LAX

This is so shameless, writing so much about my impressions when I should be devoting time to my concerns and feelings over the job.  I guess that I am so tired of living with it, day after day that it seems mundane and old.  do i want to remember these worries so vividly years from now.  Why bother? I will not forget the worry, it will always be with me, it will simply attach itself to some new, and perhaps less significant thing in my life.

LAX was dazzling and busy compared to the laid back glitz of Las Vegas. The lights here are brighter, the hum of humanity louder and more pressed.  I felt as if I needed to jog just to keep up with the casual pace of the residents.

Egor drug me along to the shuttle area. He had already incorporated the new pace into his system.  I felt confused and disoriented as we boarded a shuttle for the car rental place.  Our driver was an immense light skinned African American woman with brittle blond hair crimped tightly around her scalp. Her gravely voice boomed cheerfully though the speakers. Smiling brightly, she saluted other drivers and staff as she tore through the airport at top speed.  I could hear our luggage shifting nervously in the bins beside us.  I am amazed by how skillfully she maneuvers the minibus.  As we get off, she is sweet and patient with us tourists, although she seems about as tired and dazed as we are.  Her name is Phyllis and she won't take a tip.

It's after 10 pm when we hit the rental counter.  The sleepy rental agent is very patient with us and draws a map to our hotel.  I wonder how often he must give this speech and how he manages to still be so gracious.  At the hotel I have my first experience with valet parking and in my confusion manage to walk into Egor twice.

Our room is very pleasant and I unpack in a frenzy, mostly looking for my brush and face wash.  It takes ten minutes to coax the snarls out of my hair.  I collapse at 11:30.

New Suit!

Ain't he a cutie in his new suit!!! I think I'm going to start dressing him up more often and taking adorable pictures. Egor for president!!!

 

And thanks to mom and Dad for the lovely Bulova watch, it's gorgeous!

It's so wonderful to see him so happy and proud. This summer has been so hard on him. i hope we can find a new place to make our home. someplace with good schools for Tyoma and hopefully someplace we can still see our friends.  how cool it would be to have Pat and Kurt come out to visit with us over the summers. Oh! Crossed fingers!

Aquarium Monday

We finally found a home for our aquarium!

E drove mom's disintegrating van to Robert's place to drop off our 55 gallon aquarium.  Mom's van is always full of ominous creaks, rattles and smells and driving without the A/C made the whole experience rather, unsettling.

Roberts place is a single wide trailer which he has gutted and plans to build anew.  Walls have been torn down and electronic fixtures dangle menacingly, giving the space a post-apocalypse feel. He plans to fit the floors and walls with lacquered plywood, stainless steel and glass for an ultra modern feel.  I wish him luck. This could take years.

But!  His home is on an acre of breathtaking land overlooking the mountains.  Personally, I think a few throw pillows and paper lanterns would suffice, his location is gorgeous!  Egor said if he even finished up half his space like he planned he could sell his place for a fortune.  I don't see it. Robert would host fabulous parties and everyone would come and worship him!

Baby Shots

After rescheduling THREE times, we finally got Tyoma's 12 month shots. He was a very good baby and passed all the Doctor's developmental tests. I was a bit worried since he says and losses so many words, but he is right on track.

Yay! Natuarally, his post-shot cries were earth-rattling, but at least Papa was there to help out. Tennisfiend took the Lexus to CSR to check it out. We will hear results later.

Juniper Hell

Heh. I had gin and tonic last night at the hot tub party. Not that I had much, since gin has a nastiness that I associate with Whitechapple and dead prostitutes.  Brrr. Anyway, before I fed Tyoma this morning, I did my usual thing, washing my hands and making formula. Blah. Gin smell.

An hour or two later, I worked in the back yard and came into the bathroom to another gin smell. Blah. I figured that I was either loosing my mind or that gin was truly the most foul drink ever--lingering around my person in an eternal noxious cloud. When Ewbliette came over to visit and I compulsively washed my hands for the tenth time this day--more stink. Heh.

My handsoap is juniper scented! What a relief! I can guarantee that I will not sip a bit of the odious stuff for at least another year!

In other news, Tyoma is walking very well! Ewbliette spent time with him prior to the big trip next week. She will help out mom next Sunday and Monday. I gave Ewbliette all my neurotic legal papers, instructions and  imperatives. With her usual good humour, she laughed heartily over my juniper story. :)

Hot Tub!!!

OMFG! Ewbliette and Brotherkurt bought a very fancy hot tub! I visited tonight and the experience was spectacular!

Zow! The tub seats a generous six and has 1,000 remote controls. Unbelievable! Six jet pressures per station and twenty light effects. I swear the thing will blast off into orbit if you hit the wrong button! Seriously, seriously cool!

 Ewbliette had an assortment of towels, robes and slippers elegantly laid out for the two of us, when I arrived. We selected more natural  options(whee!) and bubbled away for the next two hours. Few resorts could offer such a nice tub and the company was priceless! Yay!

Lexus

Tennisfiend came home tonight and mentioned that we might get a new car.  A connection with a local bank gave us an in on the auction of a foreclosed car--a 2000 Lexus coupe. Whoa. Might work out, TF seems ecstatic.

I am surprised. Where are we going to get the money?

Maybe,  I am not so surprised. Egor's Taurus is 15 years old. We bought it from one of his co-workers for next to nothing. It has gold peeling paint and no air conditioner. And it clicks ominously when you turn it. Sigh.

All this right before our trip. We don't know if we will get the job. A security clearence is vital in his feild of work and he just doesn't have one. And damn, if we move to LA we will be living in a shoe box that costs a fortune. But we must buy a new car. We will see what happens. If this looks like a good deal, we will take it. We can't drive his crappy Taurus from here to there and the shipping on the car would cost more than it's worth. My vote, get a car there after we've moved. Alas!

Hair, Glorious Hair!

Well, the driverside window to my car is totally broken. It's been going to hell all summer long. It gives a rubbery moans as you lower the window and then stutters to a halt. It seems to go up just fine, which accounts for the problem. My brain is on auto-pilot and I close the damn window after I open it.

I feel like an idiot running errands to the bank and picking up fast food, having to open the door in my anceint car. Stumbling  out to do my business, people look shocked as if I have made a major social transgression. What kind of person am I to be humiliated by this? Probably the type who was made fun of all through school. Huh.

Today, Rodeyo gave me the loveliest, blondest highlights! But, he was in the pissiest mood evah! Sometime after noon, his inner fabulousness kicked in and I sighed in relief. Despite the crankiness, he tossed me a freebie hairspray and was sweet as pie as I trotted off to my poor sad car.

I felt extra stressed today, anyway. Blah. T minus six days.

Walking?

Well, Tyoma took his official First Three Steps today. Mom reported walking this Monday (I've been helping with Tennisfiend's upcoming seminar) and I saw a step or two last week, but this is official!!!

Also today, he waved "bye-bye." He's waved before, at eight months, but the light was not on. Now he understands that the hand wave means "good-bye," not just, "I'm waving and you're waving." I can really see a little person, just begining to think for himself! Yay!

Tired

Blah. I did not sleep well last night. Too much excitement. I’ll compensate for the tiredness with a bucket of green tea. My diet is slowly working. I’m back to a size ten, but my jeans are still pretty snug. If I wear them on the airplane my legs might drop off. If I wear my twelves I’ll be hauling my trousers up every ten minutes. Next time I buy jeans, I’m getting the stretchy kind.