Seven Quick Takes
1. I’ve been semi-absent from the blogging world for the past couple of weeks because, as I mentioned in my last Quick Takes post, my stepson was in town for a visit. It was actually his first visit to our home – normally we head down to Arkansas to see him – and it went really well. He is a great kid, funny and smart and sweet, and I think he had a good time. Normally we only get one week a year with him (all we can afford money-and-time-of-from-work-wise) but with him coming here we got two whole weeks, and it felt even longer than that. We’re hoping next year he’ll feel up to staying longer.
2. I have, at least, tried to keep up with my Google reader, even though I haven’t actually been writing on my own blog. It seems that Betty Beguiles was inspired to host a love song link up, and I wanted to join in. Here’s the song that my husband has declared to be “our song:”
That’s John Prine and Iris DeMent singing “In Spite of Ourselves.” We’re a different kind of couple, you see. If I was going to pick a song for me & my husband, I think it would be this one:
Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon singing “Jackson.” I prefer this version over the original by Johnny & June Carter Cash (sorry).
I would try to explain why these songs work for us, but I just can’t. I think you’d have to know us to get it.
3. While my stepson was in town, we actually went to the beach for a few hours. This is a big deal, because my husband and I NEVER go to the beach. This likely has to do with the fact that A. we’re not outdoorsy type people; we really like air conditioning and artificial light and B. we live in a tourist town and like many locals have cultivated a deep hatred for crowds and sand.
4. Don’t get me wrong. I am deeply grateful to every carload of people from Ohio or Canada that comes into our fair city between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Their visits keep my real estate taxes (relatively) low and provide jobs for thousands of people. I just don’t care for the traffic at the oceanfront or the hassle of finding a spot to sit on the beach.
5. I also don’t like to swim in water that has living and dead things in it. For all my crunchy-green aspirations, I confess that I still prefer my water clear and heavily chlorinated.
6. Compared to the past couple of weeks, my plans for this weekend are pretty low-key. Actually, I don’t have any. Except, as always, to try to clean our house, and maybe pull together a system for organizing and actually USING coupons for grocery shopping. I’m not good at couponing, and honestly, I have mixed feelings about bringing most of the junk food advertised in the Sunday paper into my home. But if I can figure out a way to trim our weekly expenses at all, well, I’ll be happy. So that’s on the agenda, I think.
7. All righty, I have to wrap this up because I’m due at my doctor’s office in less than an hour, and I haven’t showered or packed my son’s lunch. Always pushing the envelope of tardiness, that’s me! Head over to Jen’s place for more quick takes.
