Sunday Mop Up 10/29/06

It's a BEAUTIFUL Sunday here in Texas. The sun is shining brightly and, thanks to the cool front that passed through a few days ago, the humidity is almost non-existent. A lovely breeze is blowing from the North and I am in love with the world.

I'm hip-deep in domestic chores while all the windows to my townhouse are open and I have a load of whites working in the laundry room, so the whole downstairs has that Clorox scent going on. Although I'm still unshowered (cuz housework just gets me all sweaty anyways), I have a fresh pot of coffee made and I am savoring a huge mug of it now. A load of dishes are being dealt with in the dishwasher, and before all is said and done, the trash will be wrangled, a week's worth of shirts will be ironed, and I'm thinking the vacuum will make a cameo appearance. It is, after all, a cleaning lady week this week.

Man, I love my Sundays.

Daylight Savings Time

Maybe I'm extra chipper because we got an extra hour to burn as we saw fit last night. I had intended to sop that gravy up in deep slumber, because I LOVES me some sleep. Seriously. Sure, I can get by on 8 hours like the rest of humanity, but I'm most happy with a solid 10 hours under my belt. I know, I know, it's awful to waste time like that. However, last night, I ended up out on the town carousing, socializing, and being amongst "family", all without getting sucked into anything resembling a Halloween party anywhere. Yay! When my head hit the pillow at 4am, I smiled at the thought that it was really only 3am, and burrowed myself into my blankets and pillows and was out like a light until 11am this morning. That's not 10 hours, but it'll do!

Gaining the hour in October sure beats the shit out of losing that hour in April. Or is it March? Don't know, don't care at this point.

Thanksgiving Plans

I managed to commit myself to spending my favorite holiday of the entire year with my Dad in Florida this year. I hadn't really intended for this to happen, but I got an email from him a few weeks ago announcing that he and his wife wanted to come out for a visit before the end of this month. I am in no way prepared to host a visit with those two on such short notice.

[Don't get me wrong, I ADORE them. My father is, quite simply, the coolest motherfucker God ever put together. In my youth, he was a strict disciplinarian, task master, and absentee father and husband -thanks to the Air Force. Nowadays, he is making up for it by having turned into this warm, open, sensitive man whose patience and generosity seem to know no bounds. He divorced my mother nearly twenty years ago as an uptight, emotionally repressed individual who saw the world in stark black and white. He has mellowed and aged beautifully, like a fine single malt scotch, and I even feel a bit drunk when in his presence.

My therapist was quick to point out that my Dad is trying to make up for lost time, and is motivated by guilt about not being involved with his family as a younger man. My therapist was also quick to point out that his children have all placed the man on a pedestal due to abandonment issues. I've had to wonder if this abandonment issue has come into play with my interest in mature, older men. Am I trying to heal some rift I've felt with my own father?]

See, you need to be prepared for a visit from Dad. At 74 (I think), the man is a ball of fury and productivity, which he vents in home improvement projects. His wonderful wife is the same way. They'll tag-team you, I swear. The last time they stayed with me, the entire downstairs of my townhouse got repainted (that includes 16 foot ceilings in the livingroom, a huge kitchen, downstairs half-bath, the laundryroom, AND the stairway - baseboards and all trim as well, people!), old, nasty ceiling fans were removed, and light fixtures updated in the entryway, kitchen, stairwell, and upstairs hallway. They bought me new tools and kitchen accessories as well. They were here FOUR days.

I needed more than two weeks to prepare for another Home Depot Orgy. So, in an attempt to turn down the offer for a visit, I suggested that I might look into seeing IF I could get out there to them for Thanksgiving.

Well, 24 hours didn't pass before I started hearing from the rest of my family how thrilled Dad is that I am coming for Thanksgiving. It's a done deal, folks. My sisters have all reported in on the the plans. He's developing the intinerary as we speak. He'll make this a big deal, you can count on it. I get treated like a king. It's embarrassing. You know, I can't help but smile and get a "warm-fuzzy" knowing that my family loves each other as much as we do. That my Dad is that excited about me coming for a visit makes my heart sing, and my eyes roll at the same time.

There was a time in my life when I couldn't get far enough away from my family. Man, I'm SO over that. Okay, I'll admit it, I'm pretty danged excited, too.