Turning Japanese I Really Think So

I wish I knew how to add in an audio clip. Beanie has the strangest little way of communicating now and it’s nearly impossible to describe. I know she thinks she’s talking because she looks at me with such seriousness. And some of the words sound a bit like actual words. She even laughs at the end of a string or so. Just like a real live person would if they thought their joke was funny. It’s very strange. It reminds of me of Mork and I keep wanting to say, “Na-no, na-no.” If she said, “Shazbat,” I’d seriously lose it. But, then again, we do live in Boulder.

Now this gets me thinking. I can’t tell you how often I get the question, “What made you move to Boulder?” And since I was already employed by John Ramsey at the time of the infamous tragedy, I can’t say, “Oh, all the Jon-Benet news coverage.” So usually I just stick with, “We were looking for a change.” “We had a friend here.” Yada. Yada. But since I just channeled all of that arcane television trivia from close to 30 years ago without blinking an eye, ya gotta wonder, “Did the Orkans plant a microchip in my brain when I was eight that lead me directly to Boulder?” I think that will be my answer from now on. That or, “I don’t know. I just woke up in this egg and I was already here.” (Even though it positively reeks of Treki-ness — of which I am not partial).

And this leads me to something else. I just pulled up Wikipedia to make sure I was spelling “na-no” correctly (I wasn’t) and there was a link to Boulder. Besides all of the boring census data, there was a truly intriguing fact: “Boulder is the home of…Naropa University, the only accredited Buddhist-inspired university in the United States.” I had no idea that it was the only one.

The Happy Thursday Night Cruisers...
...were also mentioned, along with Kinetics and the many celebs with ties to the city. And that’s the Boulder vibe.

I know I go on too much about it. But I really do love it here. (And if that makes the universe send down another rainstorm of travails, well hell.)

Speaking of travails, I got a call from Purse Girl last night. She was heading home from the doctor. Her daughter has been sick all week and they finally determined that she too has pneumonia and — get this — asthma. That just has to be more than a coincidence. Especially since these are the 3rd or 4th girls (maybe more?!) in 1st grade to come down with this or something similar. Something just isn’t right. Especially since bacterial pneumonia supposedly isn’t super contagious. You have to be sucking secretions from an infected person’s nose or something. I’m pretty sure they don’t allow that in elementary school. Even in the liberal haven of Boulder. ☺

The part about the asthma is the weirdest part. I know for a fact that that isn’t contagious. And it’s made even stranger by the fact that Nanners has had it since birth and Miss 6 has been fascinated. She was practically giddy over the fact that she would need a nebulizer like her BFF. That was weird. But when you’re six, you tend to think really odd things are cool. Things like furry pink poodles that hang off of your backpack. Or making odd, random noises because so-and-so at school does it all the time. So to her I say, “Whatever. That’s like so 31 years ago, dude.” To which she replies, “MOOOO-OOOMMM!”

Miss 6 successfully completed a four-day week of school, Post-Traumatic-Illness, and now has the whole week off to get ready to eat. We are flying solo this year for the holiday and I’m having a little pity-party for myself (what else is new?!) We no longer have friends because we’re too busy and too self-absorbed. And the friends that we have managed to keep all have lives outside of us. Meaning they have actual holiday plans like the people on all those we’re-so-perfect-and-happy/warm-fuzzy/“you make me want to crap in your hat” holiday commercials. So that leaves us. The hubby keeps saying how fun it will be. “We’ll get hammered and cook and eat.” Okay. I guess I can live with that.

Who knows where the melancholy comes from when it comes. But it’s usually in the form of a wrecking ball. So picture me as the gaping hole in the brick wall with my family gathered around it going, “Where did Mommy go?” That’s how out-of-nowhere it comes. Then it’s here. And I have to deal. Just in time for the holidays. Ho. Ho. Ho.

And although I was fighting tooth-and-nail to be off with the girls next week, work is NOT cooperating. I now have a newsletter to finish, blog copy to write, three meetings and/or con calls…all with both girlies and a babysitter who flew back to Indiana today for the week.

The really good news is that I’ve been running and working out in a fiendishly obsessive manner which has lead to a 10 lb. weight loss. And more good news is that my short story booklet went to print yesterday. I get to pick it up today. And even though the babysitter left, she’s turned out to be a TOTAL ROCK STAR (she even labels the leftovers before she stows them in the fridge). So I’m going to get over myself. I just know it. Any minute now…

We do have so much to be thankful for. Right, Mima? And isn’t that a better way to spend the week? Being thankful, mindful, and peaceful instead of bitching all the time?

I gotta go get my flu shot.

TODAY’S THEME SONG: You to Thank. Ben Folds. By the time the buzz was wearing off we were standing out on the sidewalk with our tattoos that looked like rings…and they won’t fade.