i have always been just lazy enough of a person that when rain forces me to hunker down at home, i'm pleased. i smile inside, and parts of me say, "ahhhhhhhh."

but you know what? I'm sick and tired of hunkering down at home. i'm sick of plans being cancelled, picnics being rained out, softball being almost non-existent. i think that more than 1/2 of the girls' games and practices were canceled this spring.

i'm sick of being damp. i'm sick of shoes drying out by the front door. i'm sick of peeling jeans off myself the second i walk in the door. i'm sick of the warm icky greenhouse feeling of my rain slicker.

today - we didn't let the rain get us down. we had plans, and we stuck with them. Thing Two and I went to a fancy lunch out, and Beloved took Thing One over to Cambridge for some yummy burgers and I think a museum exploration. some random museum at some college? i guess there's a college over in Cambridge? not sure what it's called. [oh wait, it must be that one where 85% of attorneys and summer associates i work with come from ......]

Thing Two and i went to a puppet show. And we bought some craft materials, and we bought shoes, and we bought books.

I did a very stupid thing, which I seem to be doing a lot of lately. I left my ATM card in the machine after making a deposit. I do not know why. I just did. I didn't realize it until I got to the restaurant, and we were already short on time, but I thought I couldn't just leave it there, and things were so quiet while we were out, I thought there was a chance that no one had been there (the bank) since I left. So I make Thing Two abandon our table, and we ran back. It was gone. People were in there, they said others were in before they were, it was gone.

I guess I should call the bank.

Then, at the restaurant, I got lasagna, and the middle of it was cold. This pissed me off, b/c it first drove home the realization that it was NOT fresh (duh), and second because, well, my food was cold. and i didn't have time to send it back and get new, b/c we already bought tickets to the puppet show. So when the waiter came by and asked "is everything alright?" I told him that my lasagna was cold in the middle. I just couldn't hold my tongue. I already thought he was treating me like I was a weirdo, b/c I had been seated, then dashed out (to find my card), and then returned. I told him I didn't have time for him to get it reheated, but that the kitchen should know that they need to heat it up for longer.

He shortly returned to tell me that the lasagna was removed from my bill.

So I gave him a big tip. "Weirdo" looks and all.

We were sad b/c our local kids' shoe store is closing. Going out of business - death to another independently owned retail establishment. I really liked the place :( I like locally owned non-chain places. I feel good paying a wee bit more than I perhaps would on Zappos if I know that it's going to a small business. But it's going away. I bought Thing Two some new sneakers, and I picked up a really cute pair of Teva flip-flops for Thing One.

THEN, at the puppet show, I was feeling snarky.

We have this very cool artsy puppet theater in town. The people who run it take their puppets VERY seriously, and they have some puppets in glass cases that are works of art by "puppet masters." They give kids a little lecture at the end about different types of puppets, and show them how they work. it's very cool.

We'd been there just during an open house festival thing that our town does around Thanksgiving called "First Lights" where all the holiday lights are first lit up, and all the stores open up, and serve cider, and Dunkin' Donuts is the starting point where they pass out bags with goodies from different stores and stuff. Very cool, actually.

Even though I'd always meant to go back to the puppet theater, we never did. I wanted to do something special with Thing Two, since Thing One accompanied me to the theater to see a play earlier in the week, and this is what we thought to do.

The show was Shoemaker and the Elves, and was said to be for ages 4-9. There was a b-day party there. Lots of kids, b/c it's for kids!! Right?

So then why was I so irritated when a woman came in with her 18 month old (maybe younger), who was scared of the dark, and cried and cried and cried? Her response to his crying? Well, of course --- the most reasonable thing - narrate the show into his ear in a much louder than normal speaking voice. isn't that what all people do? And when he still doesn't stop crying? Oh -- go to the window where the theater staff/owners have placed a heavy black curtain and STAPLED it to the window frame, and yank the staples out so you can open it IN THE MIDDLE OF A SHOW to show your child that it's light outside.

Perfectly reasonable.

I'm sure it was very hard for her. She had a 5 year old who was engrossed in the show, and a baby who hated being there. But even the kids (4-9 year olds) in the room were visibly agitated that the ENTIRE show had the soundtrack of a crying child. Isn't there a point? Somewhere before the end of a show, where you realize that there are others in the room? Other people to whom your baby's crying has NOT become a normal sound? who have NOT learned to tune it out, no matter how good you yourself have gotten at doing just that?

Thing Two and I had a great time together. She's a great kid -- fun to be with, and has a good sense of humor. she makes me laugh a LOT. I believe I will keep her.

Next week, she goes off with Beloved, and Thing One and I will watch Pirates of the Carribean (the first one) and eat sushi. Good sushi. mmmmmm.

posted by Zuska @ 5:05 PM

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