Monday 25 January 2010

mixed reviews

Well I have found my car keys so i feel I am finally settled at home. The flights were delayed by stormy weather but otherwise it was straight forward, if extremely long.
We definitely didn't sleep for 24+ hours, so the first night in my own bed was wonderful, except I wasn't conscious for 12 hours so don't remember.
Next night I woke at 3am and stayed as wired as a demented squirrel the rest of the day. Last night we made it thru to 5am and had done the big shop at Sainsbury's by 10, so I guess by the end of the week I shall be back to slouching around complaining I am bored.
Dunno why this goes sideways. Heard today GG is sprouting a back molar, which took me a while to identify as a tooth description. I have been too long out of the game.
We went food and thrift shop shopping most days in Reno. it was either sunny or wet, no snow.

Just looks like every other wet shopping day. Daughter drives with one hand, and elbow it seems, sort of leaning on the wheel. It seems to be the accepted nonchalance.
Tried it today when I drove to collect RP from garage but I haven't the air of confidence that enables the body to assume the position. {His car is in for MOT, ouch, this is not the year of the Ox, it is the year it was skinned to make a wallet and that is now empty. Two new tires and brake pads]
Year of the Tiger coming up, so definitely Daughter's year, I hope.
Reno supermarkets are bigger possibly, but mostly because they have such wide aisles

As we would go in the middle of the afternoon it encouraged a placid dreamlike response, dreamily rotating [GG our first item in our trolley entranced by the mountains of colours]
All the employees are super polite, which raises my hackles in deep suspicion that they are taking the piss, being more used to being ignored or snapped at back home].
They don't have our current obsession with not providing plastic bags. Years ago I used to enjoy the brown paper bags that would snap open and be packed with military precision into a satisfying solid block.
The check out is of a whole different cultural technique, requiring several manoeuvres I didn't dare to try and master.One can look a right idiot not being able to perform the simplest task that everyone else has practised since birth.
We had to fly over the Sierras as they were blocked with snow. If I was brave I would provide a pic of their majesty but I am terrified of looking out of the window, in case I suddenly understand what the hell I am doing.
San Francisco was very wet. All the TV commentators were out standing under bucking umbrellas to prove it. We ate Thai and had a look round the Asian Museum which was pretty amazing. Each culture expressed in sculpture and pottery.
No pics of course, but i did buy a Warrior Woman string dolly! to clip to my handbag zip. She advises me to pick my battles wisely.
As it happened this was good advice as Number One and Only Son has been going to therapy lately, he wanted to know if I blamed myself for anything in the way he was dragged up.
Oh good, where is his father to deflect the coming deluge, dead. Typical.
I wanted to say "I left home when I was 18, and just got on with it" but as P says - our mistake has been to be friends with our kids,so they still talk to us and tell us things, everything. Certainly things I would never tell my mother even now - but I did try and be supportive until I got fed up anyway.
Fortunately Daughter is still pleased with us at least.
But even tho we had to wait six hours at the airport, I was quite glad to be pointing East again.
And Hattie the dog was very pleased to see us.