Will’s Dad left for his drive back to Texas yesterday morning.  His youngest sister is due to spend part of Monday and most of Tuesday (if not all) with us and then we will be company-free for a while.  Thank God.

After Will’s Dad left I stood in my living room marvelling at the lack of sound.  Will’s Dad is hard of hearing so he always turns up the television to top volume.  He also puts his cell phone on speaker, turns it up all the way and holds it to his ear.  Then, because it sounds to him like the people on the other end of the line are shouting, he starts shouting back.  I’m currently trying to figure out just how many cookies I need to make to offer up to my neighbors as apology gifts for our loudness over the last week.

I’ve been trying to come up with a way to describe the last week.  It wasn’t all bad.  We took Will’s Dad to the Aviation Museum in McMinnville, IKEA, Powell’s, New Seasons Market, Voodoo Doughnuts, Hot Lips Pizza, and to a couple of movies, all of which he really enjoyed.  I think he might even like Powell’s more than I do.  He also bought us the first four Harry Potter books in Hardcover from Powell’s and a new bedspread that I’ve been coveting for months from IKEA.  It was good to show him how we can enjoy parts of the city without living right in it.

Where it got hard was trying to deal the different ways in which we approach life.  Imagine the stereotypical good ol’ boy–racist, loves guns, hates towns with populations over 500, always has to be right.  Now imagine a stereotypical anarchist–hates all laws, wants to go live hundreds of miles away from everyone, wants to live completely off the grid, spends his time researching conspiracy theories, etc.  Now put them into the same person….who will not accept any point of view but his own as relevant or worth entertaining–and who thinks it is fun to poke at people and make fun of them and bully them in the hopes that they’ll tell him he is right just so that he’ll shut up.  His “debates” involve repeating his same points over and over in a louder voice until you give up and walk away.  Now imagine that this person can instantly change from laughing at something to deciding you’re a worthless piece of crap in about two seconds for something that might have been completely beyond your control.  A tilt of the head (because of shower water that got stuck in your ear) can be taken as an insult.

Now imagine that person being in your home for a week.  I’m fairly sure that some of the things he said were just to piss me off in the hopes that I would take his bait and try to argue with him, but it was stressful nonetheless.  I was too scared to joke around with him for fear of pissing him off or having to endure a lecture on why I was wrong for whatever it was I said.  Instead I spent most of the week going “hmm” or talking about subjects so light and fluffy that I’m pretty sure my IQ has dropped a couple dozen points.

Will’s Dad is not a bad guy.  He’s just set in his ways and doesn’t like how quickly the world is changing.  I get the feeling that somewhere inside he’s hoping that if he just plants his feet and refuses to move or accept anything new that the world will turn itself backward on its axis just to accommodate him.  He doesn’t like it when he doesn’t have complete control over a situation and reacts badly when something doesn’t go exactly the way he wanted it to go, which is something that we’ve all gone through ourselves at least once our twice in our lives.

Like I said, the visit wasn’t all bad.  We went to some neat places and I am glad that he found so much to like in the area that Will and I hope to call home for the foreseeable future.  But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved to have our home back to normal for a couple of days.

I’d also be lying if I told you that I didn’t spend the first few minutes after he left trying to decide which I wanted to watch more–West Wing (to undo all of the political crap I had to listen to) or Grey’s Anatomy (as a healing measure after so many days of History and Discovery channel “boy” shows).  Finally I just decided to enjoy the quiet and then I took a nap.

Posting has been light because Will’s Dad finally showed up for a visit and so all of my energy has been focused completely on keeping Will’s Dad happy and entertained.  I have to keep this up until at least Friday.

Also? I’ve had a migraine since yesterday morning, my stomach is killing me and I am feeling openly hostile and stabby.

Holy crap.  So that’s what it’s like to sob with pride.  Can I vote right now please?

Carl Bernstein looks like the result of what would have happened if Jimmy Carter mated with Orville Redenbacher.

So, I knew that when I got up today I was going to have to get my butt in gear so that I could get a couple weeks’ worth of work done in just a few days so that I would be able to keep Will’s Dad entertained when (if) he comes up to visit.  I know the amount of work I must get done.  I know this.  In fact, I am so completely focused that this is what I have gotten done so far:

I have watched one and a half episodes of Gilmore Girls, taken a shower, mailed a bill for Will (ha! rhyming!), talked to our landlord about the cat who keeps pooping in front of our door and marking our neighbor’s doormat, washed a few dishes and removed the keyboard level off of the desk I inherited from Will.  And it’s only ten until noon!

You will notice that I have not yet actually accomplished any sort of paying work.  Because I? Am a master of focused work ethic.

Or something.

This weekend has mostly been spent working on stuff and then feeling tired.  My friend Patty had a barbecue yesterday, but we didn’t go because we were just too exhausted after half a week of sleep deprivation.  Instead we stayed in and enjoyed having a house full of food.  Some people get their kicks out of having fancy schmancy electronics.  Others get giddy over fancy cars.  I? Feel like the richest woman in the world when my kitchen is stocked with enough food to feed us for a few weeks.  Does this make me weird?

Today we finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  It was okay.  I know that there are people out there who will say that it is the most stunning piece of cinema to ever have been produced but I thought it was mostly okay.  I did get into it near the (first) end when Golem came out of nowhere to fight for the ring and I was really really happy that Charlie didn’t die, but other than that, my official vote is “they’re entertaining.”

This? Is more than I can say for the Golden Compass movie.  The Golden Compass movie just made me sad.  I had such high hopes for it!  It has a great cast, its based on a book that I have yet to hear a bad word about and I know that movies don’t often live up to the book they are based on, but…wow.  This movie was just…convenient.  Oh look! The little girl is clever! And oh look here’s a polar bear just when she needs one! Bleh.  I think the problem was mostly that, instead of delving into the real content of the book, they decided to approach it like a children’s story and leave out all of the character and plot development.  I couldn’t help but start making fun of it.  Oh and Daniel Craig, who is one of the top billed? Had, like three appearances.

We heard from Will’s Dad today and it looks like he is heading up our way on Wednesday.  Maybe.  Remember, we don’t know if he’ll actually come up or how long he will stay.  Will’s sister mentioned that their Dad had to either be back in Texas or back on the road to Texas by the sixth, but we’ll see.  Again, we’ll not talk about my emotions surrounding this possible visit of an undetermined length.

I’m making it sound like I dislike Will’s Dad, which I really don’t.  Honestly.  I like him fine.  It’s just that Will’s family dynamic is kind of complicated and it isn’t really my place to discuss it.  Dirty laundry and all that…though honestly, I’m just afraid that someone in Will’s family will read this, take what I write the wrong way and then I’ll have to deal with a bunch of drama.  And since someone from Will’s family will be (maybe) spending an undetermined amount of time staying with us, it’s better to just leave it alone.

I don’t know how much I’ll be able to post over the next few days.  I’ll need to get a few weeks of work done in a few days in case I have to spend a lot of time playing hostess.  Ugh.

Oh and, obviously, it is a certain time of the month so I am extra super cranky.  The other day I actually said to myself “Wow, even though I don’t have any reason to be, I am really pissed off!”  and then I spent thirty minutes pouting on my couch.

Happy Monday!

Somehow this week has become completely exhausting. Okay it isn’t actually somehow, it’s more of wow, this week has become completely exhausting. On Wednesday I did manage to get quite a bit of my work done and by Thursday I was almost completely caught up. Then on Thursday, Will’s sister decided to come visit and somehow we ended up seeing the Dark Knight. The 9:45 PM showing of Dark Knight. We didn’t get out of the theater until well after midnight. And then because Will’s sister wanted to talk to Will about World of Warcraft (they both play) so we didn’t get to bed until about two in the morning…and then had to get back up again at six and, um, we haven’t ever really gotten a ton of rest since.

And have I mentioned that Will’s Dad might be coming to visit? He’s in Oregon visiting Will’s other sister and might come up to see us. And? We don’t know whether or not he will actually show up. Or, if he does show up, we won’t don’t know when he’ll show up. And if he decides to come visit, we don’t know how long he will stay. The deal is that he’ll visit if he wants to and he’ll stay until he feels like driving back to Texas. It could be a day. It could be a month. Let’s not talk about how this makes me feel.

So, if I suddenly completely stop posting it’s because I’m trying to keep Will’s Dad entertained. Again, let’s not talk about how this will make me feel.

*Scrubs

I have been completely productive and a total slacker all at the same time.  I was in and out of the library by ten after ten this morning.  I went to lunch with Will.  And this afternoon I did a tiny bit of grocery shopping.  But work? Real work?  I’ve meant to get to it all day but keep getting distracted. Which isn’t the greatest sales pitch in the world for my next bit of business.

I’ve been toying with the idea of taking a couple of classes at Portland Community College this next semester.  I can’t afford to take too many classes (money or time wise) but I am itching to get back into a classroom.  Have I mentioned that I am a giant nerd and if I could afford it I would do nothing but take classes all day long?  I enrolled in PCC last year right after we moved up here but haven’t been able to afford going.  I still can’t afford to go full time but I might be able to swing a part time deal.  Or maybe I’m just daydreaming.  I could wake up tomorrow and decide that what I really want to do is….um….train for a triathalon like JLo! Or something less filled with activity and sweat.

And now I’m off to actually get something done….or eat dinner.  I’ll decide which in a minute.

My shoulder and back are doing much better today.  Now I’m down to a slight pinchy-burny sensation exactly where I think the muscle tweaked.

Once again my library trip got put off for a day, but I have to go tomorrow or one of the books I requested will be sent back and if it gets sent back I will be so completely pissed off at myself because I’ve been waiting for it for.ever. Also, the new Laurie Notaro is waiting for me to pick it up and I so cannot wait to read it. Still though, if you saw the size of the stack of books I’m taking back?  You might put the trip off for a few days too.  Hi, my name is Erin and I’m a library-holic.

Speaking of books and libraries, today I made not one but two trips to the Powell’s satellite store down the street from our apartment.  The first trip was this afternoon with Wendy and Fi and then tonight I went back with Will and actually bought a couple of books–books that I kind of had talked myself out of buying during the first trip over.  Will is not a good shopping companion.  His version of support is “but look! They’re used copies! And you need them! It’s okay, you should buy them!”  I am now the owner of this bridal guide and this wedding planner.  And then, of course, I had to buy one of the awesome Powell’s Green bags (only ninety nine cents) to carry the books.

Will also bought books, he decided to buy a boxed set of the four Lord of the Rings books.  I guess showing me the movies on Sundays made him decide to read the books and I say, more power to him.  I am so happy that he is voluntarily choosing books over World of Warcraft.  There just aren’t enough positive words available to tell you the emotion I feel when I see him pick up a book.  On purpose.  For fun.

On the subject of things that Will and I both enjoy we kind of rented four more movies at Hollywood Video tonight.  I meant to just run over the weekend’s choices (Stardust, The Holiday and Martian Child) and run back home, but instead Will met me over there and we ended up bringing home The Onion Movie, Breach, Smart People and The Golden Compass.

We have no self control.  It’s so sad.

Last night I went to bed thinking “tomorrow will be great!  I’ll go to the library first thing, maybe stop by Voodoo Doughnuts and then I’ll come home and get to work!”  I planned to enjoy what promised to be gray skies and “some” showers.

Then I woke up at 3:30 this morning because my shoulder and back were hurting (like hurting enough to get me out of bed and taking some advil) and then I stayed awake until 5:30 or so because as it turns out, my particular muscle strain/sprain/pull makes it impossible to breathe deeply while lying down.  Breathing? Yes.  That deep satisfying filling of the lungs? Not without pain. So of course I spent two hours trying (in vain) to fight off these gigantic yawns which wouldn’t stop.  Seriously, like every minute I’d have this intense need to just…yawn.  And I’d open my mouth and breathe with my gut (thank you six years of Choir and body memory) only to start gagging because that wasn’t what my body wanted. At all.  Finally I grabbed another pillow and just propped myself up so that I could yawn all I needed to without feeling like somebody was shredding my muscles with a cheese grater.  And yawn I did.  One big ass yawn right after another until eventually I fell asleep like that, which sounds incredibly uncomfortable but it wasn’t.  I learned to sleep sitting up over a decade ago (damn. oldness) as a way to get some sleep during my many bouts of unmedicated bronchitis.

I sound so incredibly healthy right now.  I should put out an inspriational video!

So yeah, in total I got about five and a half hours of sleep and it’s already raining and thundering.

I have decided to change my plans to the following: I’m going to down some advil and then prop myself up in bed with a heating pad, my laptop and some sort of television show on DVD.  After lunch I think I will take a hot bath.  Then, if I am feeling better, I’ll go to the library.  If not, I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

Honestly, I’m really mad at my muscles right now.  I realize that the only difference in my plans if my muscles weren’t hurting would be working in the living room instead of in my bed but seriously? I feel like an invalid. And when I’m not moving I feel like I’m making a big deal over something tiny.  But then I try to move around and oh yeah, hey! that hurts like a son of a something! Arg.  Oh and certain montly mood swings are starting right on schedule.  Double Arg.

Am moody.  Please send muscle relaxers.