today, not so lucky
Posted on April 17, 2007
Filed Under marriage, kids, parenting, homeownership |
Today I’ve got nothing…nothing but the haunting impression that someone in the stratosphere listens carefully to my rants and as soon as I say something like, “Wee it’s Spring” or “Gee, Aren’t I lucky“, this malicious being unleashes some sort of unpleasantness to slap me back down into my regular state of pessimism and self pity.
After I relished a good sigh and a brief warm fuzzy about my in-laws, I was immediately plunged into the distinct hell of failing sump pumps, 6 inches of water in the basement, a day without electricity and a house full of kids home on Spring Break, a 40 feet tree down across the driveway wiping out an entire family of squirrels that are now squashed carcasses for the dog to maw on and a car without radio or tail lights or heat which seems to be completely unrelated to the storm but the cherry on the cake no less.
My own personal drama is no VA Tech so I’ll shut up now and you all will forgive me for being less than entertaining because I’ve been with my children all day in a house free of Webkinz or Club Penguin; I can hear water pouring into my basement; it’s so cold in here my fingers hurt because the furnace is not fond of ankle deep water; and, if I wanted to flee to parts unknown, parts free from flooding and furnaces and sump pumps, never to be heard from again, I’d have to hitchhike.
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7 Responses to “today, not so lucky”
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oh, no. i am so sorry. sending dry thoughts your way. flooding has been a companion of ours, too, not this year but in other years.
scary global-warming weather, no?
Not sure if it’s global warming or a bad home purchase that’s to blame. Spring has been a trial.
and you thought you were escaping the madness of seasons with “weather issues!” ha! it’s beautiful here today in your old stomping grounds BUT i know in a few more weeks i’ll be sweating the moment i leave the shower.
hang in there! hey, better than that, come down for a visit!
And the weirdest thing? For your kids, the memory of this storm and flood in the basement may turn out to be one of their fondest. Well, certainly one of their keenest memories. The suburban lifestyle offers so little that could ever fall into the category of adventure (and, of course, the people who designed suburbia know that adventures are so inconvenient, knowing that we’d all choose convenience over excitement).
Hey, are you in the Northeast part of our fair state? I was just up by the Ms. Merry Mack and geez was her waters high. Even some exits on the interstate were closed.
We actually managed to keep our basement dry. I feel for you though. I really, really feel for you.
ah. hitchhiking.
i miss that.
Dear cce, I just can’t keep quiet any longer. I think I wasn’t supposed to know about your blog and even once I learned about it tried to stay away to give you space to vent without having to repress impulses or worry about offending, recrimination or resentment. After about the 4th person asked, “What about cce’s blog, isn’t it great!”–I couldn’t help myself. D and I logged on and have become big fans!( that was about Eastertime). I mail D. copies or read your dailies to him when we talk at night. He in turn reads some of them to his sister. We really cackled upon reading “Leditfester”. We had been trying to think of a way to lure you into writing about your weird inlaws, and then you finally did. It was very funny and very true, except for the shabby husband part. I nearly choked several times last weekend when you made statements that I had read–especially when the subject of armoires came up again. Then when I got home and read that lovely piece about having chosen your extended family well, I had to send it all to John. (It really was a homage to him– we all are lucky to have him in our lives!) I won’t tell E or Mama and Daddy for obvious but different reasons. But every now and then, I just want to respond, so from now on I will. For instance, I wanted to reassure you that you needn’t feel guilty about loving one child more than the other. There will always be times when we love one more than the other, because that one is particularly vulnerable or adorable right then– or the other is being unlovely and less lovable. I’ve seen you parent now for 8 years and I’ve never seen a more tender, patient and adoring parent. And of course, we both know Your Better Half is absolutely in love with both of them! I am very grateful that my grandchildren have you both. I just couldn’t continue sneaking my reading after today’s essay. You are so right again in the choice you made to not expose them to the inexplicable horror of Virginia Tech and again I am grateful. I also liked the comments on fundamentalism and wanting O and G to know that their notion of God is their notion. I’ve always appreciated that you’ve fostered their opportunity to have a notion different from your own, or mine or Grandma’s. I’m so sorry the basement flooded and the tree fell. I was hoping you wouldn’t have that to cope with just now. In any case know I love you and am very proud of you! You can vent or poke fun at us anytime. Just keep up the good work! MIL a/k/a the Saintly Hoarder.