They're predicting 100 degrees for today.Here's where the house-work stands:
- I have not heard from the people who need to come and put in the new doors. If I can't get them today, I'll live. It'll be easier once I know K's hours at work anyway.
- I can't get Ikea on the phone to get a tracking number and shipping information gfor the piece I ordered for her room.
- I went to Home Depot as soon as I got up and got the sundries I need to paint the basement stairwell. When I got home, I blue-taped all the edges and removed all the hooks and whatnot hanging on the walls in there. When I get up tomorrow, I'll do all the brush-painting. If I do the roller-painting the next day, then I only have to lock up the cats for that.
- I have actually made spoken contact with a living electrician today, and have made firm plans for him to be here Monday morning at 8:30. You know pretty much how that's gonna go.
- K and I went to the Container Store when she got up and we got the shelves for her room. They're still in my car.
In other news, the Great Grown-Up Sisters Competition continues. They are fucking crazy. And although I know that some of this is done by them tongue-in-cheek, there is always a hint of real meaning behind what they say. I can't tell you how much easier it was when one or the other of them wasn't here. They did some of this nonsense at dinner last night. Here's the plan for today:
It's 12:15. K will be leaving for work at 2:30, and will have to do hair, make-up, etc. before then. (This is a fairly lengthy routine with her.) R has just called. She's leaving the doctor's office (all is well) and is on her way here. She has some errands to do, which I may do with her. (In other words, she has places to go and I will be driving.) K made a remark about us going to Trader Joe's without her, even though she's never been to Trader Joe's.
Reference #5, above, where I took surly, just-awakened K to the Container Store and bought $300 worth of furniture for her room, which I've just had painted, carpeted, and bought new sheets and a comforter for.
When she made the remark about "Well, I've never been to Trader Joe's," which she did with a cute sort of smile/smirk, I said, "You know, you're grown-ups now, the two of you. I think maybe it's time for all that to be over with."
Did the Sibs and I ever do this shit? I am searching my memories, and the answer is, No. We did other shit -- still do -- but not this. If my parents gave her a big chunk of money for something, I thought, "Hey, cool for her. I guess they'll give me something when I need it." And vice-versa. (Although she would have liked the trip to Europe I got at 21, but it was a cheap trip, and they were planning a big wedding for her at the time.) It's not just money, of course, because that's not really what kids are ever competing over. It's attention. That's really what it is with my kids; which one of them is getting more mom-time? What are they, four? Anyway, when I was first married and my sister had twins/went into a coma/woke up with amnesia, and my mother quit her job and moved into her house for 8 months (until both twins slept through the night), was I jealous? Well, I would have liked a little more time to consult with mom on things, as a newlywed, like, How long do I bake a potato for? and stuff like that, but of course, she was available to me at my sister's house. But mostly? I thought, how cool that we have a mother who will quit her job and help us like that, either one of us. (And I also thought, of course, thank god she is not living with me for any reason. You know what I mean.)
Bottom line, my sister and I were not competetive for my parents' attention. In those last few awful years, we would both have been happy to be invisible, but we each took our share of the load to preserve the other one's sanity.
This isn't really going anywhere, except that I'm not finding this whole kids thing to be a relaxing aspect of my 50s. I'm just saying.
