Go Bucs!!

Christmas

Thanks

I had a marvelous holiday weekend with friends and family and now it's almost over, and D and the G/f have gone back to school, and the Christmas tree is up, and there's only one tiny container of turkey left in the fridge. All is as it should be.

Sissy and I went out Friday night, for Ultimate Class Reunion Party Night in Hooterville, and while I didn't really see anyone from out of town that I haven't seen in forever (like I usually do) I did run into one of D's roommates. Which was weird. The boys are 21 now. I still can't get used to that. The roommate pulls his phone out of his pocket and calls D and says, "Hey, guess who I'm talking to? Your mom."

We moved on to an even more crowded bar up the street and I called D on my cell phone and told him where we were. Sissy shouted in the background, "Tell him to come down. Tell him we have money!" And the next thing I know, my kid is out with us. At a bar. With a beer in his hand. Legal. He drove me home.

I can't help thinking that if you do your job right as a parent, you wind up with a kid who is smart and sweet and gentle and caring and funny and interested and interesting to talk to and fun to be around, a good friend, and just in general, mutherfarking amazing. But I know that's pretty much a load of crap.

I actually have no idea how it happened. I just thank my lucky stars that my son turned out to be such a great guy.

Numbers

Today is my only brother's birthday and we had a tiny family shindig at my house to celebrate. Sissy and the kids across the street came over with brownies and candles and I made pizza and bro brought salad and we drank beer and had pretty much fun, for a family that's still trying to find our equilibrium after the loss of our parents five years ago.

Tonight was a numbers game....for example:

Number of years big bro has lived on this earth: 49

Number of hands little one-and-a-half year old nephew has: At least 15

Number of times little nephew started my dishwasher: At least 15

Number of times we lit the birthday candle so all children present (2) could have a turn to blow it out: 4

Number of times kitty came in the house and said, "WTF, I'm outta here," and went back outside: 3

Number of times I went to the fridge and got myself a beer: I'm going to guess 12, but I'm thinking that might be conservative estimate

Number of times the adults went out on the smoking porch to light up: Not nearly enough

Number of times Dora The Explorer chattered loudly from my computer while the adults were trying to talk: 67

Number of times I shut the bi-fold doors to the living room to lock little nephew in with us so someone could keep him from climbing into the Kitty Carry-All or starting the dishwasher: 42

Number of hours my family was at my house tonight: 2? They were only here for 2 hours????

Number of times Sissy looked at little nephew and said to me, "He's tough, isn't he?": 4 million

Amount of love I have for these people who happen to be related to me; who have to love me no matter what, and who I have to love no matter what: Infinity...and then a whole lot more.