5. I can eat veggies that aren't
4. Sleeping in my own comfy, warm bed!
3. Not having to fight for the shower (small house + 1 bathroom + lots of people = bathroom chaos)
2. The TV's not on 24/7.
1. Fast Internet access!
Four memorable events from the trip:
4. All flights on time!
3. Lots of deep, meaningful conversations with my sibs and parents...and lots of the normal wackiness too.
2. When I told my aunt that her cookies taste exactly like my late grandmother's, she beamed. (They do...it's eerie.)
1. Attending my [insert number that just seems way too large]th high school reunion, and catching up with good friends I haven't seen in a very long time.
Three observations on gender roles and the whole nature vs. nurture thing:
3. At my high school reunion, the first question that everyone asked me was "how many kids do you have?" Only two people bothered to ask me what I was up to these days beyond "where are you living now?"
2. Every Christmas letter we got from friends and relatives with children of one or both genders described the girl children as "little princesses" and the boy children as "strong" or "funny". Every single last one.
1. All of the boy cousins in my family got puzzle books (Sudoko!) for Christmas. All of the girl cousins got makeup and/or candles.
Two questions I hope to never hear again (but know better):
2. Variations on the "when are you gonna have kids?" theme. Including my new favorite, "you're not getting any younger, you know."
1. Variations on the "I have the cushiest job in the universe" theme, including comments that it must be nice to (a) work 6 hours a week, (b) only teach a couple courses at a time, (c) have my summers/holiday season off.
And finally, my one most favorite thing about the holidays:
1. Sitting around with extended family, sharing funny stories about years gone by, and learning a bit of family history (and scandal!) along the way. And, usually, giggling hysterically throughout.
4 comments:
I am a girl, and I got a Sudoku book. :)
At least you know you're in good company with many of these things.
Although I avoided the hols, my mother suggested I get ex to impregnate me on my trip. Nice.
And in the 24 hours I've been home I've been ingesting as many fresh, undrowned veggies as I can.
I like your memorable bits -- all quite nice.
b*, I'm so jealous! I've been stealing Mr. Jane's book just so I can get my fix. :)
JP, I consider the "why aren't you seeing anyone" a corollary to the "why don't you have kids" question. It's just as ugly, I agree! (and my single sibs did get that question from the same people who pushed the kids question on me. Leave us alone, people!)
PG, I can't believe your mom said that!! ugh!!! (And by the way, I read your post on the kids thing, and thought it was very well said. Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts on the issue in the future.)
Okay, I don't feel so bad about getting the "when will you finish?" question (closely related to the "aren't you done yet?" question). I've got to recognize it as the question asked by "paint by the numbers" and/or the Mrs. & Mrs. His First and Last Name folks :-).
I usually find myself at a loss when a female friend/acquaintance gets married and chooses to change her name. I really don't quite know how to respond. I feel like exclaiming -- don't you know you'll be lost to history? That your relatives will have all kinds of difficulty doing their geneaologies? That other cultures manage people keeping their names with no trouble? Mostly it's just a shock to be reminded how on the fringe I really am.
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