back after a long break

I'm finally back. I didn't really go anywhere but got so busy that I didn't post for a long time.

My parents came for a visit, timed to coincide with Leo's seventh birthday. It was generally a good trip. For once it wasn't too hot in August. We went to the usual kid attractions - the Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town (a small park with play areas based on nursery rhymes), the local pool. Leo always enjoys my parents' visits - he has four adults instead of two to entertain him.

We had Leo's birthday party at Rocknasium, a local rock climbing gym. The nine kids enjoyed climbing all over the walls. I have to say I learned something too - rock climbers are hot! It was a warm day, and since we live in a college town, the college and high school rock climbers were almost all shirtless. Unlike guys who lift weights, these guys get muscles from "natural" exercise, so they're lean but very fit. Someone could make a bundle by having a rock climbers calender for 2011.

The difficult part of my parents' trip came after they left. I talked to David, who values his quiet and personal space, and he told me that he can't tolerate my parents staying in our house for a week again. It's just my dad - my mom doesn't bother David but my dad does - he and David are just totally opposite personalities. That's really difficult for me - David has to be comfortable, but I have to tell my parents that they have to stay in a hotel next time. Ugh.

Leo started second grade on Wednesday. He's in a Montessori program in our local public school and is in a combined second and third grade class. He has a teacher that I have heard very good things about. But David and I had to laugh about something that happened on Friday. His teacher immigrated from India, and has a small red circle on her forehead, which I believe is a Hindu tradition (maybe someone can enlighten me on this?). Apparently one of the kids in the class wanted one too, so she gave one to every kid who wanted one. David and I don't care, but we could see some fundamentalist parents having a fit about their child coming home with a Hindu mark on their head. Probably won't happen in our very liberal college town in Northern California, but you never know. That type of parents usually won't enroll their child in a Montessori program to start though.

We've been keeping Apple happy lately. David bought a new laptop with the money that he earns from writing and editing manuscripts, and soon after his iPhone died so he bought a G4 iPhone. It does take good home movies on iMovie.

I'm working today, so David took Leo to see his first movie in a theatre, Nanny McPhee Returns. Leo apparently enjoyed it and behaved very well.


I want to welcome a new follower, Grant from Gay and Away. I enjoy your blog, Grant.

a small step toward marriage equality?

By now everyone has heard about Prop 8 being declared unconstitutional by a federal district judge in San Francisco. That is great, but I have to wonder where this will end up. Will the Ninth Circuit Court, and later the Supreme Court, agree, or will one or the other overturn the decision? It all comes down to nine people in DC, their personal beliefs (and biases). I remember the huge disappointment in 1986 or '87 when the Supreme Court surprised the gay community and upheld rather than overturned Georgia's sodomy law. (I grew up and was living in Georgia at the time, so it hit me personally very hard.) And even if the law is ruled unconstitutional in the end, will it only affect California? Or will it be used to overturn anti-marriage equality laws and constitutional amendments in other states? I always get nervous thinking about this - having basic human rights of a minority up for a vote by the majority. I did donate money to the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the organization that brought the lawsuit. The trial also reminded me to always give people the chance to do the right thing. I did not like Ted Olson when he argued Bush versus Gore in the Supreme Court, or when he was Solicitor General in the Bush administration. But he did the right thing in this case. Even Republicans can do the right thing on occasion.