Summer

Faith comes home tomorrow from spending five weeks with her dad. I can't wait to see my sweet girl get off the plane. Just under two weeks to go and I will get my other girls back as well!

If you didn't even realize they were gone, it's because I meant to post here about a hundred times and never did. I had lots of other stuff to talk about... my gardening, our new cat, redoing Holly's room, the U2 concert I went to, etc etc. But even though the day-to-day responsibility of three kids was removed, somehow I filled up the time with other stuff and squeezed out time for just goofing off, reading or updating this journal. Not sure how I managed that exactly.

Dig - Incubus

This song is several years old but I have recently rediscovered it. Previously "Wish You Were Here" had been my favorite Incubus song, but I think it has just lost its title, as I can't stop playing and replaying "Dig".

This song is awesome -- all the instruments have strong and interweaving parts (listen for the bass, it's stirring), and Brandon Boyd's emotional vocals elevate it to something really moving. I love the lyrics, which suggest to me a commitment to remember and look for a friend's or lover's true person, underneath the changes and facades that we all go through or take on over time.

"If I turn into another, dig me out from under what is covering the better part of me..."

Spacey

I don't have a "bucket list" or anything, but one of the things I always wanted to do was see a space shuttle launch in person. From the first launch I watched on TV as a child to the one I just watched a few minutes ago (Endeavour), I have been excited and moved by the power and the spectacle of lift-off every time.

I guess I never considered that one day the shuttles would be retired, or maybe I didn't realize that so much time had actually passed. With the last shuttle launch taking place next month, turns out I'll never get to cross that item off my mental to-do list.

I'm not crying about it or anything, but just now I found myself thinking about what this means. There are plenty of other things that I intend to get around to doing someday -- some long-term goals, but also things that I could easily do today that I just put off -- and for each of these things there will come a day when it's too late. It will sneak up on me, just like the final space shuttle launch did, whether it takes a day or two weeks or (unbelievable!) 30 years.

Turns out I need to get busy living!

Tea for Two?

I still remember my mom waking me up super early to watch the Royal Wedding in 1981. I remember that she told me to nap during the "boring" parts and that she would wake me up in time to see Diana arrive in her carriage -- and she did. I can remember laying on the couch watching the wedding on our tiny television set.

I intend to watch the upcoming Royal Wedding as well, but for a while my daughters have been saying they don't want to be woken up to watch with me. Finally just this morning Thea said I can wake her up, and Holly immediately said she wants to watch too. Waiting on Faith...

I was only 7 in 1981. I don't expect Holly to remember this but I hope it will be a fun memory for Thea. I think I'll get some cinnamon rolls to have with tea or coffee -- I think that scones would be a more proper food but let's stick to what I know everyone will like.

By the way, I love T-Mobile's "Royal Wedding Dance" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kav0FEhtLug

Decaffeinated

Ah Diet Pepsi, how I miss you. I've been on a crusade to reduce my intake of diet sodas (sodas in general) and increase my intake of water. In the past week, I have had two cans of Diet Pepsi and one fountain drink of Diet Mountain Dew -- this is quite a feat!

I haven't noticed any physical effects except that I seem to be thirstier now that I'm drinking water, thus having to pee more. It's more the psychological. I like to sit at my desk with a fizzing can of Diet Pepsi in front of me. It just FEELS right.

I'm not saying I'm giving up sodas all together, but if drinking more water becomes a new norm, that can only be good.

Slow

It does not inspire confidence in Verizon, my internet service provider, that the Verizon website is the slowest website I ever have to access.

Spicy

I have been remiss in recording Holly's gems these days, so here's one from yesterday.

Holly, after eating a bunch of highly seasoned French fries: Mommy, my butt hurts.
Me: Why does your butt hurt, honey?
Holly: It's full of spices.