TastyTrixie.com

My sister came over this weekend with our nephews to spend a couple of nights. I figured we’d still be able to get work done when they went out on Saturday for a community event, which of course I would NOT go to. Because work is SO much more important, sitting here in front of the computer, working while I can literally feel the muscles and skin and hold-it-together-stuff in my thighs and ass breaking down into gobs of useless jello while I workworkwork.

But when my three year old nephew looked at me and asked in that hopeful and slightly anxiety-riddled voice if I was coming WITH them to the fair, I COULD NOT SAY NO. Even though I got about four hours less sleep than I usually do, waking up at 6:30ish which is unheard of for me (yeah, I know, you’re like, “cry me a river” but I also often stay up working until midnight, one, two am . . . anyway).

So I put some clothes on and we went and immediately I was glad I came with them when I heard the band warming up. A very filled-out community marching-type of band! We got there just in time and everything turned to magic for me, because it’s all about the kids and the music and being able to walk around the people playing their instruments and look at them from all angles and point to all of it, naming the instruments and using my Excited Kindergarten Teacher Voice! I have one of those, believe it or not, that comes very naturally to me.

We got behind the band, next to the lady drummers, and I picked him up so he could see the conductor, and I marched and danced and swayed with him in my arms to Sousa marches and Blue Moon. They were old people and little kids and a bagpiper a block away and I remembered how much I love being around regular people making music, how vital it is to dance and make noise.

I love doing new or not-done-lately things that make my body make sense. There are lots of those things: running really fast when you’re in decent shape and feeling yourself turn into an almost-flying machine, fucking, getting massages . . . and holding a baby or a child. Everything that’s soft and loose and floppy about me makes perfect SENSE. I felt so grounded and connected, and so sad when Mr. Squishypants was too shy to try to hula hoop on the street in front of everyone, but because I was an auntie on an excursion with them I didn’t exist the way I would have if we’d gone there alone, so *I* hooped and finally got to feel exactly how awesome those weighted hula hoops I’ve been coveting are.

Because I’m not used to picking up and holding anything heavier than the stupid ideas in my head, I went to bed last night with sore, cramping arms and a feeling in my torso like the rocking sensation when you get off a boat after a day of sailing; I could still feel baby Skywalker snuffling against and squirming and pawing at my chest, the embodiment of the word “dimples”, like a round gelatinous ghost-bubble encasing the IDEA of grinning-baby-kicking-in-shallow-bath and cute-baby-kittens-at-play was against me.

*****

On the same day as all the fun, we also had some crazy stuff happen. Our dog got all tangled up and stuck on her rope down the hill IN THE MIDDLE OF A YELLOW JACKET’S NEST. It was crazy-scary and I’m so glad it wasn’t worse AND that my sister was here to help. Poor Mr. Squish was semi-traumatized by all the hubbub with us telling him to STAY INSIDE AND NOT MOVE while we ran around like crazy with the bees swarming in in clouds. It was horrifying seeing our dog trying to get away from them, not able to let her into the house while they stung and stung and stung her around the muzzle. I’m really surprised that Delia, who rescued the dog, didn’t get it worse (amazingly, no stings on her face or neck, but her arm is swollen up and we won’t be shooting pics of her ass until the stings she got there are gone).

Later, while we waited for a parade, a guy came down the street trying to get signatures for a petition (which I doubt will do any good) for the public insurance option. An asshole next to us got up in the guy’s face about it, and my sister (who is a nurse) in turn got up in HIS face. So we spent about twenty minutes doing our civic duty, fighting with this stranger. While we ganged up on him, tears welled up in poor Mr. Squishypants’ eyes just from watching the angry exchange.

It probably was all for nothing, but I hope we gave that guy something to think about.

For the record, even though I voted for him I never thought Obama would do anything to fix health care. I still don’t, and suspect whatever half-assed efforts are made will only be counterproductive to eventually getting real universal health care in this country. And no, I don’t want to have a big argument about it in the comments, thank you very much. But here’s a news flash: EVERYONE NEEDS HEALTH CARE, and “insurance” isn’t an effective way of taking care of people’s basic health care needs. And personally? I believe EVERYBODY deserves quality health care and that it’s inexcusable for a wealthy country like ours not to make sure EVERYBODY has it. A non-profit public insurance plan isn’t my idea of the perfect solution, but I do think it’s better than nothing. I don’t think the way they’re trying to go about it is equitable, but whatever.

*****

As happy as I am to see my sister and the kids, I’m always relieved (though sad) to see them go.

We’re now going back to normal, logging all our spycams back in (we pretty much only have our office cams up when they’re here), turning the audio back on, and, as usual, wishing we all lived closer so I could get smaller doses of that on a more regular basis. I need to do some push-ups so I’m stronger next time, because our nephews are only going to get bigger and I want to be able to dance with them in my arms and pick them up and cuddle them as long as possible.