"Where Are You?"

When my kids call my cell phone, the first thing they ask after I answer is invariably, "Where are you?" It's not that they want to know where I literally am at that moment. Instead, it's become a sort of cell phone greeting, meaning "So, I reached you... cool... what's up?" Given the mobile medium, it's a perfectly reasonable thing to ask and it's become a staple of the age of mobile electronic communication.

I reminded my kids that it hasn't always been this way. When I was their age, it would have been seen as completely nonsensical to ask "Where are you?" to anyone you had called. There's only one place that person could be -- the room in which they answered the phone that was plugged into the wall! Duh!

They laughed uproariously about that notion, as for them it was as odd and archaic as smoke signals or Morse code! How did anyone get things done?, they wondered. How could you ever leave your house, if that's where your phone was? How could you have true friendships if you had to wait to communicate with them until they were at home? And how did people meet up?

"We PLANNED those things," I told them.

And that's when the uproarious laughter ensued.

"Planned? You planned where and when you'd meet?"

"Yup," I answered. "Sometimes hours or days or even weeks ahead of time."

By this time they were practically on the floor. Inconceivable!

In a time when people speak in generalities ("meet you in Seattle") until the moment of connection ("I'm on 4th and Pine. See you in a sec"), the notion of planning must be an odd one. I can't help but wonder whether this mindset of immediacy has influenced way more than just planning vs impulsiveness in this generation. I believe that it's also why kids wait until the last minute to complete assignments and why they generally live by the seat of their pants.

I'm also concerned that, when it comes right down to it, young people might not turn out at voting booths in the numbers we've heard about. Because you know, that would take planning and setting aside time for a particular task, and this instant gratification generation simply isn't used to that.

Blogging is Easy. Writing is Hard.

I've blogged every day without fail since last October, and if you don't count a lapse of a few days here and there in September when I was in Germany, I've probably blogged daily since last July or so.

When NaMoBloMo came around in November, I was pretty much oblivious to any challenge and, like Dori or Forrest Gump, I just kept going, posting faithfully day after day. I never regarded daily posting an obligation; instead, writing was a very enjoyable addiction of sorts, even a form or meditation or therapy for me.

Recently, though, I've stopped writing. I've continued to blog, but I really can't say that I've written much -- certainly not much of substance. And I've begun to feel an obligation to post daily. This is all self-inflicted, of course, but it's taken away some of the joy of blogging for me.

I want to get back to writing -- and that might mean a little less blogging. Life is crazy-busy these days, and if I continue down this path I'll not only continue to lose readership (where did everyone go?!), I'll enjoy myself less and less and I might even (gasp!) eventually stop blogging. Which means I'd stop writing -- and that's something I never want to allow myself to do.

So be patient with me as I take a small step back, perhaps blogging less, but in hopes in hopes of writing more.

It's a Twin Thing

Aleks and Kat are as different as night and day. Mars and Venus. Pebbles and Bam-Bam. But sometimes they are so in-synch with each other that it scares me!

I can't think of the last time either of them over-slept. With no help from me, they are ready for school and out of the house by 6:30 AM every single day, like clockwork. Without a word, they wake up, get ready and walk out the front door, with the closing door usually being the first thing I hear in the morning.

This morning when I got up at 6:30, the house was quiet as usual. I assumed Aleks and Kat had already left for school and that for some reason I didn't hear them leave. It was only a few minutes later that I realized that Aleks' bedroom door was still closed. I knocked and was surprised to see him sleeping soundly in his bed.

"Aleks? It's 6:40..."

He bolted up.

I then hurried downstairs to Kat's room where I found her door closed as well. She, too, had overslept! And she too bolted up. They met in the kitchen a few minutes later, grabbing the bagels and cream cheese I'd thrown together for them, and just looked at each other, knowingly.

"Weird," Kat said.

"Really," Aleks agreed.

And then they left. Together, as usual. Both late, both sleepy, and both somehow so connected.

Vampires Would Hate Me

A few weeks ago when I had eye surgery, my veins decided to hide. After I walked into the operating suite and "jumped onto the table," per the nurse's instructions (yeah, it struck me as a little odd too!), the anesthesiologist proceeded to do his thing, which included finding a vein into which to inject whatever it was that would put me to sleep. I was fine with him hunting all over my arms and poking me here and there on both arms and both hands, but the constant, "Damn, I don't know why I can't get this!" and "Finding a vein shouldn't be this difficult!" started to get to me after a while and finally I requested that they give me some "sleepy gas" and then continue the quest for a vein -- which they did.

Turns out that I was pretty severely dehydrated, since I'd been fasting since midnight and the surgery was at 4 PM, and that's why they had a such hard time finding a vein.

You'd think I'd have learned my lesson!

Today I went for my regular OB/GYN check-up and because of Mom's ovarian cancer, part of my check-up is a blood screening for ovarian cancer, called a CA-125. (Which, actually, isn't a good screening tool at all for the normal population, but because I'm considered "at risk," I have a CA-125 test yearly.) I should just have the damn ovaries out, but I'm just not ready yet. I know they're done doin' their duty, but there's something about having those out that bothers me and I'm simply not ready yet.

But that's another post.

So.

I'm sitting there, ready for the blood draw. Now, blood draws don't normally bother me a bit. I'm not one of those people who gets squeamish about them and they're usually a piece of cake.

Today, not so much.

Turns out that it was almost 2 PM and I hadn't had any water (or any liquid except a cup of coffee) since the previous evening. You'd think I'd learn! So, yup! They can't find my veins. First one plebotimist and then another, both inserting the needle, then maneuvering it all over, looking for an "in." But the "in" never came, no matter how hard they tried.

So, with needle marks up and down my arms, I'll head back tomorrow morning to try the whole thing again! But tonight I'll be drinking water. Lots and lots of water!

Sleeping In on Sunday Morning

Is this pathetically cute, or what?! (Or maybe it's just pathetic...)

Seattle Sites by Kat

Microsoft Acronyms & Lingo

Busy weekend!
Must familiarize myself with a list of about 1200 acronyms used on a regular basis at Microsoft, as well as with this helpful "Microsoft Lexicon"that I found on the web.

Sure I've worked there twice before as an "orange badge" (look it up!), but now as a v-dash (look it up!), I need to get up to speed very quickly again.

It kinda feels a bit like jumping back into the rabbit hole!

The Upside to Empty Nest...

...if there is one, is that these three bedrooms will look decidedly different once they're no longer occupied on a regular basis by Peter, Kat and Aleks. In fact, they won't be allowed to leave home until their rooms are cleaned, tidied and pristined, ready for Couch Surfing guests, if we so desire!






I know, I'm a mean mom. But for many, many years I have respected the idea that the kids' bedrooms are their own spaces and, other than food and drink not being allowed there on a long-term basis, I'm pretty hands-off. That said, I have always told them that I reserve the right to search their rooms unannounced, should I ever suspect dangerous drug use and therefore have a reason to do so. I'm happy to say that I have never secretly searched any of their rooms. (Yes, I am aware that Kat has an empty Jack Daniels box, Peter has a beer poster...)

But now I want my house back, and that means five clean, orderly bedrooms. Is that too much to ask?

Oh... and -- this?



Um, yeah. That's our room, taken this morning. In the spirit of parental transparency, I guess it's only fair to post this because -- well, hey, it was a busy week, OK? It's not like I'll insist that it was a busy TEN years (about the length of time since any of the kids have given their rooms a good cleaning)! But I'll clean it... right now, in fact, because Christel, the German housekeeper I hope to hire today, is coming by to see what she'll be dealing with. I have a feeling she'll be happy to hear that I don't expect her to set foot in any bedroom but ours!

Oh, and while I was at it, I took a picture of Kat and her new boyfriend, Stevo. Are they cute, or what?!