The week(s) in review

Okay, it totally sucks that I have had so little time to blog that I basically have to break each entry down into bulleted lists with important highlights instead of giving each event the attention it deserves, so bear with me--the next few posts will be playing major catch-up.

A few items from last post: the job I was offered was at a used bookstore. It was awesome in every way but the money way. As in, between preschool and wages, I'd end up paying $100/month to work there. Not really what comes to mind when I utter the words "gainfully employed," is it? But I have interviewed for what I could in all fairness call a Dream Job and have a few less exciting prospects in the pipeline, too, so we'll see if I'm going to be Working Mom Barbie this year or not. I'm not sure what she'll do to Dissertation-Finishing Barbie, but we'll burn that bridge when we get there. Dissertation-Finishing Barbie has turned out to be something of a deadbeat anyway, so it's anyone's guess.

What I haven't figured out yet is why I want to work (other than to help alleviate some of money hemmoraging we've been doing over the last couple of months) and/or why I feel guity for wanting to work. But that's something I will have to bat around in another post.

What I really want to post about is my parents' visit here. We truly had a wonderful time, and not because we got what can only be called slave labor from Grampy while he was here. For the low, low price of the occasional Bismarck (a chocolate covered donut with eclair creme inside), we completed a number of important home improvement projects so that when the hordes of guests we will be getting arrive, they don't have to feel like they are living in a work-in-progress.

We also exploited Bee-bee's prowess with bicycle-pushing and toddler-entertaining to grab a few showers without an audience, drink coffee without having to share half my breakfast with someone who already ate two eggs, a waffle, yogurt, sausage and a banana, and go out on a date.

We also did some fun stuff as an extended family. Here we are at the Great Salt Lake, which, as it turns out is not so much Great as it is shrinking and stinking, and sad. But since Stank Lake City doesn't have quite the ring to it that Salt Lake City does, its poignancy and pungency will have to remain a mystery for everyone but you, dear reader(s?).

What's cuter than a little boy with orange crocs? Maybe a Grampy with big-boy crocs? Maybe a little boy putting big crocs on over his wee crocs? It's like a moibus strip of cuteness.

Hey, brine shrimp. And wow, the edges of the waves turn black and fly up into the air. It would be cool if they didn't look suspiciously like thousands of tiny little bugs. Mommy, why are you making the throw-up face?
Salt crystals. Whoa. What's a lotta fries' worth right there.
I don't know why people seem to know immediately that Grampy belongs to me. Hm.
This is the somewhat sad Saltair Resort. It used to be quite the hangout--the Starbucks of Pioneer Mormon days, if you will, only, like, glamorous and stuff. Old pictures of the Saltair show that the Salt Lake came in under the resort, which was on pilings so that swimmers could float in the water without having their skin seared off by the high desert sun. Now the lake's a good thousand feet out from the building, and the abandonded rail cars parked next to it only add to the wistful feel of the place. I so want to bring Juniper's dad Dutch here when he visits!
Mommy, come ON. Bee-bee and Grampy are going to get all the good horrifcally smelly dead seagulls before we do!!

And then there were the trips to Liberty Park, which is so cool it shouldn't even be allowed, let alone FREE:

Wow, two things I love: Splashing in my crocs, and then getting to repeat the words "watew" [water] and "shooooooes" four hundred times.
Hey dudes, what's up? Wait up, and I'll just give Bee-bee the slip and climb on into the wading canyons with you to see what all the hype is about.
Niiiiiice birdie. Mama, don't look it in the eye, and no pictures. I SAID NO PICTURES.
This picture's cuteness might seem only skin-deep, but it's actually even cuter than that--I'm trying to feed the flowers my goldfish crackers. I know, right? In case you're wondering, it does hurt to be this cute, but I suffer it for you. I'm all about my fans, people, all. about. my. fans.

Next time: further intra-Mommymatic debates on going back to being paid for what one does in something other than sticky smiles and laundry, At Least One Rotten Thing About SLC, and mommymatic's 4-day journey away Alone, in which I play Matron D'Honour to my adorable sister and pinchable-cheeked brother-in-law, the infamous marital unit known as Kimnjim.