Friday, February 22, 2008

Three things.

Mish mash i was takin' a bath.

1) Thank you all for your warm thoughts for Em, and me. And thank you so much for going to visit Anne. Her situation makes me realize what a whiner i am.

2) I have been enjoying playing mommy the last few days. The house is a wreck, but so what? I have been keeping my chipmunk-cheeked Em company. Last night we had a mini John Cusack movie festival. We watched "Say Anything" (Best monologue about future prospects EVER) and "Grosse Pointe Blank" (one of the BEST movies ever.)

This morning Em thanked me by saying, "You've been taking really good care of me mommy."

It's an honor to be able to do this mommy thing one last time.

3) I spent a few hours at the Flower and Garden show. I am always on the lookout for cool things i can turn into Christmas ornaments.

Yep, it's a bat. Made out of recycled chrome. It's supposed to be something you hang on your fence or in a tree in your yard. But i had to get one for my Christmas tree, because the thought of a bat hanging in my Christmas tree makes me smile.

48 comments:

Liv said...

I've had quite a few friends remind me how lucky I am this week. I'm glad that you stay tapped into that as well.

(totally jealous of your bat. how cool!?)

ps--I hope Peep still calls me Mommy when she's Em's age.

peevish said...

First off, that bat is really cool!

Secondly, I'm with you on Grosse Point Blank. One of my faves.

Third, God, what Anne's family has been going through is torturous. I sure hope everything starts looking up for them. Like, NOW. I kind of wish she was my Mom, though. She is so great at it!

Fourth, Isn't it wonderful to have an excuse to just hang out with Em, for days?

tt said...

I like the bat idea for your tree. Unexpected things make me smile. I just might have to borrow that idea. :)

meno said...

liv, yep, things could always be worse. Way worse.

peevish, i know, my bat is cool! And Being John Malkovich, The Grifters. Some pretty cool movies. Yes. it is cool to hang out. I just wish it hadn't involved a massive insult to her mouth.

tt, feel free, Maybe we'll start a new trend for The Christmas Bat.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I want one!

Don't forget High Fidelity. That's a classic. (Well, for me, same age as the characters AND married to a former record store geek. I know I told you this before - he had so much vinyl, when he sold it it paid for my engagement ring!)

Bob said...

nifty bat!

Sounds like Em is doing well, chipmunk cheeks and all. good deal.

sounds like you survived too. better deal.

I've always like John - and Joan - Cusack. Grosse Point Blank is a particular favorite.

flutter said...

OMG that bat is SO FREAKIN COOL.

You rule, meno

heartinsanfrancisco said...

Better your Christmas tree than your belfry.

When my Catie was Em's age, we also had a marathon John Cusack movie festival. She was thrilled that I watched teen movies with her, and they were great.

This brought back wonderful memories, so thank yo, Meno!

fiwa said...

Poor Em, I had the same thing done at about the same age. I hope she's feeling better.

And I covet your bat, that is so cool. I would hang it by my doorbell. ;)

PS - the reason you can't see updates for my blog on Google Reader is because I went private. Going private has been a pain in the ass, and if I could figure some other way to keep my coworker from reading and passing it around, I would. Sorry for the inconvenience....

jaded said...

Love the bat. He might spend more time on the floor at my house. Dirty Girl has declared the Christmas tree as her personal grooming brush and hammock. Willful little kitty.

One last time? Get out. The Mommy gig doesn't end simply because they graduate, earn the right to vote, or have kids of their own. She will always need you in her life in one capacity or another.

Dianne said...

Love the bat! and on a Christmas tree is just the best idea.

the future prospects speech from "Say Anything" is one of my most favorite movie moments.

lu said...

Loving the bat. Creepy, but very cool.

Yep, perspective is humbling.

Yet, I'm still a whiner.

meno said...

de, i love that movie too. He has an interesting career. He sold his vinyl to pay for your ring? Awwww.

bob, Joan is pretty great in GPB too. I love the scene of her getting ready to torch the office.

flutter, i just can't to hang him on the tree. Although i may keep him around all year hanging somewhere else too.

hearts, ha ha! :) So true. I'll never regret letting the house go to hell while we watched those movies.

fiwa, go to the Flower and Garden Show in the convention center this weekend, you can get your own bat! Thanks for the info. I didn't realize what going private meant. I kept waiting for posts to show up in my reader. But i understand why you did it.

patches, i cured my cats of that with a water squirt bottle. Heh! I know the mom thing won't end, but i may not get this chance to just cuddle for a long time.

dianne, i should write it down and learn to quote it! Bet it's on the internet.

lu, fellow whiner here. Maybe we need a support group.

Joan said...

It's so nice to hear that Em truly appreciates your role as dental nurse and mommy and that she is on the road to recovery.

Oh...and that is one fascinating if not ugly little ornament.

furiousBall said...

holy crap that bat rules. my son loves bats. we lived in austin, tx for a while and watched the congress ave bridge bats come out for a feeding one night and it was awesome. (there's over a million under there)

TTQ said...

You've gone batty on us..total bat shit, I tell you. We'll be in the bat cave awaiting your next mission. And Em should not be allowed to drive the batmobile until she's off pain meds. Hell, I haven't been allowed to drive anywhere in days..

Jonas said...

I like bats (well, all living things...and most inanimate objects, too). I'm also a huge John Cusack fan. If he's in a film, I'll watch it. Don't ask me why, it's something visceral.

Wanna know a cool bat-related trick? If you live in an area where bats are plentiful, stand near a street lamp where moths have come to do their "gonna-crash-into-a-bright-light" thing. Jingle a set of keys and watch the moths berserkly dive towards the ground. I'm told jangling keys replicate some of the high frequency sounds that bats make. I spent an entire night doing this, a moon-lit night many, many years ago. Great fun for the kids and great exercise for the moths.

You're welcome.

meno said...

joan, it's so ugly it's cute. Or else i'm a bit odd. Wonder which it is?

furious, i would love to see that!

ttq, poor you! Em hasn't driven since her surgery. She's the one going batty.

jonas, if you think i won't try that you are wrong, i totally will. Here's another cool bat trick for you. If you are somewhere where bats are flying around, you can throw a small pebble into the air, and the bats will swoop down to check it out. I thought the person who told me this was a nut, but then i saw it work. Very cool.

Unknown said...

I LOVE the bat. Were there any more? Is there any way to contact the artist and get one. Must have bat.

Wouldn't it make a great door-knocker?

John Cusack bought me breakfast once... (she says coyly before turning to go...)

Anonymous said...

Your bat made me smile. Thank you for that.

Girlplustwo said...

you know, this is in no way your last time playing mommy.

jaded said...

Squirt bottle, ha!! Dirty Girl wouldn't be intimidated by a garden hose.

Anonymous said...

Ooooo. Diggin the bat.

luckyzmom said...

The thouoght of you with a bat hanging in your Christmas tree makes me smile.

amusing said...

Item the first: I met a guy for a blind date (is it a blind date if you meet via internet?) and when he told me there was a bat in his house and he killed it with a tennis racket instead of just opening a window and letting it find its way out, I knew it was never going to work.

Item the second: I have real bats in the eves of my house. Want one?

Item the third (a bird variation on Jonas' tip): Do you get those miles-long streams of starlings in the air, scrawking their way across the sky in the fall? Clap your hands loudly a few times and they will fall silent and the stream will bend. It's true; we showed the boys this wonder this past September...

Cheesy said...

If you love John Cusack you HAVE to check out his latest,,,Martian Child. I cant yet say if this is my new fav or if Identity is..

Love the bat! I will need to keep a vat of bronze handy for the next time one of those buggers gets in the house!

QT said...

you WILL be playing mommy again, no worries.

and that bat is ultra-cool.

Anonymous said...

Utterly cool flying mammal, Meno! My wife's family has a regular bat activity going too--my wife's birthday, which occurs on 10/29. They have this HUGE bat ornament that they'd bought for Hallo'een, a fuzzy, red-eyed thing with a three foot wingspan which is hung over the table where the cake and festivities occur. It's the "Birthday Bat" and is not the strangest thing that the inlaws do. *g*

Marshamlow said...

I love your christmas ornament idea very clever. I do extend belated sympathy for you and em and the teeth business, I am afraid of the dentist and even more afraid of my kids at the dentist. Mandy knocked out her two front teeth in a bike accident when she was nine. It was on a holiday and our dentist came in and put them back in for her. I had to assist him as he was the only one who came in. We had hurried there as time was of the essence and she was still covered in blood. It was terrible. Luckily he gave her gas, so she was fine. All that and the roots were re-absorbed and so we continue to this day to get it all fixed just right.

Lynnea said...

You must have the coolest christmas tree! That bat is awesome.

John Cusack movie festivals are stupendous cool.

I'm having a root canal next month, would you mind coming out here and being my mommy for a few days? (I realize root canal is nothing but it would still be fun to be made milkshakes and watch Cusack with you!)

Mona Buonanotte said...

John Cusack is teh awesome! I must agree, Grosse Pt. Blank is so, sooo good, I just want to jump the boy.

I generally hate bats, but I am lovin' yours!

sari said...

Two things - I LOVE the bat. Also, I LOVE John Cusack. But don't tell anyone, ok?

Dick said...

I guess a bat in a Christmas tree isn't so different from what some people put into theirs and it is kind of unique. I can't say that I love John Cusack but I do enjoy his movies. We are getting a large HD TV this week and moving into digital cable so should have more opportunities to see movies in the future. I am glad that I didn't buy a HD DVD but will still wait awhile for a Blue Ray one.

meno said...

nancy, there were lots more, most of them bigger. And there were spiders too, but i'm not that brave. I don't remember the exact name of the place, but looking at the map of the event, i've narrowed it down to "Sasquatch Designs" or "Garden Jewellery Art." Neither of which i had any sucess googling. :( If i ever see another one, i'll grab it for you. Oh, and you get back here and tell me the rest of that story you tease!

deb, he makes me smile too.

jen, i guess i am still stuck in thinking that Em and i will have a relationship like my mother and i. But i don't know why i persist in that belief, it's hasn't been true so far.

patches, brave kitty. How about a flame thrower?

popeye, there are lots of them near our house and they fly around on summer nights. Go bats!

luckyzmom, This is not your mother's Christmas Tree!

amusing, yep, killing the bat would have been a no-go for me too. Umm, no thanks on the bat. And i will try that trick with the starlings.

cheesy, i will check it out. You scare me with your vat of bronze, what if a cat falls in? :)

qt, i suppose i will! Good thing i like being mommy.

irrelephant, you need to take a picture of the birthday bat. I'd love to see it.

marsha, poor mandy! I had a freind who knocked her two front teeth out while test-riding a mountain bike. OUCH!

maggie, well come visit and see. You know i would make milkshakes for you if you didn't live so far away. I don't think FedEx would work!

mona, one of the best movies EVER! We have great taste don't we?

sari, i promise i will keep that secret just between the two of us.

dick, smart man for not getting an HD DVD player. Wouldn't that just be the pits if you had?

Jonas said...

Granted, Grosse Point Blank is a very good film. It is. High Fidelity, though, hit me square in the gut. Then again, The Sure Thing gets me every time I view it.

By the by, John Cusack bought me breakfast, too. He's just like that...

Princess in Galoshes said...

Hee, you're my hero.

a) John Cusack = great taste

b) chrome bat ornaments = extremely good taste.

crazymumma said...

I really like Em. She has alot of love and respect.Must be something about how she was parented.

Love the bat!

Diane Mandy said...

I'm so glad Em is feeling better. The BAT is AWESOME!

Cheesy said...

"what if a cat falls in?"

Guees he won't be shedding on my quilts anymore then eh?

Mermaid Melanie said...

yea mom! love your bat. too bad there wasn't a whole set.


*gets an idea*

Anonymous said...

Poor Em.

And lucky Em, having such a fine mom.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for thanking everyone for buoying me up. Things are better over here today and I'm glad they're better your way too.

The bats are dying, much like the bees. I'm worried about them. If only we could make them feel better with movies on the couch.

Lynn said...

That is one cool bat:~) I don't like how they swoop at me if I happen to be out at night. shudder

Anonymous said...

your relationship with your daughter is beautiful to behold.

Unknown said...

If you can't say anything nice...then come sit by me and let's dish.

What's going on there? Anyone I need to beat up?

Tink said...

That bat is AWESOME.

Concerning the post above (you know, the one you closed comments to), need me to break someone's kneecaps? Because I will. I'm 1/4 Italian. ;)

sari said...

Nancy beat me to it - come sit by me.

No, really, never mind, I'm trying to be nice. Don't sit by me, we'll just get in trouble.

Daphne Enns said...

I'm happy for you and Em that she's recovering without a hitch.

I love the bat. I once met an artist who had a series called "what the cat dragged in". He cast the dead mice, frogs, lizards etc in silver. They were beautiful.

Also, I love John Cusack. And I love that Joan is in everything with him. And then there is the other sister sometimes too.

I would marry him if I wasn't otherwise committed.