Hamburger Juice and Nose Spray

Yes, hamburger juice and nose spray. Sounds a bit like a weird Jeopardy answer, but these are the ingredients of an imaginary stinkbomb that Jack made last night. The stinkbomb was actually a marble rolled towards me, but boy did I run when I heard what the ingredients were. Run to write it down, though, lol. Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did....

We're having a slow weekend, really. Not doing too much. Yesterday was the last official Teeball game, so we had a very pleasant picnic in the park afterwards. It's always interesting to me when some random event brings disparate people together. Asian, Hispanic, Armenian, young, old, etc. Kids are the glue behind it all.

We did a little shopping later, then hit Best Buy so Jack could use his gift certificate from Roberto and Diane. The choice came down to a Shrek games DVd or Monsters vs Aliens games DVD. Monsters won, but kept crashing on Jack's computer. I'll try it on mine later this morning. If it works, I guess I'll have to buy another computer for Jack. I already added memory, but it is a very basic machine.

I am trying not to work much on weekends, but I have to stop by someone's

house later and fix a broken window on the front door. Her dog broke it. He's the only scary Yellow Lab I know.

I think we'll hit Memorial Park tonight for another free concert. Jack isn't interested in the music very much, but there's also a playground there with dozens of kids, so that's a big draw.

A highlight of my week was getting our first Social Security checks. As head of a household with a surviving child under 18, we are both elgible for a monthly check. Unfortunately, they also start taxing additional money I make after 14k rather steeply (take away $1 for every $2 earned). We'll have to figure that out. By the way, I did mention that the work I do was all for charity, didn't I?

I have no news on the Match front. A few emails and plans to meet in the coming week(s). We'll see...

We have a camping trip to Catalina Island to look forward to on Friday. Four of five families with kids are going, so it should be a lot of fun. Jack will miss school that day and I'll miss work, but I think it will be a learning adventure all its own. On second thought, I probably will still have to work, just doing things I don't normally do. I still have to buy a tent, but hope to do that today. I washed my 25-year-old tent and it still smelled funky, so out it goes.

Got to stop. Looks like another stink bomb is headed my way, transported by a "car with a flying thing"....

Memorial Day Weekend and...

Good Morning.

Back to work today, although it was a good week and weekend. Jack and I played, for the most part, though I did stop by client's houses a few times for a few minutes just to do something quick. The highlight of our weekend was a dinner Saturday night. I invited three families, all with girls, so we had 8 adults and 6 kids. All the kids got along great and everyone brought something, so it was not a huge burden on me, although I did take on too much supplemental cooking for the size of our grill. I am tempted to do a one dish crockpot dinner next time. I will investigate. Something simpler anyway.

We also went to Tammy and Franks yesterday and enjoyed a great visit with them and the amazing dog "Cali", who loves being squirted with a hose, chasing water from a hose, licking Jack. Played in the park Sunday and stayed for fireworks afterward...went to Yvonne and Greg Taylor's Saturday for a BBQ lunch and playdate with three boys. Met a friend while at the park Friday night and....oh, I forget what else, but it was all good.

I have lots to do workwise this week and shall for the forseeable future. Isabel forwarded me an article from the NYT about the benefits of working with your hands vs the more abstract cubicle life so many people endure.
I had to agree with most of the conclusions. It is nice to accomplish things, to help others, to match your wits against one problem or another, but the down side is your hands hurt a lot, lol. Handymen don't enjoy stature in society, but I have stature in my client's eyes. Maybe I'll finish the book I was working on and have everything.

Parenting Jack has become a little more complex. Without a second opinion on situations, I find myself wondering more if I'm doing the right thing, taking the right tack, being too firm or too lenient. I took and enjoyed the parent education programs at the local college, but all the classes are designed for very young children. I would like to take a class with other parents of 6-year-olds now.

On the Match subject, I had a very enjoyable coffee meet with a former colleague at KCET last week. She is attractive, easy to talk to and fun. She contacted me, not recognizing me because I used to have a beard when I worked with her. It was good to catch up, compare notes on life, share some laughs. I was supposed to have coffee with another woman who couldn't have been more complimentary about my "profile" and looks.
The line went dead (figureatively). Nothing. How do you interpret these things? I'm thinking positively, thinking she was in a car wreck.

Oh, well. Several others to meet whenever I have time.

Time for breakfast.

Love to all.
























We also went to tammy

Better Late Than...

Hello.

Gosh, it was a busy week. Lots catching up with work, doing things around the house, keeping Jack occupied and happy, trying to find time for the Y, the blog (didn't!), bill paying, house cleaning, etc. It really brought home the Single Parent Household concept and the finality of the idea that if I don't do it, it absolutely, positively will not get done. There is no back-up, which is sobering. Being an early riser, I can't even imagine watching television in the evening as I am ready for bed the same time Jack is. Or before!

We did have an enjoyable break on Saturday for Olivia's graduation from Pitzer, which was great. The main commencement speaker, a writer/comedian was a huge hit, trashing Republicans mercilessly, which went over very well at this liberal college. Lunch and cake at Olivia's rented house afterward. I found out that one of her roomates was the daughter of an old boss. Who knew? What other connections am I unaware of? We took Jack to the Kid's Klub beforehand, to save him from the boredom of the ceremony (and make it easier on us). He protested, but predictably protested again when I arrived to pick him up and he was having a great time. Can't win. [ See graduation video below, BTW]

Gary was here for four days while he took a course with an old Improv teacher. He's actually better than the teacher and helped out with the class.
Jack asked him if he wanted to become part of our family, which was very amusing.

What was not amusing was when Jack and I had a heart-to-heart yesterday . I went to the garage for 60 seconds and told him to wait in the car. He didn't, and came looking for me after 45 seconds, it seemed. I asked him why, and he said he thought I would disappear. "Like Mommy disappeared", I asked, and he said "yes". Hmmm. I reassured him I wasn't going anywhere, but who knows if it really sunk in?

Being on Match is time-consuming and a distraction/compulsion. I still haven't met anyone in person, but I will soon, no doubt. Two women whom I was exchanging emails with seemed to vanish after I suggested coffee sometime. Another "Hmm?" there. I'm meeting a former colleague from KCET tomorrow for coffee, but it's as much to catch up as it is a "meet". Lots of very decent women out there, I must say. When in our evolution did we change from wanting to mate with the opposite sex to wanting to mate with a tall/successful/attractive/blonde/whatever? How are we different from our forebears a 50/100/150 years ago in what we seek? Where will this obsession with looks take us in a 100 years? 500? Anyway, it's hard not to check in every day and see who emailed me, who looked at my profile, who might be out there. My profile has been viewed 333 times as of 6 this morning. Who have I rejected? Well, very few and very politely. Who has rejected me? If you count emails unresponded to, a dozen. Stay tuned.

Jack is up now and hungry, so I will leave you.

Best...

Saturday, May 9 / Wednesday May 13

Hello, Again.

Jack and I had a busy day today. I slept restlessly and finally rose at 3am and started gathering thing for the yard sale begining at 8am. I got a bunch of stuff together and had a successful sale, netting a little over $250 for my efforts. Just as important, I got rid of the things that were clogging the garage entrance, the excess stuff that made opening napkin and tablecloth drawers a pain, cluttering the house and garage and patio, etc. So I feel good. I still have a acouple dozen books plus some china and knick-knacks, so if anyone wants to stop by and take home something, be my guest.

Jack had a teeball game, plus he went to see "Earth" with his teacher and friend Mac Mackinney. Lunch afterwards was part of the deal, too. Andrea's cousin Steve Gordon stopped by an hour ago and he and Jack are playing an educational (shhhhh) game on the computer that was a birthday gift.

Jack started something very different yesterday. He was playing with his Lego characters and started naming them, making up names and histories. I loved it. I should have written down the names and checked back with him, just to stimulate that channel of the mind.


I am booked for the week and probably the week after that and week after that. My landlord client Chris sent out emails to tenants and they have work for me, plus stuff at Chris' house. Then there's a bunch of stuff with other clients who are putting their homes on the market, and I haven't seen my elderly clients in San Pedro for weeks (but they know I can come asap if it's urgent). It's a little stressful, but the way the Economy is I am thankful to be working.

=========

Wednesday 5:30 am

How time flies! I can't believe I didn't get that post posted. Oh, well.

I am in a strange place sleep wise. If I don't take a pill I wake at 3 or 4 in the morning. I hate to take a nightly pill, but maybe I'll have to just to change this odd pattern. I stayed up until almost 11 last night (late for me), thinking I might make myself tired and thus sleep later, but alas. I woke at 3:30 again.

I am really having mixed emotions about writing a blog, but I will try and get over them and think of this as just an informational site for a small number of acquaintances, not a "look-at-me" experience.

Yesterday was a long day of work, a trip to the Y gym with Jack (they have childcare, then we swam together), homework supervising, a little cooking and cleaning. It may have been an ordinary day for a single parent. A pattern seems to be emerging where some things get pushed off to the weekend. I am going to try and NOT work so much on weekends. I will get word out on that.

The odd news is that I am now on Match.com partly through a mistake. I was getting ready to become a member and was going to wait a little longer, honing my bio in the meantime, but I found out that even if you don't pay your bio gets saved publicly, not privately. I really am not ready for anything, but I am a little freaked out by turning 55 in a few months. To me, 55 is more of a milestone than 30 or 40 or 50. You can get "Senior" discounts for some things at 55...go to Elderhostel, retire from some jobs, etc. Anyway, I want to make as much as I can out of the four remaining months that I am 54 and can sound a little younger. So once I discovered that my bio was public, I re-wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote it and added a picture or two to make it more respectable.

So. Who's responded? A handful of women, a couple of whom seem very decent and professional (political consultant, professor). No plans for any meetings at this time, but the usual coffee scenario may happen eventually. The idea that I could ultimately be a part of another household is so foreign, so life-changing, so enormous, it staggers me. How could I do that when it's difficult to keep things in this house on an even keel? Oh, the changes life brings.

I was at the Social Security office a few days ago, applying for Survivors benefits for myself and Jack. Ran into a what was apparently either a former corrections officer or Zombie. I am the first person to stick up for DMV personnel, Postal Workers, etc, but I can't recall having to do business with a person less "there" in years. No emotion of any kind. Nothing. Plus I had to go back home and get documentation for my name change 21 years ago, documents that were duly submitted to Social Security in 1988. You'd think a passport, license and Social Security card would be enough, but no. Oh, well. The good news is that some monthly benefits were approved, but not for 6 weeks. All's well that ends well.

And now may be the time to end this post. If anyone has any thoughts on the safety of publishing photos of Jack here, let me know. It seems okay to me in general, but maybe I'm overlooking something.

Best...

A New Begining

Hi.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

I posted the last speeches on Andrea's blog a few minutes ago. Now it's time to write something here. My first thought is that I should re-title this blog "Stan-n-Jack-n-Everyone Else" because we are not alone. We continue to receive expressions of love and caring every day in a variety of forms. It makes each day a little easier and the future less daunting.

We had a nice day today, starting with a trip out to Gladstones in Malibu for breakfast, picking up Harriet on the way. I know Mother has an affinity for the ocean and she's only going to be here another day, so I'm glad we could work it in. We even had a little sunshine.

Later in the day we went to Carina Kroff's birthday party, joing a crowd of forty or so kids and adults. Jack and the kids got to use a couple slip-n-slides on the hill and play some other games. He had his own cake later, courtesy of Linda, and three moms brought him gifts as well. A couple others had cards for me, which was very thoughtful. So you see why I say

we have lots of love and support.

Mother enjoyed meeting all the adults and pinched off a little piece of strange bush to identify, thanks to a handy Sunset Western Garden Book.

She'll only be here another day, but I'm glad she could stay an extra week.

She turned 88 yesterday. They broght her a cake at Gladstones and will have another tomorrow night. The photo of Harriet and Jack at the top was taken at Gladstones while Jack colored.

I had a great night out last night, thanks to Steph and Eric. Steph provided dinner at the Indian restaurant Andrea and I liked. We even split the same item Andrea and I used to split, which caused me some tears. I recovered, though. Steph and Eric are great company. Eric and I discovered we are both crazy for the Au fond du Temple Saint duet from Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers" opera. No one else I've ever met has ever mentioned the opera, let alone the aria. After dinner we went to the auditorium at CalTech for a performance by the Capitol Steps, a group that does political satire in song. It was a thoroughly enjoyable performance and a lot of fun.

We'll have a birthday dinner for Jack Monday night, then Tuesday marks the return of real life, I guess. Just Jack and me and school and work. That's okay, though. I look forward to each day, just as I've always done. We'll see what life brings our way.