Who'd 'a thunk it: Technology, what some people think is the the scourge of contemporary society, has helped us 'close the distance' that separates us from the people we love. Some examples:
Pix messages of (borrowing a Flaherty term) "Bright and Shinies". I got one from Judy from the Pops concert of Becca, Katie, and Celia, and just yesterday from Anastasia of Maddie, Toby, and a friend, enjoying an early Christmas gift.
Email I got an email from my friend Chuck. He was playing double bridge on a cruise ship near Bora Bora. I was debugging code in my cubicle. What a weird world.
Facebook Ok - I'm not an addict, or even faithful follower, but I do enjoy logging in and scanning to see what's happening. Last night I reconnected with an old friend I had lost touch with several years back. When she inquired about my granddaughter, I had news of three more kids for her!
Blogs Yeaaah! Anastasia wrote a sweet post about Christmas activities in SD. FYI: Maddie has no interest in being a mouse :) Christmas Cheer
**Skype** I totally forgot Skype. Richard's been telling everyone about his little growling contest with Toby over the web. We've gotta get Ani & Grey to Skype with us too. That's a goal for 2010.
Air travel for Face-to-Face visits We were fortunate to make back-to-back weekend visits this month. (Thank you Wheaton Day Spa Puppy Resort and SWA companion pass program). First, to DC:
Sean and Tiffany rock! They put together an awesome Christmas gift for us, which coincided with their 1st anniversary :) We joined Mike and Charlene Harvey to attend a performance of A Christmas Carol at historic Ford's Theatre. We flew to BWI on Sat a.m., had drinks on their yacht (yes yacht, as in really really big boat), dined at Rosa Mexicano where I had Pato en Salsa de Zarzamoras (translation - the best damned duck I've ever eaten in my life), then off to the theatre! I got a little teary, recalling how much Mom and Dad enjoyed attending the same Christmas performance there many years back. When I was sitting there waiting for the show to begin, for some reason, a line from an old Christmas song got stuck in my head, "Through the years we'll always be together, if the fates allow...." I felt like Mom was with me for a moment, and it felt really good. Thank you Sean and Tiffany, for a weekend I'll never forget.
Several days later we were off to Whidbey Island to enjoy Aniela Malia Shauck's debut in dual roles in the Whidbey Island Dance production of The Nutcracker. Ani was a small mouse that wreaked havoc at the party in Act I, and then returned as a butterfly at the end of the Act II winter scene. Richard and I got to be "room parents" monitoring the 6 and 7 year olds for the Thurs night dress rehearsal and the Friday night performance. It was a wicked fun time because we got to help the kids get ready, go through costume changes and have makeup done. It seems the buzz word now-a-days is "authentic." Well, Richard and I tripped right into the middle of an authentic moment this time. A bunch of little girls in pink leotards getting "into character" for the big moment on stage. Priceless!
Back out the house, Greyson is a trip. He's at that stage where he wants the same book read to him a hundred and fifty gillion times. I think Richard has it memorized. Currently, he is immersed in the "No David" genre. Hmmm....I hope that one doesn't backfire on us. I cannot wait to see Grey and Toby together next month.
Now, we're gonna rest up and get ready for Carlsbad. We'll all be together ...Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise.
