the pattyo

… of course I might be unrealistic on this test. I wonder. I mean … I feel fine about finances, but maybe I shouldn’t? I feel like I’m not horribly stressed, but perhaps I’m just not terribly aware. Hmmm.

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.8
Mind:	7.3
Body:	6.8
Spirit:	7.6
Friends/Family:	7.2
Love:	7.3
Finance:	8.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

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Brandon went back to Seattle yesterday. I’m just home from taking Kelsey to the airport so she can get back to UCI (and Mel!).

When Kelsey and I arrived at the airport the line through security was fairly short. I thought, “We could have left 10 minutes later and Kelsey could have watched the end of the cartoon she was watching. Oh well.” After she went through I turned around ot head for the car; the line was now about four times as long and growing. So I suppose it was good that we got there when we did.

Now I’m beat. I love having everyone here, but I do need a nap after. Not even for any good reason—it’s not like our kids are demanding in any way. Silly me.

So it’s rest time (too late to get to church) and then it’s another opera. (Four more performances of Barber.)
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I wanna be a TV announcer—or maybe radio—now that I know that’s where I belong. Forget oboe reeds!

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I’m not from Minnesota, but I’ve not seen a “California Thanksgiving” poem. So this Minnesota one will have to do for now:

Minnesota Thanksgiving

For that free Grace bringing us past great risks
& thro’ great griefs surviving to this feast
sober & still, with the children unborn and born,
among brave friends, Lord, we stand again in debt
and find ourselves in the glad position: Gratitude.

We praise our ancestors who delivered us here
within warm walls all safe, aware of music,
likely toward ample & attractive meat
with whatever accompaniment
Kate in her kind ingenuity has seen fit to devise,

and we hope – across the most strange year to come –
continually to do them and You not sufficient honour
but such as we become able to devise
out of decent or joyful conscience & thanksgiving.
Yippee!

Bless then, as Thou wilt, this wilderness board.

-John Berryman

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Brandon got home over an hour ago.

I LOVE having the whole family here! What fun to see the two “missing” kids. And it sort of feels complete again.

It’s weird to think that, eventually, there will be no children here at all. Boo hoo.

Kelsey is now sleeping in her old room … I bought an air mattress that I really hope will be okay for her. Brandon will be in his room, once he stops playing video games with Jameson, but it probably won’t feel much like “his” anymore since it is full of boxes. He seems okay with that, though.

Dan wakes up at 4:00 or so to go on a Mission Peak hike tomorrow morning. Ouch. In more ways that one.

Me? I’ll get up around 7:30, I’m guessing. I rarely sleep longer. But we’ll see!
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Kelsey is home! We are now munching out on Mr. Chau’s.

Now we wait for Brandon, whose estimated arrival is 8:15.
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November 22, 1963:

C. S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley and John F. Kennedy died on this date.

Maybe I’m missing blogs about this, but so far I’ve not seen anything about these deaths.
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I took a blogging day off yesterday for a variety of reasons. But here I am … exhausted, but here.

After the opera on Sunday a bunch of my opera pals, Dan, Jameson and I went to Il Fornaio for dinner. I had a wonderful time, and I was so honored to have my friends agree (and pay for their meals) to come to celebrate my birthday. I must say that the waiter we had was really horrible. I was fairly shocked at how he treated us, and how, if we weren’t ready immediately, he’d quickly leave, as if he was annoyed that we were taking his time. How odd! I suppose he just didn’t want to bother with us because he knew he’d have his %18 tip added on automatically. Pathetic, no? The food was delicious, and I doubt I’d nix Il Fornaio merely because of a rude waiter, but what a shame that someone would treat us like that.

Oddly enough, this is the second time I’ve had a bad experience with a waiter at Il Fornaio. Hmmm. Maybe it’s me?! Maybe they don’t like me. Is it my pit black? My hair? What? I always try to be very nice. Really I do! I complained the last time. This time I think I’ll just let it go … I don’t want to get a reputation as a whiner.

Oh … except I’m a musicians so I guess I AM a whiner, eh? ;-)

Now it’s time to prepare for Thanksgiving. Yikes! I can hardly believe it’s November, much less Thanksgiving. But t-day means Brandon and Kelsey will be here. Woo hoo! I’m excited! :-)
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The mirror tells a story even I
cannot deny. When seeing eye to eye
with who I am and what I have become
I wonder at the time, and sometimes run
from truth. I know the glass won’t lie—but how
I wish it would!—a part of me thinks now,
yes even at a this half a century
of age, I somehow might, quite easily,
disguise myself and come across a good
bit younger than I am. Of course this would
be folly! Here I am: I stand between
a zero and one hundred. I am queen
of middle age! So bow, salute, or give
me moderate applause. I’m glad to live!

Patricia Emerson Mitchell©
Written November 1, 2006 for this very day.
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