Monday, May 6, 2013

Doesn't feel like Mayo to ME.

Another school year is winding down. My younger son and I drove to my older son's university to bring back a load of his stuff in advance, while he stays on for finals. I told him I'd take him and his girlfriend out for dinner and he suggested that he cook for us all at his apartment instead. Who was this kid and what did he do with my son? After his roommate moved out mid-semester, he happily (and illegally) moved his girlfriend in for the last month or so. It's University housing - a small one-bedroom apartment with a minuscule kitchen, a living room, little dining area and a bathroom. It was funny to watch my son being domestic - working the dough for the pies (mine was vegetarian so he marked it with my initial with oatmeal), setting the table and asking his girlfriend to check the progress of the challah bread he'd made. The apartment was remarkably neat and decorated in young-adult with a couch facing the monitor for video games and guitars in stands. I was told that there was only one comfortable chair in the place but the banjo lives there. I asked why they kept a banjo in the only comfortable chair and my son said, "Because it's the banjo."
My plans to walk the city's greenway path and hang out by the pool were thwarted by weekend-long cold rain. While my younger son bunked with his brother, I huddled in a motel room watching a Glee marathon. Why? Because I was too disgruntled by the weather to read. Yesterday morning we loaded up the car (in the rain) with as much of his belonging as we could cram in, made the four hour drive home (in the rain) and then unloaded everything into the house (again, in the rain). I shut all the windows, unhappily turned on the heat and made a vaguely Cinco de Mayo-like meal for my younger son and myself. I'm aware that those of you who are still getting snow will have no sympathy, but May here is usually early summer. And me, I'm a summer person.

36 comments:

  1. of course the banjo gets the comfy chair, it makes perfect sense...smiles...good idea grabbing stuff early as well...it was cold this weekend here...int eh 50s

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    1. The temperatures are starting to climb again, thank goodness!

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  2. Wow, I didn't realize you were having crappy weather. It's been fabulous here for two straight weeks! Shocking!

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    1. It got ugly the end of last week - we're in the middle of some storm system. Warming throughout this week, though, so I'm hopeful.

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  3. I feel your pain. And have sympathy cause it was a whole sunny 27 degrees this weekend, and there are leaves and oh my, it's SPRING!!!

    Cold rain would make me cry.

    Oh, that's 27 Celsius, which translates to about 80 American.

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    1. I am trying to remind myself here that this rain makes my part of the world incredibly lush.

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  4. "It's University housing - a small one-bedroom apartment with a minuscule kitchen, a living room, little dining area and a bathroom. "

    OMG, that actually sound BIGGER than my own apartment - HA!

    Hasn't the weather this month been so crazy? We had some warm days last week, but then it suddenly turned COLD again. The apartment building I live in actually had to turn the heat back on, which is normally turned off April 15th.

    "Cinco de Mayo-like meal."

    That meal looks AWESOME!

    X



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    1. Yes, but there are two of them living in it. I did point out to him, though, that it was larger than the efficiency I had in grad school.

      I hate having the heat on in May. It seems so wrong.

      It wasn't had for a last-minute throw together meal. I'm sing up the contents of the freezer.

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  5. That's nice that he wanted to cook for you rather than eating out. I hope it was tasty! And yes, of course the banjo goes in the comfy chair. I mean, a banjo demands respect, sister....

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    1. It wasn't bad at all. I'd have thought the bass deserved respect as well. But I think it's mostly so that it is always accessible.

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  6. We had rain too! Sounds like a good time at your sons place and how awesome that he cooked. I think a Glee marathon sounds perfect on a rainy day.

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    1. I kind of enjoyed it - bought myself a little bottle of wine and some snacks and just cozied in.

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  7. So when your son returns after summer, will he be given completely different accomodations?
    Both of your meals look wonderful :) I did nothing to mark Cinco de Mayo.
    The weather here was full on summer hot on Saturday, cold and damp on Sunday, then cold and rainy today. I'm confused and sad.

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    1. Yes, they clear them out entirely. I assume he'll get a different apartment.

      I only remembered Cinco de Mayo when I heard it on the radio, so that was the nest I could do. It's not actually a holiday I celebrate.

      I'm confused and sad, too!

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  8. You know I feel you...based on the Spring we've been having. But I feel FOR you, too, as I realized last week that snow is preferable to rain. Rain can be a misery and so very dismal. In general, snow is pretty damn gorgeous.

    I'm completely charmed by his cooking for you all.

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    1. Actually, I'll take the rain. It is dismal, but this area is so incredibly green because of all that rain.

      I was charmed, too!

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  9. Banjos always get the best chairs, I thought you knew that!

    Meals look great and how very thoughtful of your son to mark yours especially.

    I know, it seems like yesterday you weaned him.

    XO
    WWW

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    1. Guess I'd never given it any thought! The violin lives on the dining room table, so I don't know why I was surprised.

      And yes. Just yesterday. I swear.

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  10. It's been cloudy, cold and rainy here in southeastern North Cackalacky for weeks. I'm calling it the land that the sun forgot.

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    1. Hi, and welcome.

      Fortunately, it was gorgeous here until a few days ago and should be warming up again soon.

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  11. Sorry, Jocelyn, but by this time of the year, snow loses all of its "pretty". SAW, I think cozying in with a bottle of wine and a good show sounds like a wonderful way to spend a rainy day. I haven't seen much Glee, but I think Downton Abbey would be a good choice for me....I will remember that on the next cold rainy day. Somehow, I think we will be having several of those. Your son was so sweet to cook for you, and it sounds as though he is a pretty good cook. Hmmmm----where did he learn that? :)

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    1. Snow gets about two days "pretty" credit for me.

      And you know, it was actually kind of nice just vegging like that.

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  12. Sounds like a good time, I always enjoy time with the kids, it's fun to see the people you think you know turn out to be their own creations.

    Spring is here, praise be.....75 today, crocus are up an inch....and caught fish yesterday. What more could there be...

    The pie pictured looks like an empanadas....much better than the local 'pasties'...filled with different vegs, chilies and a duck breast they are fab.

    Snow might not be over here; I've seen goodly snow as late as June 23rd. So we'll see, but for now I'm basking in it.

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    1. It is, and I like that we can't predict who our kids will become.

      We're going to hit 70 today, 75 by Friday. And my grass is growing like it plans to take over the world.

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  13. Sounds like your son's cooking and housekeeping were the sunshine of the trip.

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  14. Hey, rain gets to me, too, when I'm looking for sun. Not that I look for sun too often. I burn in 15 minutes.

    I can so easily see the banjo in the place of honor.

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    1. I burn easily and rely on sunblock. But I still want the sun!

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  15. Yep, I'm one of those people who are still getting bouts of snow in May AND I love the rain.

    Oh Canada, maybe I should move to Vancouver already.

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    1. We get a fair amount of rain here, being on the edge of a temperate rain forest. I'm just antsy for warmer weather.

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  16. That looks like a tasty Cinco de Mayo meal! I love that your other son marked your meal with oatmeal.

    I think we're done with snow. Thank goodness. I love this high 60, low 70 degree weather for spring.

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    1. I did, too - it was a nice gesture.

      We're back to decent temps, thank goodness.

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  17. Your sons seem like such wonderful young men. I understand the chair for the banjo. ☺

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  18. We've had some decent weather so I'm working very hard to feel sympathy for you. I love that your older son made such an exotic sounding meal. It must feel worth all the work raising them entailed to see this.

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    1. I know I can't really complain. Not that it stops me.

      And yes, worth it.

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