrow. Noon. [If the husband is painless by then – the meds do not appear to be working.]

Like I said, not a boring week.

Not sitting on the porch

The thing about blogging is – when there is much to blog about, there is no time to blog. The past few weeks have been rather hectic. So this is catch-up.

– We hosted a party Dec. 11 – work folks. 15 people. Prep included cleaning the house, I mean, a real, bend down and mop the floors, scrub 5 toilets, dust the woodwork cleaning. In the process, I did something to my back and the next day –

– Drove to New Jersey to the Clay Aiken concert, which did not help the back any. Met friends for dinner at The Quiet Man, met the Christmas Tree at Rock Center, met Nancy, workshop friend at the wine bar, walked into the men’s room, drove back home in time for –

– Friends’ arrival for a visit the weekend of Dec 21. Old friends, 30 year old friends, with their 2 teenage kids. They arrived at 2 am. Dinner Saturday night was interupted by a call from the ex boyfriend to one of said friends, he was on the road to North Carolina with wife, 3 kids and dog, and the car broke down – near my house. They are stuck 15 miles from my house with a broken down car til Monday so we met for lunch at a Mexican place (11 of us now), toasted each other with margaritas, and had them over the house. A sight to see – the husband and ex watching the football game together in the upstairs bedroom. What a way to test a marriage.

– Had mom over for Christmas dinner.

– Sister arrives from NY the next day. We all drive down to Florida to visit my father for new years. There are stress-inducing health issues there. The good news – my back appears to be better.

– Home for 2 days, then off to drive to NYC for annual medical tests. Will meet friends for dinner, go to a 5 hour opera (Die Valkure) at the Met, check out the “new” Second Avenue Deli, come home.

We have not been alone since December 21st. We have been living out of a suitcase since Dec 27 (with a 2 day reprive to do laundry.)

I so want to chill on the porch.

Faux camping

The pitter of rain hits the tree tops, with hardly a drop breaking through onto us.  Dusk is falling.  I sit around the campfire, with husband, friend Ira, and the ex-boyfriend, the man I lived with for seven years and have seen twice in the last ten.  It is a cozy scene, that fire burning light onto our faces.  The sips of wine and beer.  The reminiscences – how is so & so doing, how’s your mom, your dad?  And the rain – it never does hit us.

Until – the crackle of the fire is overwhelmed by the crackle of thunder and we run to the picnic table and huddle under the orange tarp hanging from tree to tree.  We are sheltered.

The other wives [Ira’s, the ex’s], the four kids, all girls, ages 6 – 14, return [dare I say from Bingo?]  And now there are 10 of us, all under the tarp, close, very close.   A long discussion on – should we stay or should we go?  It is a given that husband and I are going – we do not camp – but the others have tents set up in this campground just 9 miles from Ira’s house.  There are votes.  Everyone talks over everyone.  The 14 year-old is cutting deals with her dad (my ex).  Or trying to.  Ellen, Ira’s wife, is yelling – “it’s too loud!”, her hands over her ears [she wants to go home.]  Ex is saying to me – “hey you know this would be a great movie scene you should write this.” 

Finally, some decide to go back to the house, some decide to stay.  Ellen & Ira & their daughter will sleep at home, shower, and return to the campground tomorrow.  As will myself and husband, but that was our plan anyway.  The ex and his wife decide to stay.  They are the true campers. 

The rest of us – we are faux campers. 

What’s up?

I heard a song one day that I have not heard in years and it reminded me of Beth, a college roommate of mine senior year when I lived in an off-campus apartment with her and 2 other girls [Ellen and Bobbi].   The last time I saw her we had too many margaritas in some bar in Manhattan on a weeknight before we went our own ways in the working world of NYC.  Maybe 15 years ago?

And I wonder.  I had a lot of good friends in college.  Some in high school too.  And if life had not taken us different ways we would probably still be friends but I do not even know where the hell they are now.  And I would like to say, “What’s up?”

So.  Here is an experiment.  Sometimes people google themselves [I have been known to do this.]  I am going to list the names of some old friends that I have “lost.”  If you find yourself on this list, please comment.  I would love to catch up with you.

[My name is Michele by the way…]

And, yeah, those pictures on the top?  The left one is college, the right one is high school.

Beth Bey [shit or is it Beth Bay I always got that mixed up] – hey girl!  Look at my chicken.

Deirdre Dreyfuss – we talked a few years ago.  I lost your number.  We threw a pie at someone once …

Wendy Gardner – we saw each other through boyfriends (Walt – yours.  Dave, Paul – mine.)  There was a gum incident…

Valerie Linck –  we talked a few years ago too… are you running that inn in Vermont yet?

Christopher Park – remember North Campus dorm #7?  The last time I saw you, you gave me a ride on the back of your motorcycle in Berkeley…  do you still idolize Dylan?  Remember Glo?

Lynn Sessa – you emailed me for high school reunion.  I emailed you and it bounced back.  You have a twin. 

Marta Minnerop – we had homeroom together for years.  We cut classes one day and went to Manhattan to see “A Man and a Woman” with French subtitles.  Then we went to Macy’s to shop for shoes.

Yumiko Ikuta – we shared that damn van from Queens.  Every day.  With Augie and Greer. 

Monique Stoehr –  you were my best friend for years, you helped me run away.  And then it was all over.  I am not mad anymore, I hope you are not either.   

That is all for now.  I would add some guys but, well, maybe next time [Milldog, Finkelstein, Dinner bell… okay I am happily married – stop that…]

So, what’s up?

– Michele