Stuff

We’re going to look at a new house to rent today; I’m kind of excited. Morgen’s really excited, except she says she wants to stay where we are – I know she doesn’t understand about things like being bussed nearly twenty miles away to fill a demographic, or an eighty percent attrition rate between elementary and high school, or considerably lower than the national average standardized test scores, so her primary concern is remaining near friends and family. (In fact, she said something along the lines of, “I want to stay here with my friends Zoe and Mikey and my grandma and grandpa,” and asking her, “What about Grandpa David or Grandma Lee Ann,” only got shrugs and further assertions that she wanted to stay where we are.) She’s four, after all, and to her that’s what matters. Regardless, the new house is in Harper Woods, but it’s the part of Harper Woods that gets Grosse Pointe schools, which is a huge bonus. When we buy a house in a few years, we can buy one either right there, in the same school zone as where Morgen will have started, or we can move to another one of the Pointes (not, mind you, that I want to be a Grosse Pointer. They just have the best public schools in Michigan, and with the brains my kids have, it would be ridiculous trying to put them into some average school somewhere – I tell you, they scare me with their brilliance some times). The open house is from ten to eleven, and I’ve seen pictures of the place – it’s cute, though the interior décor could really use some updating. I wonder if the owners will let us do that? A girl can hope, anyway. Here, I’ll try to put some pictures in.






Cute, hmmm?

Whit and I talked yesterday; it’s always nice when he can get his cunt of a connection to behave properly long enough to be online. We don’t talk about anything, really, just randomness and inanities, but it’s still nice to have someone to talk with and not really worry about what’s being said and how it’ll be taken. We can talk about politics or music or the air speed of African pigeons, and it doesn’t really matter – the people with whom I can converse in such a manner are so few and far between, I have to cherish the ones I find. I think, if he lived closer, we’d enjoy pints at the pub and cake and gin in person as much as I tease him about online. And yes, I know it’s silly, sentimental nonsense.

The trip up to Mackinac came through! Jerry, the girls and I are going up next weekend for three days and two nights. We have a free stay at Mission Point because of work Jerry did some time last year – they’re owned by the same people who used to own the company he works for. I have a feeling the place will be pretty empty, which is pretty awesome. I’m going to bring both my cameras and take lots of pictures; it promises to be gorgeous, at least if the weather up there is anything like it’s been down here. Why is gray and gloomy almost always the best atmosphere for photography? Not that I don’t enjoy sunshine, but if you look at a picture taken on a gloomy day, you can almost feel it. You can smell the chill, taste the fog, etc. It’s a rare sunny-day picture that has the same effect. Anyway, on the way up, we’ll stop at the outlet mall and get winter clothes (mostly coats and mittens) for the girls, maybe some Christmas present, and then up to the ferry and ultimately the island. I think I’ll need some long sleeved t-shirts and so will Jerry. We’re set as far as jeans and the like go, and since we have no baby-sitter for a fancy dinner while we’re up there, I don’t think we need to worry about fancy outfits. Jeans and t-shirts (or sweat suits, in the girls’ cases) should be sufficient.

Yay! All in all, things are going well. CbN is still a source of stress when I think about it, but it’s getting less as time goes by – it’s hard to care with the same immediacy when posts go for two days or more with no reply. Apparently, I only have four characters left in my system. It’s sad, and kind of a blow to the old self esteem, but understandable with rumors and actuality being what they are.

Anyway, I’m off to outline my NaNo. I think I’m going to write about Elizabeth, which is always fun.