1. The Trip to Boston
I flew to Massachusetts a week and a half ago. By myself. (!!!) I went to visit elizasmom and her mom, and, of course, Eliza herself. The plan included, but was not limited to slumber partying, racing, regular partying, some sleeping, some breakfasting, some introductions, some pretense at not being shy and terrified to meet new people (witty, intelligent, cultured, nice, karate-chopping people). I’m not a very good partier, but I still had a great time. My brother NungNung came to pick me up. We stayed at the party for a while, so I could show off my “feeble minded brother.” The Chinese word “nungnung” means “soft,” so of course he was referring to his intellect when he gave himself the appellation.
We spent the next two days at NungNung’s place in Boston, with his wife, Shaopung, and their baby girl, BuiBui, who sensed the cosmic connection with me almost immediately. I think she knows I’m the mother of her future best friend. NungNung took me all around Boston, and even though I was wicked tired, and none too talkative, it was a great trip. I have resolved that we will move to Boston. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of… a while. And by soon, I mean sometime before I’m 50.
2. The race.
Something has happened to my joints, specifically my hips. I’ve been having pain in them, but only while running. The 10K that we did in Holyoke was a beautiful course, with many, many people, including Supergirl and a guy (or many guys) in a giant green hairy hat. There were hills. The hills did me in. I’ve always been pretty steady on hills, coming from a rather hilly place, but the pain was enough to make me contemplate stopping to walk. That makes it sound like it didn’t really hurt that much, but the competitiveness in me is maybe a little stronger that you understand. I finished a little slower than 55 minutes, which was a disappointment. But I’m over that, now. I decided not to do the Indy mini-marathon, which is to say that I will eat the $50 I spent on entering, but I will survive that. I’m also reconsidering my desire to try a marathon this year. I’ve been running since the race, but slowly, and carefully, and not very far.
3. The tragedy.
Skybus ain’t flyin’ no more. I had hoped to be able to go to Boston a few times a year on the ridiculously cheap airline, but it seems they went under.
4. The table.
In an attempt to solve the problem of no shelves, I gallivanted all about Dayton last week, searching for suitable, used bookshelves. It seems that the antique dealers use them for displaying other antiques, and there aren’t any for sale. I did find a beautiful mission style library table at one store, though. I decided to buy it and use it for a sideboard, but needed a way to transport it home. I called a friend, who offered to let me use her minivan. She came over and watched the kids while I got lost looking for the store. When I did get there, I saw the table, which I had been thinking about all weekend. I paid with credit. As soon as the saleslady removed the smaller antiques and kitsch that were on the table, I noticed the warped and broken veneer on the top. Of course the items had been strategically placed so as to mask the “antique” surface. I gasped, and in uncharacteristic stand-up-for-myself-ishness, I told her I wanted my money back. Even though there was a sign posted above the register that said, “All sales are final!” I also blushed something fierce. She complied. I dodged a $175 bullet. And I left my keys in my friend’s car, but she can’t find them.
H. I. P. 
April 10, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Oh! You’re back! Sounds like you’ve been having an interesting time… Sorry about the hips. Doesn’t seem fair when you love doing something that’s good for you, but you can’t do it to the extent you want to for reasons beyond your control. And about the not having shelves thing…We don’t even have a piano, so all our stuff is in (organized) piles in every room of the house. It’s lovely.
April 10, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Yes Lisa, but do you have as much trash as we do? Actually, isn’t Greg a history teacher or something? That might cause one to assume you have a lot of books. And the piano, not much help as a shelving unit. Every time I try to picture organized piles of anything in my house, they explode. I’m organizationally challenged. (Remember a certain roommate of mine, with the piles even on her bed? That seems eerily familiar when I walk into my house.)
April 10, 2008 at 8:46 pm
For a shy person who doesn’t do well with new people, you’re darn social, I just have to note. My mom and I were saying just yesterday how you fit into the group so well it was more like you were a friend whom we hadn’t seen in a while, rather than someone we’d never met in real life.
Which is why the Skybus thing is SUCH a bummer — you are welcome here anytime, and in Texas too — and we wouldn’t even make you run.
April 11, 2008 at 9:00 am
I fully subscribe to what my daughter, Elizasmom, says. And I am glad that you are blogging again. Hopefully, you also will be able to run again soon. Your time in Holyoke was very good, considering that you had just restarted your running and that your hips gave you so much trouble.
I also wanted to thank you again for the pretty soaps you gave us. To protect them from breaking in my suitcase, I stuffed mine in my running shoes (wrapped in plastic to prevent odor-contamination). They made it home unharmed. Now I keep them on my desk, sort of like paperweights, because they are way too nice, and smell way too good, to use them up for handwashing!
April 11, 2008 at 9:07 am
Oh, and congratulations with to stand-up-for-yourself act. I have great trouble with that. I get either speechless with consternation or, in rare cases on the phone, explode. And then I feel bad because the poor person on the other end is usually not responsible at all for the mess their company created for me.
I am no longer calling ATT because they make me spew fire through the phone line. It happens every time. It has become a reflex.
Anyway, you did very well! Hope you find some nice shelves soon.
April 11, 2008 at 10:50 am
I am about to try to get rid of three oak shelves that were specifically made for books–they’re Borders’ shelves that the store got rid of and I got to take home. However, I’m over them and don’t want to move them. Wish you were here so I could pass them along.
April 11, 2008 at 10:20 pm
I have been looking for a bookshelf since June and finally got one a couple weeks ago. We only have a small car so we were going to get a fairly nice $60 one from IKEA but they charged $50 minimum to deliver it, and its kind of far for borrowing friends’ trucks. I kept my eyes peeled and finally found one on craigslist and convinced a friend to drive me in his pickup to get it. I paid $110 but it is a WAY more awesome IKEA bookshelf that totally goes with our room, and it was like new, except I didn’t have to put it together. So anyways, don’t forget craigslist. Some people might even deliver for you if you pay extra.
April 13, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Just popping in to say I appreciated your comment on the Mormon women/mormon men blog. Although I thought it was creative and cute, I didn’t care for the part that slightly mocked the polygamists either. Your comments were right on.
April 13, 2008 at 8:46 pm
I hope you understood that I came on here to commend you for your thoughts. Who is swearing at you? I saw your discussion on the FLDS comments, but I didn’t see swearing. I think that the author intentionally thought that it was just to clear up any differences or misunderstandings that others may have regarding the lds and flds but, like you, I thought it a bit condescending. I am sure it wasn’t meant to make fun, but it kind of did.
You are so very right when you quoted the articles of faith and reminded us that we were once the ones that were persecuted. I think the whole situation is just sooo sad. My heart goes out to all of those women and children and their torn families.