Wearing Grandma's Glasses

I haven't posted in a while, which is not unusual for me, but getting "back on the saddle" means overcoming some inertia. I start to ask myself, "Why am I writing this (blog)? What do I have to say?", and more importantly, "how can I say it without sounding too negative?" The latter is my challenge in writing and in life, which is why Mike and I compliment eachother so well. He wears the rose tinted glasses; I wear the blue. Together, we may see the world more clearly. I'm really missing Mike right now; he's in Boston, on business.

On the homeowner front, I'm learning how quickly money can disappear on things that don't affect the cosmetic or enjoyment level of the house. Our home inspection turned up potential hazards: carbon monoxide from the chimney, radon in the basement, and asbestos in some heating pipes. Luckily, the seller is compassionate enought to pay for removing these deadly gases and airborne particles, probably because we have a kid. The irony is, she has unknowingly lived with these silent hazards for 38 years and appears to be in fine health. A little knowledge is a scary thing. I'm now wondering if our current rental home has radon, and in how many previous homes did we breath the stuff without even knowing? Radon accounts for most of the cases of lung cancer in this country that are not caused by smoking! We have all heard of non-smokers acquiring lung cancer...could that have been why?

I'm reminded of Joe Jackson's song, "Everything gives you Cancer", when I'm tempted to take all of this too seriously. But without Mike here to ground me, my mind is a very dangerous place. Of course airline travel is safer than traveling by car, but that doesn't stop me from worrying endlessly about Mike's safety while he's away.

Not only would I miss the guy terribly, but I DON'T EVER WANT TO BECOME A SINGLE PARENT! Single parents of the world, I applaud you! How can you remain patient and loving, not knowing when someone, anyone, is coming to spell you... to allow you to finish a load of dishes, or even go to the bathroom (in peace)?

Fortunately, uncle Karl and Gram have given Andy the extra love and attention that Mike would have provided. We are going to miss having them right down the street! We miss Jessica already, who is back up in Humboldt County, working on her degree in kinesiology (go Jess!)

Andy is busy exercising his freedoms as an independent human being. He's been living off juice, cheese and yogurt. (Can that sustain life?) He is surprising me with his vocabulary every day, but the untrained ear might not pick up his new words, since they are very content specific: wheel, hose, ax, ladder, lights. Can anyone guess his latest obsession?

Whoooo-ooooo, whooooo-ooooo, ding, ding! Firetrucks, that's right!

And dancing. Andy likes Zoe's song on his "Seseme Street Friend's Singalong" Book. He'll press the button and run across the room, throwing up his arms, and attempting to gain some air. His feet rise a mere inch or so off the ground, making the whole dance even more comical. Oh, and the words to the song? "She loves dancing in her tutu for her friends..." The tune is actually "She'll be coming around the Mountain." I don't think we'll be getting him a tutu anytime soon... not that there's anything wrong with that.