Where Have All the Flowers Gone

Why haven't I been blogging? I've been wondering that every night for the last two weeks. There's no new drama or trauma or anything exciting like that. There's only been life and the daily challenge to do, to make, to create, to manage. There are enough pressures in ordinary life without the somewhat arbitrary directive of blogging every single day. And frankly, I just haven't had much to say. The kiddo is in summer camp, work is awesome and life is rolling along. And I'm OK with that.

Kentucky

This is attached to the underside of an old chair we are recovering at the shop. I love it when the furniture is labled like this. It's fun to imagine what this chair has seen in the last 63 years...

Le Freak

Last day of school + the county fair + a 48" tall kiddo = AWESOMENESS SQUARED.

I am shocked at how much my boy likes the crazy thrill rides. He wasn't even the tiniest bit phased by the Freak Out--he actually went on it again a few hours later. I didn't dare go on The Gravitron until I was 10, but this kid is unstoppable when it comes to the midway. Which is just how I like 'em.

A great way to end the school year: eating junk food then spinning around on giant amusement park rides that can be folded up and packed onto the back of a truck in 45 minutes. Yikes.

Money

Well, the boy has finally decided to spend money. HIS money. Not MY money. I'm happy because it means...well, I'm honestly not sure what it means. The phrases "growing up" and "financial responsibility" come to mind, but so do "wasteful use of life savings" and "great, more plastic crap for me to step on in bare feet in the middle of the night when I'm walking to the bathroom to go pee."

The point is, we spent some time together yesterday counting his tooth fairy money, the 50 cent pieces that Max and brought back from Las Vegas a few years ago (BLACKJACK!) and various other coins and dollar bills that somehow ended up in his possession. And it was adorable. His baseball-shaped piggy bank was practically vomiting carefully folded dollars and pocket change on to his bedroom floor. Not to mention how his first grade counting skills really paid off--they had learned about counting by 5's and 10's using coins this year.

We counted out $58.97, and today, after a trip to Toys R Us, the kiddo is $26.98 poorer and a Playmobile cowboy set richer. Capitalism is alive and well among the six year old set.

Uber Legitimate

Ever wondered about all those pictures I post of the Sutro Tower? Wonder no longer! It's a long-term and mildly obsessive attraction!

Sunset Soon Forgotten

With Max away for the night, I've got a new bedmate. Samson has always been adept at weasling his way into the big bed, and he's completely aware of how much easier it is when it's just the two of us.

I put Iron and Wine on for bedtime music, and he fell asleep immediately. He managed to effortlessly occupy 75% of the California King sized bed before the first track was over. Even Turkey has ended up on the floor.

Guess I won't be watching season 2 of Orange is the New Black tonight after all...

Summer In The City

Thank heavens for the great big hills that keep the fog where it belongs: the Sunset and Daly City. And Diamond Heights. And a little bit of the Castro. And most of 280 from Belmont to Serramonte.

See America Right

My album of the moment is Tallahassee by the Mountain Goats. For the last week or so, it's been my go-to morning commute album. The ups and downs of the singer's mood coinside perfectly with the curves along 280, in and out of sun and fog. It's a great way to prepare for the ups and downs of the day ahead and a perfect example of how the right music can dictate my mood for hours to come.

"Maybe everything that falls down eventually rises."