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Monday, August 21, 2006
WistfulI'll tell you what I just told Rose, which is that I wish I could be a housewife, now that I have a house. I'm home sick today (recuperating from yesterday's periodic 8-hour drive to babydaddy's house) and I'm actually cooking, for once, which is something I never have the energy to do after work. I'm cooking a big pot of big shrimp. On my gas stove, which rocks. You know how people say, "Now you're cooking with gas"? Well, they say that because cooking with gas is more fun than cooking with electricity. Also, we have the good kind of rangehood, which makes my boyfriend ever so happy.
I want to put the shrimp on ice when it's done, then run to the store and get chicken to make Wendy's curried chicken salad for tomorrow. I got an Oriental Trading Company catalog in the mail. That brought back old memories. I loved that thing so much back in the day. Back when I was a housewife, I mean.
I want to be a housewife, but not with a spouse. So it's not possible unless we get rich somehow. I passed our front flowerbed and wished I had time to rip out all the old, leggy pentas and replace them with blue sage and violas and something yellow for fall. Because fall is just around the corner, isn't it? I told the kids and the boyfriend to start thinking up their Halloween costumes now, as if I might have time to sew them for everyone, as long as I plan ahead and wish real hard.
I love fall. I swear, it's my favorite season in the universe, no matter how much I love spring.
Guilt Trips and Vacation Trips
Yesterday, on the long drive home from babydaddy first-and-third-weekend visitation, my 14-year-old son told me, "Yeah, I had to tell some kid at school that I've never been out of Texas."
"What?" I said. "Are you sure?"
He was sure. Never. How could that be possible? What kind of bad mother must I be?
The thing about traveling with kids is that you have to plan it. You have to plan the hell out of that crap. So I'm scouting and researching now. We don't even know where we want to go. Somewhere. Maybe several short trips to start. Like weekends in various cities of the US. Then once across the border. Then, later, a cheap cruise. I'm trying to decide if Disneyworld is worth it. 2:07 PM #
Comments:
Why do you require extra planning for a trip with kiddos? I would think the unpredictable nature of kids would require a more free-form approach to vacation? Inform me, please...# posted by
R.T. Lemur : 3:06 PM
Come to New York and I'll get you into all (okay, some of) the museums for free and give you a whole long list of places to go! Ya'll can even cram into my apartment, if you like.
# posted by
kate : 3:53 PM
I mean y'all, not ya'll, let I look ignorant and stuff.
# posted by
kate : 3:55 PM
You should so try to go to Disneyland and not Disneyworld...Disneyland rocks and the weather in California is way better...besides, Florida is a red state and California is blue!
# posted by
jellybean : 4:03 PM
Try the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM. It's every October and it's absolutely amazing. The hotels fill up fast, so try ot amke reservations soon. Good luck traveling! Have fun!
# posted by
Nina : 4:54 PM
heh - you seem to be doing all the driving to babydaddy & back...i hope he does some of it! although, i do love the drive between houston and austin...fun little state highways, especially at night, tiny towns and gas stations...
anyhoo - congrats on the house; i was on the edge of my seat during your escrow :)...
cheers, and pulling for you.
# posted by
pooja* : 5:36 PM
Disneyworld is nice, but $$$. IMHO, it's best to stay on site with hopper passes so you can visit all parks as often as you want (1 hour here, 1 hour there) and be able to shuttle back to the hotel. Disney all depends on what time of year you go. I lived in FL for 5 years and it's best to go when the hoards of people aren't there.
Disneyland is more compact and more of an amusement park you visit for a day or two. Disneyworld has several theme parks, couple waterparks, and is more of an excursion destination. If you like rollercoasters, it's also best to plan a day for Universal's coaster park.
Now, if you are huge rollercoaster fans, Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio is the place to go. However, that si also more of a one day thing and would be best to hook into a trip that involved driving in that general Great Lakes area.
# posted by
Shannon Bow : 10:05 PM
I fully second Jellybean's idea.
My grandmother lived in Santa Ana, California when I was a kid, so when we went to stay with her, we were like 20 minutes from Disneyland. Some of my most fun kid memories are of Disneyland. It's so fun. I even have a list of favourite rides.
I've never been to Disney World, so I dismiss it as inferior.
Go Disneyland!
And if you do Disneyland and stay somewhere near the Park, you can do Knott's Berry Farm too, which is also awesome and full of rollercoastery fun.
# posted by
Alice : 6:01 AM
I just wanted to say that I always thought gas stove snobs were a little full of themselves...until I started cooking with a gas stove. There's really nothing like it.
And don't rule out the Rocky Mountains for vacationing with the boys. The west is full of cool roadside motor courts.
# posted by
Marigoldie : 7:38 AM
Gwen, I can imagine the whistful feeling you have to be able to stay home and care for hearth and home now that you have one...... It is amazing isnt it? to have a home, and yours is so beautiful! I LOVE the tile and paint you've chosen.
Being a housewife is drudgery, being a career girl with a HOUSE is AWESOME fun. (ok I'm cheering you on here, go with it...)I've been a housewife and longed for work and dressing up and feeling validated, I've had a career and been bone tired cleaning up crap after work and never ending chores on weekends and now I work from home in an office and I'm so lonely that I weep when I drop my son off to school so I have done all of them and guess what? Working the 9-5 is best, you go to work, have a regimented schedule and you get to come home, kick off your shoes and dig in and enjoy all that housewifey stuff but with validation. (there must be another word for housewife)
ok, now that I highjacked your post to ALL ABOUT ME AND MY LONGING to be YOU!! LOL I will stop now..............
Kudos Gwen, just Kudos!!! You are an amazing woman and I've read about your life's journey for years and I'm so proud of you!!!
Oh! and Disney Land ROCKS and its by the Knotts Berry Farm and its by that restaraunt that is the Knights of the Round Table and by the OCEAN!!!! and by me (well 2 1/2 hours, but then there might be this smidgen of a chance we could meet...*sigh* yeah there we go, again, with all about me.... yikes I'm on a roll today huh? *snarfle*)
# posted by
pixielyn : 9:03 AM
Disneyland really is a great place. I haven't been in years now, but I remember it being great.
I know Texas is far from Canada, but there really is a lot to see and do up here too.
# posted by
lisal : 9:43 AM
Gwen, come on up to Northern Virginia if you want to stay with us and visit Washington, D.C. We are right next to the Metro that takes you into the city (about 10 miles outside of the District), and my 7 & 5-year old boys would love to hang with the big kids. Seriously. For reals, y'all.
D.C. - very educational : )
# posted by
White Trasherati : 9:59 AM
RT Lemur: The only thing I can inform you of is my own experience. If I fail to properly plan a trip for myself and my boyfriend, then we're at least adult enough to repress our whining when we arrive in a hot town and find out there's nothing to do. I'm not saying you shouldn't be adaptable when traveling with kids. I'm saying that I prefer not to put my 3 kids into a car and say, "Now let's drive 500 miles and see if we find anything!"
Kate: Ooh. Tempting. Thanks for the offer.
Jellybean: You get props for being the first to point that out.
Nine-Uh: Ooh. I'll look that up on TripAdvisor.
Pooja: Thanks. He does the Friday driving, which is worse, so I won't complain *too* much.
Shannon: Thanks for good info. That's what I've been thinking - DWorld's only worth it if we stay at a DWorld resort.
Alice: See, when you said "Berry Farm," that turned me on.
Marigoldie: Gas stoves make you feel all cave-person-y, don't they? Fire! Fire! And, yes, Rocky Mountains are being considered, as well. We want to ride donkeys like the Brady Bunch into the Grand Canyon. Or, well, at least we want to play a video game about that...
Pixie: You just helped me figure out what's missing here. I have a job, but no accompanying feeling of validation. Ha. And y'all are convincing me in a mere few comments that Disneyland's where it's at. It sounds sweet.
Lisal: I've been to Toronto and Niagara Falls. Do you mean there or other places? I hear Vancouver's nice. But is it family fun for lazy families? (Waiting for Doppelganger to report.)
White T: You're sweet. Thanks for the offer. :)
# posted by
Gwen : 11:10 AM
not to offend the disney fans out there, but you just seem too cool for disneyland OR world - it's a crapload of money, it's crowded, and it's sort of a letdown. disneyworld is actually more interesting (despite the political persuasion of the state) because of epcot, but i'd avoid them both and plan this sort of vacation instead:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
1595800123/sr=8-3/qid=1156270869/
ref=pd_bbs_3/002-3416355-9814432
?ie=UTF8
or this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
0525474919/sr=8-1/qid=1156270560/
ref=sr_1_1/002-3416355-9814432?ie=
UTF8
or this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
1579122566/sr=8-2/qid=1156270655/
ref=sr_1_2/002-3416355-9814432?ie=
UTF8
and if you want to come to northern california you're welcome to stay with us - we're in santa cruz, so there's the beach, the boardwalk, the monterey bay aquarium is close, and san francisco is an hour away...
# posted by
edith : 1:34 PM
Come to Chicago! It's (of course) different than Texas and friendlier than NYC. You could take the kids to the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in the Pilsen neighborhood, but there are plenty of less-obviously-educational-and-more-fun things to do too: tons of music venues, and lots of public space along the lake. Comedy, theater and restaurants can be quite expensive but there are just as many that are really cheap yet really cool. And with your blog connections, you may already know people here.
(I do not work for a tourist bureau.)
# posted by
Amy : 1:35 PM
Oh, Gwen,
Don't feel bad, I've only been out of my home state of California once! And that was to Arazona and Nevada. And talk about a dry arid country, wow. But I'll never forget about how it rained, and we saw the desert bloom.
I've been to our Disneyland here in California once, when I was six or so. But even that young I've never forgot how magical it was.
Janice~
# posted by
Janice : 3:08 AM
Me again,
I don't want to argue with Jelly bean, but California is a called the golden state for a reason, and it's not the color blue. In the hot summer time everything turns golden, and our native California poppy--that's the states flower--is a bright golden color.
But I like the color blue too.
Janice~
# posted by
Janice : 3:12 AM
OK, I get what you meant now. Thanks for the insight!
# posted by
R.T. Lemur : 8:52 AM
Gwen - I'm in Alberta, so I can only speak for what I know. I have been to both Toronto and Niagara Falls, they were both great, but there is stuff to do in the West too. I also have to point out that I have only been to Vancouver for a grand total of 3 days, so I can't comment on it much.
That said, here is what I can comment on:
Calgary Stampede: tons of fun, somewhat similar to many amusement parks in the US, I'm sure, only with Cowboys! And a parade,and the rodeo and Chuckwagon races and the agricultural tents and fireworks. It's a 10 day party in Calgary, can be fun for all ages. I love it, but I may be biased, I live here.
Other things to do in Calgary would include the Zoo - nice, but I have nothing to compare it to, the Ski Jumps - you wouldn't really jump or anything, but they do tours, and other various things around town.
Edmonton has a giant mall, with a roller coaster and a water park and about a million other things. It is pretty cool actually, but I don't go very often.
BC is amazing during the summer, the Okanagan is beautiful, you can pick fruit and go to the lakes and check out vineyards, or whatever. It really is a nice place to visit.
Vancouver was great when I visited and I have heard great things about Victoria, although I haven't made it there.
Rocky Mountains: on the border of Alberta and BC, beautiful in any season. Hiking is fun, hot springs, skiing in the winter. Lots to do.
Central Canada I would avoid unless you really like farms...I'm only half kidding.
Wow, I have rambled on a lot now, maybe I should be working in the tourism industry. Sorry for the crazy long post!
# posted by
lisal : 5:29 PM
TOO cool for California and Disney Land. Oh no!!! Sacralidge!! LOL
In general the whole area should be explored, not just Disney Land, do two days or max if you must 3 days of Disneyland if you come this way but then explore the rest of the southern CA. But looking at everyones ideas, there are some great other sites as well, you will have to really decide if you want entertainment, sun, mountains or just getting away for some piece and quiet. LOL
But I'll tell you another idea.....I've always had a yen to go to the Mall of America and stay 3 days exploring, I've heard its the most amazing place.
Any body here ever gone?
# posted by
pixielyn : 9:30 AM
Mentioning the OTC catalog gave me a flashback image of you curled up in bed in the trailer poring over your (once) beloved catalogs.... I'm SO happy that you have your own home now.
# posted by
Tanya : 10:59 AM
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