June 06, 2002
Too Personal
Here's some notes from the trip, hope you don't mind too much:
- The first real interaction between my parents while I am home is a tense discussion about my mom's use of the brights while driving home from the airport.
- Conversation works best when discussing impersonal things - movies, local political scandals, gossip about distant relatives (complete with a level of condecension that made me uncomfortable!), Japanese, books, TV, the World Cup, California, and a little intellectual property law. No debate or discussion, though, just a trading of factoids and agreements.
- Mom made cookies.
- I don't go visit, but I do call to say I can't do anything. It is very weird. Weird to talk in my parents house, weird to talk to her, weird to feel all those memories becoming almost tangible in this environment. Weird to feel the details of the memories slipping away. Weird to see things change by staying the same.
- I don't feel at home.
- Comment removed for my own self-interest
- How about that Senegal? I should have brought that Duke Ellington CD.
- CNN's Airport channel is terrible, as are all the loud people talking on cell phones. Airports should be conducive to reading while you are waiting.
- Finally finished the Sterling book. He is such a cool writer.
- If I ever have to go live in WI again, I will get really fat.
- It is really hard to go talk to people when you are out with your parents.
- The new Art Museum was kind of neat, but having an exhibit about art museums was a little strange, and not very exciting. But having a Bill Viola exhibit was cool. And the new logo is pretty nice.
- Seeing my nephew less than once a year makes the changes seem much more dramatic.
- Late night soccer and homemade apple pie is a nice combination.
- Slovenia may not have won anyways, but that officiating didn't help.
- How could I not have learned the lesson that I would have to bring back more than I came with by now?
- I had my first margarita with the parents while out for lunch. I think I also learned a lesson about the importance of good tequila. Or a lesson about not having margaritas with breakfast. Not sure which, really.
- I appreciate the new security measures that allow only ticketed passengers in the gate area.
- I read an entire book in one day, which I have not done in a long time.
- Having dreams while on the plane is weird.
- An interesting plane conversation - it turns out that the 10th anniversery celebration for Public Allies was happening in Milwaukee this weekend. A good reminder about the wonderful ability we have in this country to try new things at different points in your life.