Mr. C.’s Random Thoughts

As I write this we are putting another week in the can, as they say. It was one of those weeks where nothing went really wrong but everyone and everything is just a little high strung and by Friday you are just exhausted. And, yes, I’m exhausted but I also can’t sleep. Maybe a little time at the keyboard will allow my mind to slow down a little bit.

On Monday, Heather and I had an appointment with our OB, Dr. David. We are getting to the point in our pregnancy where we come every two weeks and it all boils down to these two questions: (1) “How are you feeling?” and (2) “Do you have any questions for me?” To which we answer: (1) “Pretty good…” and (2) “None that I can think of.” To be honest, I feel pretty much like a third-wheel in these appointments. But I know that it’s important to Heather that I be there, so I’m happy to go. But the good news is that he thinks everything is going well and that Duncan will probably be born pretty close to his due date.
After the appointment, I went to Target and did selections for the new baby. I think I ended up selecting over 140 items. Of course, a lot of them were diapers. I have to say this for Heather, there aren’t many women out there that would actually trust their husbands to do selections!

After my Target excursion, I traveled to Texline to attend a funeral with my mom and dad. The woman who had passed away was my great-aunt Iris’s best friend, Ethel. It was a small, short service and Iris didn’t even get to go because she is recovering from pneumonia. We went by her house to visit after the service and she seemed genuinely happy to see me. It’s weird but in a way I really enjoyed the four hours on the road…it was the first time in 2 1/2 years that I’ve been alone with my thoughts for that long. At least, alone with my thoughts without having to worry about cutting checks at the church, running a deposit to the bank, making lesson plans, putting in a second, third, fourth, fifth load of laundry, picking up toys, or shopping for groceries. I guess everyone that’s a parent knows what I’m talking about. I got to listen to the station I wanted without worrying if everyone else liked it, stopped on the side of the road to take a picture of the sunset (which we can’t see from our house, although we can sometimes get a good glimpse at the rising sun), and appreciate the beauty of a orange full moon as it rose above the hills I was driving through to get home. After I got home, I told Heather that it was probably the first time I was in my parents’ home and truly felt like a guest. Mom always said she knew we were grown ups when we stopped getting up early on Saturday morning to watch cartoons. For a long time, I thought she was right but I don’t any more. It’s when you go to the home that you grew up in and realize that while it’s wonderful to be there, the home that you’ve made for yourself and your wife and kids is even more “home.”

While Mom and I were returning to Texline from the funeral in Clayton, I finally got up the courage to ask her if she and Dad had made any arrangement should anything happen to one or both of them. She told me that she and Dad had started to work on it but that it had just ended in a big fight. But she also told me that she would start putting their wishes down on paper. I have been wanting to bring up the subject with her and Dad for a long time but never could find the right time to do it. It seemed like whenever we had the opportunity that we were always surrounded by a crowd of people. And Christmas Dinner just didn’t seem like the right time to launch into the whole “burial vs. cremation” debate. Speaking of which, Mom really shocked me when she told me that she had decided that she and Dad both wanted to be cremated when they died. For as long as I can remember, Dad has wanted to be cremated but she was very much against it. I’m not sure what changed her mind but it seems that she and Dad are now of one mind on the subject.

I just got through watching the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. (I think this is where the Shroud of Turin is kept–just a little trivia there…) Even though I’m really not one for watching skiing, skating, luging (is that how you spell that word?), etc., it is so refreshing to see representatives from so much of the world come together to just compete. Not kill, but simply to compete.

It certainly is different from how I spent a sizable chunk of my afternoon. I came across an Internet story about the controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammed which have been stirring up so much violence in the world lately. I think I’m far from alone when I saw the cartoons for myself and said, “That’s what’s got everyone so pissed off? Enough to kill people?” True, I know very little about Islam but it seems to me that many people are being manipulated by others who care nothing for the values Muslims seem to hold dear. The ignorant being manipulated by the hypocritical…sounds a lot like Republican Party and Jack Abramof! (I can’t believe I just typed that…I am going to have to turn in my “Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy” membership card!!)

In other news, Mollie, Ramona, and I have nailed down our itinerary for our summer 2007 trip to Europe. We will be visiting Rome (note to self: purchase Italian language CDs!) and Florency in Italy, Lucerne in Switzerland, Paris, and London. The trip will last for 15 days and I am very excited and anxious at the same time. At last count, almost 46 juniors had expressed interest in going, even though the trip will cost over $4,000 for them. To be honest, the part that I am most nervous about is leaving my kids for two weeks. Kathryn will be (almost) four and Duncan will be a little over one year old so I think it will be OK. I never would have even considered going to Europe on a trip like this if Heather hadn’t suggested that I go after having coffee with Mollie and the other “hens” last summer in Diana’s front yard.

Speaking of Kathryn, she is growing up so fast. It seems she changes almost daily. She (and I) have been struggling with a cold this week. Not a record-breaking cold by any means, but enough to make us cough quite a bit and let me tell you, she has really perfected the art of wringing sympathy from the ladies that keep her during the day! We took her to the doctor this afternoon to make sure she was OK. No strep and probably no RSV (although the sample has to be cultured before we’ll know for sure). She and Heather went to sleep early (at least earlier than me–I’m not sure what’s inspired this late-night blog session). I am anxious/hopeful to see how she will change once Duncan makes his arrival in April. I’m hoping that she won’t be overcome by all the attention that Duncan will be sure to receive (but I won’t be surprised if that happens, either!).

Well, I think I’m going to close this down and try and catch some sleep. If past performance is any indication, Kathryn should be up in a couple hours (ungh!).