And Now... Back to Reality
Aug. 4th, 2010 10:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseAs you can probably imagine, I got nothing done yesterday. When I went home (after zipping over to the history center to chat with Shawn about all the weird of being on TV), I found dishes in the sink that needed doing and a stinky garbage. I ignored the latter and rolled up my sleeves and took care of the former... and suddenly, I was just me again. And all was right in the universe.
I also got the make-up off with generous applications of soap and water, and I was really grateful because I thought it might take industrial strength cold cream like we used to have to use in high school theatre.
Anyway, we still have stuff all over our backyard from our weekend garage cleaning extravaganza. I need to drag everything back in the yard. I would have started on it yesterday with all my excess engery, but I'd thought Shawn wanted to do some organizing. I talked with her about it last night, and we decided it's probably better to just start putting things back or what's left of our grass after the roofers will be dead and buried.
I went to our "National Night Out" annual gathering over on Herschel (a block east of our street.) I go every year, and pretty much have done since we moved into the neighborhood 15 some years ago. Yet, I still don't know anyone. I have to admit that part of the problem is that I'm not very good at that whole insert-yourself-into-the-conversation-and-talk-small-talk thing. As a a result, when people came up to introduce themselves there was a lot of awkward, "So are you new to the neighborhood?" And me, trying lamely to joke, "Yeah, fifteen years ago." To which, I mostly got "are you serious?" stares, and then I'd have to explain that I don't often hang around very long, though I've been coming to this for... well, never mind. And then they'd walk away and I'd stand there thinking, "I made cucumber salad for this?"
Mason insisted we go because in past years they've been very good about organizing games for the kids. They have had water ballon tosses and other little easy games. Not this year. The fire fighters rolled a big truck in as usual, and Captain Dan handed out stickers and whatnot, but I guess most of the kids who used to be into all that have grown and so Mason and one other kid, Bjorn, were the only ones really keen for something fun to do. Given my socializing FAIL and the lack of games, I abandoned my cucumber salad after about twenty minutes and realized this was the reason I really don't know many of the people over on Herschel.
We moved into the house belonging to the former block club leader, so we kind became the de facto block club leaders... and we used to be all sorts of stuff. Nothing super organized, but I feel like we know a lot of the families on our block pretty well. We, however, have a lot of renters, so...
Anyway, I feel kind of bad at what a dorky neighbor I am. But, at least the SWAT team hasn't been around for several years. (Yes, really. Once, when Mason was still an infant, I came home to a cop in full SWAT gear crouched behind my pine tree. Apparently, the raided the house next door for drugs. I didn't even really stop, I just turned around and drove Mason and I out of there for a couple hours.)
So, could be worse.
I also got the make-up off with generous applications of soap and water, and I was really grateful because I thought it might take industrial strength cold cream like we used to have to use in high school theatre.
Anyway, we still have stuff all over our backyard from our weekend garage cleaning extravaganza. I need to drag everything back in the yard. I would have started on it yesterday with all my excess engery, but I'd thought Shawn wanted to do some organizing. I talked with her about it last night, and we decided it's probably better to just start putting things back or what's left of our grass after the roofers will be dead and buried.
I went to our "National Night Out" annual gathering over on Herschel (a block east of our street.) I go every year, and pretty much have done since we moved into the neighborhood 15 some years ago. Yet, I still don't know anyone. I have to admit that part of the problem is that I'm not very good at that whole insert-yourself-into-the-conversation-and-talk-small-talk thing. As a a result, when people came up to introduce themselves there was a lot of awkward, "So are you new to the neighborhood?" And me, trying lamely to joke, "Yeah, fifteen years ago." To which, I mostly got "are you serious?" stares, and then I'd have to explain that I don't often hang around very long, though I've been coming to this for... well, never mind. And then they'd walk away and I'd stand there thinking, "I made cucumber salad for this?"
Mason insisted we go because in past years they've been very good about organizing games for the kids. They have had water ballon tosses and other little easy games. Not this year. The fire fighters rolled a big truck in as usual, and Captain Dan handed out stickers and whatnot, but I guess most of the kids who used to be into all that have grown and so Mason and one other kid, Bjorn, were the only ones really keen for something fun to do. Given my socializing FAIL and the lack of games, I abandoned my cucumber salad after about twenty minutes and realized this was the reason I really don't know many of the people over on Herschel.
We moved into the house belonging to the former block club leader, so we kind became the de facto block club leaders... and we used to be all sorts of stuff. Nothing super organized, but I feel like we know a lot of the families on our block pretty well. We, however, have a lot of renters, so...
Anyway, I feel kind of bad at what a dorky neighbor I am. But, at least the SWAT team hasn't been around for several years. (Yes, really. Once, when Mason was still an infant, I came home to a cop in full SWAT gear crouched behind my pine tree. Apparently, the raided the house next door for drugs. I didn't even really stop, I just turned around and drove Mason and I out of there for a couple hours.)
So, could be worse.