3 Sisters 7 Days

This past weekend was exhausting. I worked the whole holiday weekend – including two 12-hour days! My patience has been low, along with my energy. It has taken everything out of me to get in my runs with Sammy and a little bike riding (long work days aren’t going to deter me from my cross training).

Maz, on the other hand, had a three day weekend AND he gets home at 2:30 everyday! Then why am I doing everything? I just don’t know.

Conversation One:

Me: Can you go to Costco?

Maz: What do you need?

Me: Well, coffee for starters.

Maz: I think you can go a day without coffee.

Me: Yes, I can but I need you to actually run an errand – point blank. Just because I don’t have time to go to Costco today doesn’t mean I will have time tomorrow. Have some freaking confidence; I think you can do a Costco trip on your own.

Later in the day…Maz was showing off his confidence by giving me the details of his shopping trip. The last thing on my mind was how he couldn’t find the mushrooms, so he decided not to get them.

Conversation Two…following another long day for me, while Maz got home at 2:30:

Me: Maz,  when you get home early everyday, I really need you to clean up the kitchen and empty your lunch box. I don’t want to see a full lunchbox on that table again (for those of you who don’t already know, Maz takes a lunchbox the size of a carry-on suitcase with him to work everyday).

Maz: Okay, but today I fell asleep.

Me: It’s called a NAP, and I am glad one of us has time for it.

Me (while doing the dishes): Can you take the bathroom trash out & put it in the kitchen trash, then take the kitchen trash out because tomorrow is trash day?

Maz: No response.

Then I start to see movement…Bathroom trash is gone, kitchen trash is gone, BUT there’s no new bag in the kitchen trash can.

Conversation Three…about ONE hour later:

Maz: You know, I took the trash can to the curb; I didn’t just put the house trash in the can.

Me: What, do you want a gold star?

Yesterday was my day off for the week, and since I don’t have a traditional job, I don’t get two days off in a row, and never a whole weekend.

I started my day with a quick 30 minute run at 6:30am, then dropped a friend off at the airport; on the way home, I passed the Honda dealership, so I thought I would get an “express” oil change. One hour and a half later, I was out of the Honda dealership and on my way home. By the time I got there, it was just after 10am, so I sat at the computer to do some emailing while taking care of some calls I have been putting off.  Before I knew it, it 11am came and I needed to be across town in 30 minutes for a quick lunch with a good friend.  Okay, out of the house at 11:10 and then to lunch. Made it by 11:40, which is pretty much on time for me…After a nice and pleasant lunch I was headed to Costco and then to the store for last minute items for dinner (enchiladas).

I made it home from lunch and errands, and then I had to tackle the house – sweep and vacuume, then a deep cleaning in the bathroom , all while on the phone dealing with health insurance issues with the HR representative for REI.  No joke, yesterday was a day of multi-tasking to the tenth power.  Finally, the house was cleaned and I needed to shower.  By the time 3:30 rolled around, I was exhausted but clean.  I laid down for about 45 minutes without the luck of falling asleep and then Maz came home…

“Did you make the enchiladas?” were Maz’s homecoming words. I wanted to kill him! As I ran down my day, his comment was “Wow! you should have just gone to work.” My response? “I’m sorry but I don’t have 3 hours to clean a gun on my day off like you do.” He kind of went mute at that point.

On a lighter note, he did make a salad for dinner.  Too bad I couldn’t enjoy it because he insisted on adding a pepper/jalapeno – my mouth was burning by the second bite!

He ate my salad.

On Friday, Maz and I both had the day off (doesn’t happen very often) so we decided to do all the running around that neither of us has had time to do.  We hit the bank, Costco, Target, Ranch Foods Direct, and Sunflower Market. We stocked up on all the toiletries, meat, fruits, and vegetables and now we are good for at least a week.

While shopping, Maz’s mind was completely fixated on “the American Holiday” that is, to most of us, the 4th of July.  He threw out my idea of Mexican food really quick! Nothing was to go into the cart at any of these stores unless it symbolized America. So in went the beef ribs, potato (for potato salad), the baked beans, apples for the homemade apple pie, and of course, how could we forget the alcohol beverage of HIS choice-  good ole American Budweiser?  (Even though Budweiser is now owned by the Belgians).

As we planned the menu for “the American Holiday” it occurred to me that l would be spending a good amount of time in the kitchen…Ugh!

Okay, the cooking went surprisingly well.  Went off with no real problems and I didn’t get too sick of the kitchen walls.  The beans were, like always, fantastic- my favorite; the potato salad was, you know, potato salad- it’s hard for me to get excited over  a side dish that always seems to be a bit bland; and the beef ribs were good- next time,  go with boneless- I never think ribs on the bone are worth the effort. Oh, I can’t forget the Apple Pie- fantastic as well, especially when accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and doused with caramel sauce…what a way to end the da!.

Earlier in the day, We – Maz, Brian and myself- took all six doggies on a two and a half hour hike.  We hiked the hills of Palmer Park. It was great because we got an early enough start so that the weather wasn’t too hot and we didn’t start late enough for the rain to hit us. It was quite amusing seeing three adults with six dogs! It was seriously like a zoo but went as well as can be expected…we started with six and ended with six.

Next time ,we definitely need to bring a camera, there were some amazingly clear views of the whole city.  The dogs got a good workout and were down for the count when we returned home…

Okay, I was going to go into detail about the crappy weather that visited Colorado Springs on the 4th of July but I would like to remember everything WE had control over- the food and the great hike we all took!

This may be the latest we’ve ever put our tree up. As usual, we waited until the end of finals. We’d planned to go Monday (December 15th), which was a few days late, but thought we’d take advantage of Ted’s weekday off. But it rained. Hard. And all day. (In fact, it snowed about 200′ up the hill – wow!)

Then I had to entertain job candidates, Olivia had her holiday performance, and Quentin had finals…So it was Thursday before I could count on making it to the “tree farm.” (We’re not sure where Olivia came up with this one, but it stuck.) Ted and I traded “cars” so that I’d have the truck for our trek and within an hour or so of Parker’s final class, we were on our way.

With the exception of our first Christmas in Riverside, we’ve always selected a live or just cut tree from one of the (Christmas) tree lots in “town.” They’re still a bit of a drive, though, and I wanted to make the trip a relatively quick one, and maybe even avoid the mud and muck, not to mention the work of loading the tree into the truck myself. I thought we’d try Target, Costco, and Home Depot on the way to the nearest tree lot.

We approached Target with anticipation. It’s practically right down the street and Terri told us that it was so late in the season that we might be able to score a bargain tree. Alas, not an 8′ tree in the place. We piled back into the truck and headed to Costco.

While I checked Costco because I had to pick up stamps for our cards anyway, the “big kids” headed to the adjacent Home Depot. They found trees before I found stamps! By the time Olivia, Parker, and I caught up with them, they’d selected three options from the 7′-8′ section of Douglas Firs. To be honest, I was pretty impressed. All three trees looked good – straight trunks, no unsightly gaps between branches or dead needles. I just missed the smell of trees, and sap, and sawdust…but I figured it was probably my cold. Anyway, these trees were so nice looking that another family waited for us to choose so that they could select their tree from our cast-offs!

In less than 15 minutes – tops – my kids had helped “Cowboy Kevin” (the guy was wearing boots, chaps, and a cowboy hat with his Home Depot apron) haul our tree to check-out, where he wrapped it while I paid, and load it into our waiting truck. Easily THE quickest tree hunt to date.

It did take us another two days to decorate it – only because I like to enjoy the tree with just the lights for a day or so before adding the rest of the decorations. But the result is amazing, as always.

If it weren’t for the lack of scent – no, it’s not my nose…no one else can smell a thing either – we might try the local tree farm again.

Our newest niece – Melanie Irina – arrived this morning, weighing in at a whopping 3 lbs., 11 oz. Word is that Miss Melanie and her parents are doing well. Melanie’s baby shower was yesterday!

Melanie’s proud parents (to be, at the time) left the shower at my home in Riverside, CA “late” – I’m thinking 7 PM – ish – and Stephanie’s water broke just after midnight, so all those new diapers and sleepers and receiving blankets and onesies made it home just in time. Considering the back-to-school, last-chance-for-vacation, birthday party (I already have a son, two nieces and nephew, three cousins, and a 1/2 dozen other friends and relatives with August birthdays) rush that is August in our family, getting the shower date on the calendar alone was a minor miracle. It hinged on rescheduling another event and my sister Jeanna taking an early morning flight home from No. California on less than five hours of sleep following her second wedding for the month. 

Jeanna and I headed up the baby shower committee, with Francine (another sister) in charge of games. Saturday night when I fell asleep during our family night movie, the only item crossed off the list was “games.” Three games, three gifts. Check The plan was for me to pick Jeanna up at the airport and hit Costco and Party City on the way home; meanwhile, my children, under the leadership of their dad, would be quick-cleaning the house and straightening up the back yard. My spouse – the master organizer – was aghast. He honestly did not believe we could pull it off, and fully expected to be the only one at home as the guests arrived to a messy house, no food, and missing hostesses. He actually asked me to promise NOT to go to Costco and Party City by way of Nordstrom Rack at Ontario Mills!

Our plan went off without a hitch. I woke up early, went for a run, and – protein shake and bag of granola in hand – was on the way to the airport by 8:40 AM when Jeanna texted to tell me she’d just landed. We were blessed by NO TRAFFIC on the 91 or 15 freeways and I made it to the Ontario airport in record time. After picking up Jeanna and making a quick stop at Starbucks, we were among the first in line when Costco opened. We made a whirlwind tour of that cavernous warehouse, beginning with the bakery, where we selected a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and a yellow stork and ordered “welcome baby Melanie” for the cake top greeting. After loading the cart with crackers, dip, fruit, veggies, etc., we picked up the cake, grabbed some flowers (in lieu of pink streamers and balloons), paid, and we were off. Food and decorations. Check.

Despite my loving spouse’s worries, the house and yard were clean when we arrived. House cleaned. Check. We unloaded and then I stretched, showered, and dressed while Jeanna rested. I think she also made a quick trip out for more food and drinks after someone called to let us know that we MIGHT have six to ten MORE guests. Yikes.

By the time my mom and sister – “game mistress” Francine – called for the code to the gate at about 1:30 PM, we were ready to go. And then we waited…

Apparently, we really lucked out. The 91 toll road was closed and the freeway itself was backed up by noon. Other than my mom and Francine, our guests did not begin to arrive until just before 3:00 PM. Our final guests “of honor,” Jeff and Stephanie, did not leave until around 7:00 PM. Twelve hours later, we heard that Stephanie was in labor.

And now, a new niece! Welcome, Melanie. 

If it could only stay cool enough to run until 10 AM (because I really am not enough of a stud to run when it’s hot AND I know the air quality here in Riverside, CA is about as bad as it can be on the best of days) and I could postpone the start of my day until noon…THIS morning, though, I woke up later than usual after working until 2 AM and had to be at the doctor’s for my annual “well woman” visit just over an hour later. Yippee! Although my exam was blissfully quick and otherwise uneventful, I did have to wait in my paper “gown” and “drape” for nearly an hour. On the upside, I was able to finish all of Michael Klare’s “Resource Wars” – a rousing global review of the conflagrations we are likely to experience as oil, water, minerals, and forests run out. This left me “free” for a few hours to run errands.

Now, while this opening in my schedule was indeed very welcome, my home-schooled troupe was eager to join me, pockets filled with birthday and graduation gift cards, and even cash! Also not an unwelcome development. The catch was that OLIVIA – my three-year-old who thoroughly lives up to her namesake, Olivia in Ian Falconer’s series of the piglet who is very good as “wearing out” her mother – was home from pre-school for the day. After gassing up at Costco, which at $4.39/gallon is over .35 cheaper than anywhere else around and well worth going out of my way for, we hit: Target, Justice, Ross, and Marshall’s, in addition to the Post Office, two (drive through) banks, and the market – to pick up makings for the Mexican “linner” (for lunch-dinner) we were craving. While the average pre-schooler might become crabby, whiny, tired, and perhaps fall asleep, not Miss Olivia. She feeds on eventful afternoons like this one! She literally ran through Target, swinging the pink polka dot and flowered watering can she insisted she needed to water her zinnias (at present, still seeds in a packet in my office) over her arm all the way. After helping to select over $100 worth of sale veggies for our garden, she splashed in the display fountain, and picked up some “fishies” for a snack. Our other stops were just as…”actively” pursued, including a brief soccer game in Justice (the sales associates are SO tolerant) while I was assisting my 11-year-old daughter with her selections, and races between stops atop three-foot-high walls.

Back at home, it was Margarita time! While I sipped, the kids – including Olivia, tippy-toe on her pink “princess” stool – made burritos, quesadillas, and nachos…

Now it’s hours later – seven, exactly…dad’s home, I’m back from teaching my last seminar of the term, the older children are all asleep – and Olivia is STILL awake! She’s sitting here on my desk, munching cheese-its and begging for a sip of my “soda.” It looks like she’ll be joining me for my end of quarter celebration – the start of season three of “Weeds,” compliments of Netflix. With any luck, the intro. song – “Little Boxes,” by Malvina Reynolds” – will be her lullaby.