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getting my car, and the family gathering
I ended up walking all the way out to the airport to get my car. I know, you say, 'big deal, you walk to work often enough,' but believe me it's a little different in the snow. Where there's 'ploughed' sidewalk the snow is still soft underfoot, and a lot of the way there was no sidewalk. And of course I wore my big boots which go up to my knees, but with two pairs of socks they're painfully tight - although by halfway there my feet had gone numb. (When I got them off, later, all the blood rushed back and they hurt a bit.) And then I got to dig through thirteen inches of snow with my trusty dustpan. It all put me in a good mood. No, seriously - that sort of thing puts me in a really good mood. I'm not sure why. Maybe just because I can survive it. :)
The family party, though... well, some sad things, but it was good to see people.
I found out that a second cousin of mine died only this October. We were close to the same age, and when we were young I quite liked him. The impression I came away with was that it was probably a drug overdose.
His mother was there, and his son (youngest of four) who's perhaps five years old; a little blond boy with a kind of intense expression and a desire to hide under tables. (Not surprising, hm? Troubled - not only, I think, my his father's recent death. He'll be big trouble, someday.) Cute, though. He can repeat his whole name, but he can't break it up into it's constituent parts. I'd ask if I had his middle name right and he'd repeat the whole thing back - "BlahblahBlahblahblahBlahblah The Third". His grandmother said I could call him Trey (because he's the third), and he retorted, "No! My nickname's Alex!" Because his mother just randomly calls him that - it's in no way related to his given name.
Also, I have to break the rule of never saying people's real names. My cousin (actual first cousin, not the second cousin who died) named his little daughter Philomena. I think it's the loveliest name. She's four, very bright and incredibly cute. :)
I'm not much of a conversation maker, though. Finally I resorted to taking out my pocket journal and interviewing people about how they were related. My notes are sketchy, but I got some addresses and told them I'd send them cards to fill out so I could have a more complete idea. :)
The family party, though... well, some sad things, but it was good to see people.
I found out that a second cousin of mine died only this October. We were close to the same age, and when we were young I quite liked him. The impression I came away with was that it was probably a drug overdose.
His mother was there, and his son (youngest of four) who's perhaps five years old; a little blond boy with a kind of intense expression and a desire to hide under tables. (Not surprising, hm? Troubled - not only, I think, my his father's recent death. He'll be big trouble, someday.) Cute, though. He can repeat his whole name, but he can't break it up into it's constituent parts. I'd ask if I had his middle name right and he'd repeat the whole thing back - "BlahblahBlahblahblahBlahblah The Third". His grandmother said I could call him Trey (because he's the third), and he retorted, "No! My nickname's Alex!" Because his mother just randomly calls him that - it's in no way related to his given name.
Also, I have to break the rule of never saying people's real names. My cousin (actual first cousin, not the second cousin who died) named his little daughter Philomena. I think it's the loveliest name. She's four, very bright and incredibly cute. :)
I'm not much of a conversation maker, though. Finally I resorted to taking out my pocket journal and interviewing people about how they were related. My notes are sketchy, but I got some addresses and told them I'd send them cards to fill out so I could have a more complete idea. :)
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