Random Happenings

Many things to catch you all up on today!

First of all, I’m at home today. I’ve had a massive headache for the past two days which I considered a sign that I needed a day off. Right now I’m watching Ellen, a show which I LOVE, but never actually get to see except on holidays. She’s doing a “Cinco de Mayo” show and showing scenes from Olvera Street, the oldest street in Los Angeles. I think Mr. Random and I ate at the Mexican restaurant she filmed from, and now I’m all excited at the recognition – I’m just cheesy that way. “Hey, WE ATE THERE! THAT’S SO COOL! I KNOW WHERE THAT IS!” It takes such little things to make me happy . . .

I remember that on that trip I bought a little black backpack purse off of one of the street carts for $10 and it was one of the best purses that I ever had. Not too big, but big enough to hold my essentials easily. Small enough that I could tote it around and not have my arm go numb. I told Mr. Random at the time that if it lasted more than a month, I would be happy – it lasted about a year. I have now devoted my life to finding another purse like that . . . I guess if we go back to the West Coast this summer, we have to go back to Olvera Street and I have to buy 5 of those exact purses from that cart . . .

Second of all, the office move is over. Mr. Random and I came in on Sunday afternoon and unpacked our offices to start getting ready for Monday. The new building, though smaller, is actually a lot nicer and we have office windows that ACTUALLY OPEN. Some of you must know how exciting that is, to actually have the ability to let fresh air into the room. I have a lot of trouble with recirculating air buildings – I get sick all of the time in those - so this is a happy relief. Since the offices are a lot smaller, I had to lose a bookcase, a guest chair and a filing cabinet, but otherwise I have my office set up exactly like I had it before – all of my Arts Festival posters up on the wall, along with my colorful Matisse and my Margaret Bourke-White picture. I have a big picture window with two smaller windows at the bottom that can be opened to get fresh air. There is a huge radiator/air conditioner unit right under the window which can be used to heat or cool the room to my desires, but also takes up a honking amount of room behind my desk, and I can’t put any anything on it, like plants or books, because it’s basically a heater. I used to have a small file hutch in my old office behind my desk there that I used to keep my plants on, but they all had to be relocated and I can’t get used to not having those files right behind me anymore. And now my office is right off the reception area, which means (a) a lot more noise and (b) I have to keep my office incredibly neat all of the time. Otherwise, my office is set up exactly the same as my old office – comfortable and colorful. Mr. Random’s office is across the building from me, which is great! – but he still wanders over to my office about 8 times a day to just say hi or to chat . . .

Third of all, now we have a wireless router, so I am now writing this from the comfort of my bedroom. This is so awesome, we should have done this sooner! . . .

Now for the most exciting thing . . .

Last night, one of my husband’s cousins from random South American country was in town and had dinner with us. He is the youngest son of my husband’s father’s younger brother, and I had never met anyone from that part of the family before. Mr. Random hadn’t seen M since M was 4 years old, and now he is a tall, dark-haired, very handsome 22 year old who is going to college in Canada and was in town to visit a friend from school before joining his family on a vacation in Russia. (They are the very well off part of the family . . .) We were both very nervous before meeting him that we would run out of things to say, but it was quite a lovely dinner and he is quite a sweet, earnest young man, speaking with a very heavy Spanish accent. We showed M our wedding pictures since he was unable to come, and he was glad to see the family that he has not yet met. He talked a lot about his two older brothers, his mom and dad, and how different it was going to college in Canada after growing up in random South American country. He is going to do a semester abroad next year, spending the spring studying in Paris (lucky dog!) . . .

I wish that my youngest sister could have come up and joined us – they are both about the same age and I think they could have gotten along wonderfully. After seeing her picture, he actually asked about her and seemed a bit interested. She could certainly do a lot worse! . . .

I am so glad that meeting him worked out so well. When Mr. Random and I got married, we were both a bit miffed that none of that part of the family came up for the wedding – the wedding of their only Random cousin, the son of the dead brother. They sent a card, but I was furious with his Random uncle . . . especially since they have traveled to the states a few times since then and never once wanted to see us. I know I have to get over it, but I think it is sad that Mr. Random has an uncle who he does not really know and does not seem to want to know him. Luckily his Uncle T has been more than awesome and like a second father to him, but still . . .

. . . Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. We will spend ours trying to fix things up before Mr. Random’s mom comes to visit us in June. I will try to get a little more rest in, if I can . . .