December 13, 2006
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Kevin; it’s Moltar.
I came home from a very good day at work today to find a Christmas card from my dad and step mom. I’ve always loved Christmas cards–they are a nice little thing to get when you lived apart from family and friends–but I found this one especially touching.
As usual, the card featured a photo of my dad and step mom’s favorite dog, a barking boxer named Major, now dead. (I don’t think they realize that this pooch used to scare the living hell out of me.) The note inside was the longest correspondence I’ve ever received from my dad and step mom.
Apparently, my step mom is quilting with the mother of one of my high school friends. This is interesting because I went through the entirety of high school without contact with my dad and step mom. (Long, boring story. I’ll skip to the moral: disowning family might seem logical and just, but in my experience it’s more energy than its worth and leaves you feeling emptier than if you would have just dealt with whatever made you want to disown them in the first place.) In a way, my step mom hanging with my friend’s mom is like my step mom going back in time and getting to know me; getting to hear about what I was like as a teenager. It made me smile.
It also made me smile to think about my old high school friend. He was hilarious and a complete brain, a sharp writer. More importantly, he did the best imitation of Zorak from Space Ghost Coast to Coast I’ve ever seen. Once, I dressed like an old lady with a huge, saggy chest and did a swing dance with him for a play. Another time, he played my dad (or uncle was it?) in You Can’t Take it With You. I googled him for the hell of it, to see if he was floating about cyberspace: he’s not. So Kevin, should you ever stumble across this, consider this your message in a bottle from Mrs. Harcourt. You don’t have to find me and “catch up.” Just know that I’m thinking of you and that you are perfect and cool always and forever.
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Have you gotten any surprising hoiday mail?::Random Tangent::
I’m feeling better today! My nose is still chapped and I’ve coughed a few times today, but I sound and feel much better. I’m still playing it cool tonight (no meeting Shaun and friends at the pub to celebrate his last day of the winter term), but I see a healthy weekend in the forecast.
In other news, there is a sandwich shop here (a chain) called Prêt A Manger. It is delicious. I’ve never seen a Prêt in the Midwest, but perhaps they are elsewhere in the States. If so, go to one: they are DELICIOUS! I usually always brown bag my lunches, but the past two mornings we’ve been grocery-less and I’ve been in no health to walk to the grocery store in the bitter, ever present rain and carry home loads of bags. So I went out to Prêt for lunch today and yesterday. And let me tell you: I want to eat Crawfish Salad everyday for the rest of my life. Imagine a plate piled high with little pink, peppered sea lovies (no yucky mayo!), salad greens, whole basil leaves (that’s pronounced “baZil” not “bay-Sill”), avocado slices, and sheer joy. I love eating the sea.
Tomorrow I am going to Stirling for a meeting. Even though it’s a work thing, I’m excited because I’ve not yet been to Stirling. After the meeting, my colleagues and I will enjoy a late lunch in lieu of a holiday party. After that, people are going for drinks, but I think I’m going to skip out and wonder the town, see the sights, pay a visit to the castle if there is time. Not to be anti-social or anything (I truly like all who I work with), but I’m not a fan of drinking with any co-workers (aside from a scant few true friends who I happen to meet at work). Bitching and gossip is inevitable when drinking with work buddies and when I drink, I prefer to get silly, play word games, make plans, and try to solve the world’s problems. I like happy hour to be happy. And Stirling Castle is sure to make me happier than a wee drink with my fellow 9-5ers.
What’s your policy on eating out at lunch and happy hour with co-workers?
Comments (3)
A good Zorak cannot be undervalued. My sister does Brak, only since she’s a girl, she calls it Bricka Brak. Sorry, got excited at SpaceGhost. That is sweet that she is trying to get to know you more that way. And your parenthetical observation is is dead on in my opinion.
I have not received any surprise holiday mail, been tempted to send some though.
I do not blame you for wanting to wander instead of drink with co-workers. Happy Hour should be happy! There should be a rule. I have skipped the Friday after work drinks for several years now for just the reasons you mention. After the tiny circle of writers/poets broke up to move on with life, coming away from drinks stopped being inspiring. So now I am limiting it to whole school functions at which most or all of the people who would be discussed or gossiped about are present. It just feels better and more honest and straightforward that way.
I hope you find Stirling wonderful!
I did get surprising, non-holiday mail today: It was a note of thanks for my part in helping with the recent Rotary Youth Exchange, with brief handwritten thank-yous, often with their languages’ word for thank you from each of the visiting students. Is that cool or what?
As for lunch and/or happy hour, I do such things with others on campus … but almost never with people from my own office. Really, I just consider it networking. Although, as a single guy, I guess there are other potential reasons for being social.
Don’t have any co-workers, and when I had them I always had to race home to take care of my son. So, I don’t have much experience with that.
RYC: I feel glowing. I hope I can keep this going on and on.
Lynn