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.

we made it to my parents' house

Leo, David and I survived the cross country flights and arrived in Savannah, Georgia yesterday. David was able to take advantage of a last minute deal and use frequent flier miles from our credit card to upgrade us to first class on the flight from California to D.C. I'm too frugal to even consider first class, but I can see why he wants it - he just doesn't fit into economy seats. At 6'4", his shoulders are wider than the seats and his long thighs cause his knees to be wedged into the back of the seat in front of him. But I feel guilty flying first class. We had drinks and food offered to us from the time we got on, even as other passengers were trying to get by into their seats. The three of us got even better service because I asked our gay Puerto Rican flight attendant if that was a Human Rights Campaign ring that he was wearing. It was, and from then on out we were his favorite customers. I guess special service from male flight attendants is one of the few advantages of being a gay man in this society.

Leo did very well on the flights. Last time that we flew he wanted to watch movies on my iPhone the whole time, which wrecked my plans to read a book that I had on it. So this year we got Leo a refurbished iPod touch for a bargain and put several movies on it. He knows that the iPod is only for traveling, not for use at home.

David also wants me to complain to Jimmy about our flight from D.C. to Savannah. It was on one of the smaller regional airlines, and we were on a Canadaair Regional Jet. David couldn't even stand up in the aisle, forget about trying to stand in the restroom, and I banged my head standing up in the aisle. I explained that a Canadian student in a business major (sorry Jimmy, I know that's not exactly right but couldn't remember exactly what your major was, and it has something to do with business) doesn't design airplanes, but David said that some Canadian was to blame and Jimmy was the first one to come to his mind. I'm thinking of the South Park movie, which of course I didn't see, with the theme song "Blame Canada". Maybe Jimmy and Madeleine can share the blame ;-)

We did get to meet my 4 month old niece, my sister's daughter, for the first time. She may be my sister's daughter, but she looks like a female clone of my brother in law. She was showing all the signs of being tired, and I wanted to tell my sister just to take her home and put her to bed.

Our night didn't go so well. Leo complained of abdominal pain at about 1 AM and started vomiting at 4. I'm still on Pacific time, so I might have gotten a few hours of interrupted sleep. Leo seems fine now, so let's hope that he's over it.

My parents are off to Easter mass, so I had a chance to blog. I hope that everyone is having a good weekend.