Bureaucracy

 Breeder's Corner, Geek Wannabe, General  Comments Off on Bureaucracy
Aug 112009
 

Today I took The Artist to take his driver’s test and get his actual license. He was ready. He was eager.

He was uninsured.

We called our insurance company when he got his learner’s permit, and they said he was covered under our existing policy and didn’t need to be specifically named as a driver until he got the real license. However, it turns out the DMV won’t even let him test until he’s specifically named on our car insurance as a driver.

So we trudged back out of the DMV.

On the way home, I detoured into the mall. “We’ll assuage our disappointment with Orange Julius,” I told him.

“Assuage?”

“Mitigate. Smooth over,” I clarified. “Kiss it and make it better. The problem with having a writer for a mom is that I use words like assuage and ubiquitous in everyday conversation.”

“What’s ubiquitous?” he laughed.

“Means it’s everywhere.” I was getting out my cell phone.

“Oh, so God is ubiquitous.”

“Right.” I dialed Alpha Geek. “He couldn’t take the test today. We didn’t have our 27B/6 form.”

“What?” (I was surprised he missed the reference, but I learned later that he’d been busy rescuing the cat.)

“He has to be on our insurance before he can take the test. We’re going to Orange Julius, do you want anything?”

He didn’t. We got our Orange Julius drinks, and pretzels from the Pretzel Twister, and eventually we felt suitably assuaged and came home.

To be honest, I’m a bit relieved. Because as soon as he gets his license, you know which car he’ll be driving most? My baby.

 Posted by at 3:42 pm

Today, He Is A Man

 Breeder's Corner, Geek Wannabe, General  Comments Off on Today, He Is A Man
Jul 182009
 

At least, legally. The Artist turned eighteen today.

Eighteen is a big birthday, so we got together with the grandparents to get him a big present—a new laptop. His old Mac went toes-up a few weeks ago and he’s had to beg time on our computers. Now he has his very own Macbook Pro.

Apple is also running a promotion at the moment, which is a free iPod Touch with the purchase of a Macbook Pro. With your name engraved on it. Now he also has an 8gb iPod with his name on it.

He is a very happy young man tonight.

 Posted by at 9:42 pm
Jul 142009
 

Mark my words, within a year this cat will be queen of our house. And I suspect she will have claimed The Director as her own particular human.

Alpha Geek gave her supper while I was gone. But he’s not an early riser by nature, and I’ve taught her not to meow at our bedroom door. So for the last four days she’s been waking The Director up for her breakfast.

She still doesn’t like to be picked up, but she’ll tolerate it for a moment while you move her to your lap (because she knows there will be petting). The Director is a little guy, and still getting the hang of picking up a cat; sometimes he picks her up in an awkward bundle of legs sticking out of his arms. She’ll give a meow to let him know she’s not enjoying it, but then just hang there and wait until he sits down and starts with the petting.

Duchess

Every morning we get to discover what she’s found to play with during the night. One morning she had murdered my feather duster. Another, I found some kind of cord on the staircase—I have no idea what it’s from. Once I left a scrunchie out on the end table. She had a ball with that, it was completely unraveled by morning.

Her absolute favorite toy so far is a handmade potholder The Director made years ago, one of those where the kid weaves loops on a loom to make Mom a tiny little potholder. It was too small to use, so I hung it on the pantry door.

Anything dangling is fair game for this cat. She pulled it down one night and has loved playing with it. It’s big enough to get a good hold on, with a good texture for claws to hold, and soft enough to be fun for wrestling. It’s a wonderful cat toy. The Director was delighted that his handmade craft became her specially favored toy.

 Posted by at 6:36 am  Tagged with:
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