To Where Does Cool Move?

My friend Stef is putting her condo up for sale which she did not consult me about, rendering me embittered, sulky, and tying a POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS around her building so no one will want to buy her unit and she and her adorable fam will have to be my neighbor forever. But I'm happy for her, especially because I know she's moving to a more junior town for all the right reasons. "We're not saving anything living here," she said, "And it would be so cool to be able to be saving, to be able to explore Montessori [for her daughter Mbel]."

It really would be cool. Would it be cooler than cool?

As I look around our place with the spiral staircase which Baby Girl is inevitably going to take a skate down since I myself who has mastered steps over 28 years have already skated down...As I consider the attributes of our home's location: Close to the T, within walking distance to everything you could want, a 10 minute drive to the airport, I begin to consider all those attributes as part of our Cool Urban Life. I love the life we have cultivated here, but the priorities are shifting, sometimes rapidly, sometimes as slow but large glaciers roving over the peninsulas of my twentysomething desires.

We have no plans to move any time soon, but I feel its imminence in a way, and I'm okay with it, I have to be okay with it. I've got a cool girl to be providing for, and she's worth the sacrifice of a spiral staircase.

Even if she is not a genius...

she's a cute little Easter egg, isn't she?

Hot to Trot

Saturday was an example of how I should not be allowed out of the house by myself any longer. I drove to a Red Line station. I glanced to ensure no pocket change was visible in any cup holders. Off to a decent start.

Forgot Charlie Card pass for train riding (strike one), but had proper change for purchase of to and fro ticket.

Arrived at Yelp Event at Mizu Salon. Dramatically underdressed compared to chic minions (strike two).

Glanced at chic early twirtysomethings. Received defensive glances back as if they thought I was examining their outfits all So this is what the young people are wearing out disco dancing these days! Which is, actually, exactly what I was thinking, but not snobbishly, rather earnestly, because, as we have established, I think REI fleece vest paired with every.single.outfit is haute couture. (strikes three through eleventy seven).

I then tried to initiate convo-chatter with the only two people I recognized and evidently that should be a new challenge in Cranium because both exchanges resulted in my finding a cupcake and finding a corner and finding myself the girl alone in the corner with the cupcake and icing all over her face. (strike infinity).

The only bright light was finding my friend Melissa and talking hysterically about the cuteness of Baby Girl which made me feel like I needed to leave immediately.

So in my huff to leave, I spilled ice all over the lobby of the salon. I then, feeling bad for self, bought a sale shirt at ATay and a book at B&N and lo! Where the nelly be-eth my car keys?

(Strikey McStrikerforker.)

I retraced every step, made mates with every security personnel at mall place. Found keys where left them in salon.

Back on train. Busy people watching. Miss stop at worse possible turnaround point. (STEEE-RIKE).

Find car, no pocket change stolen. Pick up last minute grocery items. Receive txt from Loverpants GETTING WORRIED, arrive home in one piece.

What, you are begging to know, were my favorite people doing while mama bird flew the coop?

Just chillin'...

Also noteworthy is the cranking of neck the wee one does every time I unleash the camera. It's new, it's cute, it's inexplicable.

College Shopping

I have finally made my decision about college. And I have decided that my cousin Mo sure-as-a-seventh-inning-stretch had better come to college in Boston. Of all my cousins, Mo is my girl. She's just original and adorable, has a true set of girl balls, and will change the world for the better, propelled by her quiet passion and her awesome sense of humor. We spent the weekend touring different colleges around the Bean, commencing with a starlight tour by car up and down the Charles River, I with my gnarly driving and my Auntie N and Cousin Mo with their tired selves keeping eagle eyes out for Cheers. Of course we got their picture with that big old finger pointing down them famed stairs. Using a camera phone. At midnight. (Cool your jets, taxi, we're just making a memory as we park in your spot for 32 seconds, gah!).

We laughed so much this weekend, mostly at ourselves, a bit at the rest of the family - departed and still gracing us with their quirks and quibbles - and then we laughed some more. At one point, Loverpants was ironing in the living room and the iron emitted a loud puff of steam and Mo said, "Oh! I thought that was my mom laughing!"

We also made it to the St. Paddy's parade - the first time I had ever made it to Southie for the big march in my 7 years of life here ::dies:: - and it was worth every huffing step up the Dorchester Heights hill carting Baby Girl (who thought she was the drum major in the parade, so wildly waving were her hands). The parade was delayed for like two inexplicable hours, but the weather was sunny and warmish, and the people-watching was rare and green.

I was so sad to drop them all off at Logan, even though they needed to leave so that I could get back to sleeping more than 5 hours and eating more than half a pan of brownies. But I've got my Paddy's fingers crossed that Cousin Mo will be joining us at this time next year, meeting at the top of the hill and introducing us to her college posse, and laughing at all of the gold legwarmer rocking, green slut sling wearing teens who think they are the parade.

***