Reporters & Toy Shopping

Yesterday, I took lunch to J early. She was hungry for a tuna sandwich, so I picked up a couple from Current Cuisine and ate with her in her office. When I got home, there was a phone message from an intern with the local paper. It's a pretty conservative paper, but she wanted to do an article on what it's like to be gay in this county, as part of gay pride month. I can't imagine how she got the article approved, but she wanted to interview me for it. It turned out that she couldn't get anyone else to interview on such short notice, so the whole article is about me & J & our family. I picked up a paper today & the article is on the front page, starting above the crease continuing to page 2, with my photo prominently featured. It will be interesting to follow the letters to the editor & hear what folks at church have to say. I expect the paper will get some backlash.

After the interview, I took the boys to Toys R Us & gave them each $15 to spend as they pleased. Pie tried to get Boot to chip in his money for a video game. Boot didn't want to, especially since I wouldn't allow them to get a rated-T game. Finally, I told Boot that he was free to walk out of the game section & choose whatever real toy he was interested in to spend his $15 on, that he didn't have to go along with Pie. Pie left with us, pouty because he wasn't getting a video game. I pointed out to him that Boot bought him a brand-new video game FOUR days ago. He said, "You guys can just spend my money on whatever you want", using his martyr voice. No dice on that, buddy! Boot decided to use his $15 plus his allowance to get a Disney Trivial Pursuit game. I find that to be a delightful choice. Pie finally came to his senses & chose a 3D Star Wars puzzle he's been wanting. I got a Barbie for J (I wish they still had the Grandma one...or that I'd gotten her when she was out) & a dragonfly teething ring for little Robert.

Then, we stopped in the pet store for crickets. One of the workers had her monitor lizard there & got him out for us to pet. He was really neat. We visited the cats waiting to be adopted. I wish we could take each & every one of them home, but 4 cats is more than enough for this household. I always pray that they will find good forever homes very soon. We ran into the older sister of the boys' former babysitter & had a nice chat with her.

When we were done with our shopping, I stopped at the frozen custard stand on the way home. We sat in the sun & ate our treats. Boot got a butterfinger blizzard-like thing, Pie got the same in cookie dough flavor, & I got a hot fudge & caramel sundae. Decadent stop, but we had fun, which is what summer vacation is all about.

Once home, I had a chat with Rosemary. Robert, at 6 weeks, is already reaching out & grabbing for toys. He is so cool. He should love his new teether/rattle. I want to have them over for dinner soon. I need to have Keith & Evvi & Garnet over, too. Maybe when we come back from vacation, we can host a dinner party for our baby-bedecked friends. It's so much fun being an auntie.

I had the boys call their dad, then Boot & I played Disney TP for hours, having a ball. He is such a delight. Pie declined to join us...he is in loner mode this month. Poor Boot, it really hurts his feelings. He doesn't remember that he went through a similar thing when he was this age. J worked very late last night. I fed the kids dinner (garlic lime pork chops, new potatoes, & steamed green beans) & put them to bed. Then, I poked through the Gourmet cookbook until midnight when my exhausted wife came home. We had dinner, then went right to bed. And I wonder why I'm not losing weight faster!