Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Human Contact
Today was one of those gray fog days of child watching. A day without social plans or rendez vouses at the playground. Of course, the day is jam packed with feedings, cleanings, and train crashing, but at the same time, it's the same old drill. My eyes glaze over, and there is a slight buzz of static in my ears.
OK, I've had much harsher gray fog days. Like when there is a terrible snow storm, and I can't even leave the apartment for a week.
I got out a couple times today. Too lazy to make myself breakfast, we went to Angela's Diner. Double fried egg on a roll with bacon cheese, for me. And silver dollar pancakes for the kids. Chatted with the people in the booth behind us, and the young Greek waiter joked around with Jonah. Later, after impatiently waiting for Ian to wake up from an endless nap (is he dead?), we packed up a late lunch to eat in the park. Peanut butter sandwiches, puffed cheese snacks, and a bottle of water. But the wind kicked in, so we had to turn around.
We stopped off to buy supplies for dinner. Since the supermarket and the fruit/vegetable shop are right across the street from our apartment, I buy food daily. It feels very French. Shopping led to some chatting with Mr. Ahn, the vegetable guy, and the Mexicans in the supermarket cracked open some walnuts for us.
Some days I curse city living. No parking place. No major appliances. Sucky schools. But we are so lucky to have so many people around us. Sure, some of the people who I came across today don't speak much English, but that's okay. Human contact is important even without words.
Today was one of those gray fog days of child watching. A day without social plans or rendez vouses at the playground. Of course, the day is jam packed with feedings, cleanings, and train crashing, but at the same time, it's the same old drill. My eyes glaze over, and there is a slight buzz of static in my ears.
OK, I've had much harsher gray fog days. Like when there is a terrible snow storm, and I can't even leave the apartment for a week.
I got out a couple times today. Too lazy to make myself breakfast, we went to Angela's Diner. Double fried egg on a roll with bacon cheese, for me. And silver dollar pancakes for the kids. Chatted with the people in the booth behind us, and the young Greek waiter joked around with Jonah. Later, after impatiently waiting for Ian to wake up from an endless nap (is he dead?), we packed up a late lunch to eat in the park. Peanut butter sandwiches, puffed cheese snacks, and a bottle of water. But the wind kicked in, so we had to turn around.
We stopped off to buy supplies for dinner. Since the supermarket and the fruit/vegetable shop are right across the street from our apartment, I buy food daily. It feels very French. Shopping led to some chatting with Mr. Ahn, the vegetable guy, and the Mexicans in the supermarket cracked open some walnuts for us.
Some days I curse city living. No parking place. No major appliances. Sucky schools. But we are so lucky to have so many people around us. Sure, some of the people who I came across today don't speak much English, but that's okay. Human contact is important even without words.
