Browsing Tag: family

    Miscellany

    What’s in a name? (not much!)

    March 23, 2005

    Our daughter is at the age where role-playing is about as fun as it gets. Over the weekend, she was role-playing with Sean and Mom where T was the mommy and they were both her babies. They played it up to the hilt — lots of crying, demanding things, etc. I finally suggested to T that she tell her kids it was time for a nap. So she did:

    “C’mon baby, it’s time for a nap. Come lay down.”

    “C’mon other baby, it’s time for a nap….”

    Baby. And Other Baby. Maybe you had to be there, but it was one of the funniest things I’ve heard…..

    Miscellany

    Anchors away

    June 2, 2004

    Memorial Day 2004 is (finally) over. Our final visiting guest, my wonderful Mom-in-law, left today. It’s been a great week with lots of company visiting. The kids had a good time, the adults had a good time, the food was great, the weather fantastic … just a great holiday overall.

    But it was also possibly the last holiday we’ll ever have like this.

    The biggest news of the weekend is that my brother-in-law and his family are moving back east soon. When that happens, our nearest relatives will be my other brother-in-law, whose family lives 4-5 hours away in Boise. And when that happens, it’ll be the first time since 1994 that we’ve lived without family in the same town or relatively close — close enough to get together on holidays.

    It’s an odd feeling, being all alone. I feel like we have no anchors holding us here anymore. Sure, we both have jobs. But for the first time in a long time, maybe ever, we’re both doing “portable” work — work that can be done anywhere, in any city in any state. When I was in TV, I was tied down. There were so few job openings that you didn’t dare consider moving somewhere because you wanted to. You only moved if you had a new job lined up. Likewise when Cari was in retail — she was tied to moving to cities within the company where openings existed. If we had wanted to move to, say, Seattle, we couldn’t until Cari could get a similar job in her company. No freedom in that.

    But I can do web development and SEO for anyone, anywhere. And Cari can get her real estate license in any state. And the kids aren’t tied into a school system just yet. In the little quiet time I had over the holiday, I actually gave serious thought to the idea of moving. Maybe to Pennsylvania to be near my family. Or California to be near Cari’s mom and dad. (Then I shuddered at the memory of the cost of living in California….) Or somewhere else……