Mar

7

Checking in

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I don’t really leave comments on blogs any more. Most of the stuff I read is via RSS and if I am on an actual site, well, I guess I’ve gotten used to the threaded discussion features of social media platforms and writing something in a comment section feels a bit like throwing a bottle out to sea. But as a person who continues, for some ill-advised reason, to keep her own ancient blog on life support, I still love comments. Even the spambots get me briefly excited, especially the weirdly poetic ones (actual excerpt: You can see wells in many fairy tales where you make a wish, push people into them,Womens Paul Hornung Jersey, and consume it for bathing or drinking purposes.)

Anyway, if you’re out there, stop and say hi, will you? Just because … why not. Tell me where you’re spending your online time these days (me: Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, whatever’s still trickling into my Feedly, Google News, a game called Subnautica). Tell me how old your kids are (10 and 12). Tell me what job you’re doing now and whether you enjoy it (freelance writing still, marketing articles, and yes — but I really miss working with people and I keep looking for a good volunteer/part-time-something that will offer more in that department). Tell me about the last book you could not put down (Behind Closed Doors; it wasn’t the best writing in the world but it sure kept me interested). Tell me, are you doing okay? (Yes. I mean: mostly? Mostly yes. Ugh, mostly looks like MOISTLY. I am MOISTLY doing okay, MOIST of the time.)

Mar

2

Fourth grader’s favorites: a brief tour

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I am delighted by the curation that’s been happening with the items on Dylan’s nightstand. Things slowly cycle in and out of this place, but they’re always deliberately chosen and arranged and I really enjoy paying them a visit. 

His current selection, going generally clockwise and spiraling in:

Alarm clock. Riley has the same clock, it has the cool feature of projecting the time on the ceiling but Dylan doesn’t like that option. He does however like setting his own alarm and getting up early, at which point he pads around the house in his little robe and it’s extremely cute except when he comes in our room and stands quietly by the bed and then it’s super creepy.

Plaster cast of a seashell. This came from a fourth grade science unit and it’s only recently replaced a previous plaster item which is a cast of his thumb from a second grade field trip to an orthodontist and frankly I’m glad to see the tiny severed thumb downgraded to his bookshelf.

Compass. I once asked him if he’d ever used this compass. “Um, in the WOODS I have,” he said, importantly.

Map pins. He has a large US map on his wall and he’s carefully placed pins for places he’s visited, places where people in our family were born, and places he’d like to visit. “If you could go anywhere, where would it be?” *thinks a while* “DALLAS.”

Basketball arm band thing. Are your sportsy kids into the one Spanx-like arm band? This is a whole THING.

Shitty Hawaiian airlines earbuds. Even I had to buy these dumb things during our flight because my own earbuds wouldn’t stretch to the in-seat screen dealie.

Tiny car handmade out of scraps from a tin can. I bought this in Manzanita two years ago, I can’t believe he still has it.

(Seagull?) feather that we made into a quill pen. I think he only tried writing with this once (kids + inkwells = nooooo) but it’s held the bedside place of honor for a long time.

Arrowhead. Purchased from a store in Sunriver, I believe. Briefly attached to a stick with string.

Plastic sea turtle. Gifted as a reminder of a previous trip to Hawaii, brought back out before our trip last week.

Snowglobes: Las Vegas, Hawaii. Neither place seem particularly well-suited to being represented by a snow globe souvenir, but Dylan has decided this is going to be a Thing He Collects from Places He Has Traveled to.

Sharps Bros patch. His dad’s business, naturally that one’s front and center.

Family photo ornament. This one’s from 2016 and it didn’t print well so I ordered another, Dylan loves it and it’s always on display.

Retainer. The retainer itself is printed, I swear I am not making this up, with the OSU Beavers logo. Do you know what color retainer options I had when I was a kid? PINK. It was fleshy pink or NOTHING. Kids these days.

Lockbox. He keeps all his important documents in there: passport, social sec — just kidding, he has like $1.56 in there and he can never remember the combination.

Penknife. He never actually uses it, but it’s there. Just in case.

Dinosaur tooth. Where did this come from? A novelty shop on the coast, I think. It’s probably not even a real tooth.

Cute campfire craft. I made this craft when I read about it here, and it really did turn out so well! Unfortunately either I bought shitty glue or hot glue gunned stuff isn’t made to last over time because this thing will straight-up fall apart if you even breathe on it. Dylan loves it, though.

“Dylan” bracelet. Made at a booth at the surprisingly entertaining Junction City Scandinavian Festival, two years ago. He has never worn it. “I like it, but I’m not really a bracelet guy,” he explained. This is pretty much how I feel about every item of jewelry I’ve ever owned.

Hotel pen. He also loves collecting hotel pens and keycards. This one’s from the Grand Wailea.

Switchblade comb. Oh my GOD was he ever in love with this thing for a while. I think he got it at one of those arcade places where you trade in a bazillion tickets for one crappy prize, and out of all the tragically cheap stuffed animals and plastic snakes and single squares of Laffy Taffy he found this comb and it was the COOLEST THING EVER. I really recommend 10-year-old boys for lots of things, including impromptu hugs, their not-yet-dampened-by-social-constructs-enthusiasm, and how they look when they flick open a switchblade comb and slowly drag it through their most outrageous cowlick.

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