September 7, 1997

The Values Thing

Diane does the hokey-pokey and realizes it is proto-aerobics.

Man, if I don't start writing more often, I'm gonna get kicked out of the Often ring.

Friday

Darin and I went out to lunch in Woodland Hills -- Houston's, and it wasn't very good that day. Afterwards, we went to see GI Jane at the movie theatre across the street, and we both had the same reaction I'd read about earlier this summer: preview audiences really enjoyed it, but they were embarrassed to be enjoying a Demi Moore movie.

That about sums it up.

Also, Darin and I apparently had the same thoughts as Brent and Therese did when they saw the movie: the whole scene where Demi Moore is working out (like she's not getting enough exercise the rest of the time) appears to be an outtake from Flashdance. "I am SO buff!"

We did something Friday night. Or maybe we didn't. It shouldn't seem that long ago, but it does.

Saturday

Our only appointment was Bunchkin's birthday party, so at some point in the afternoon we went out and bought her a book on dinosaurs, along with two Richard Scarry books. Darin and me? We do books, and dammit, the children of our friends will get those books and read them.

A birthday party for 3 year olds is exhausting. Doing the hokey-pokey in the hot afternoon sun? Not fun. Also, I was the first kicked out of musical chairs, just like always. I hate musical chairs. Hate it.

It was fun sitting around and talking to the grownups (when Bunchkin was not turning the lot of us into frogs and flies with her magic wand). Brent and I shared horrible stories of childhood parties: my worst one was the only time I threw a party, when I was in fifth grade (same year as the incident I wrote about a few entries ago). I keep saying it was a birthday party, but it couldn't have been, because my birthday is in summer (which pretty much rules out birthday parties, dammit), so it was probably a Halloween party. I had a couple of kids over from class, and we had fun -- but they had to leave early, because there was another party they'd all been invited to.

Didn't have a birthday party with anyone outside my family until I was 22.

Bunchkin got about 3 million presents. Brent started squirming when he realized the "bits of toy scattered everywhere" potential of some of them. I started squirming when I realized that Christmas was just around the corner.

Darin and I, on the way home, discussed how much stuff Bunchkin had gotten and talked about what one does with a child who does, in fact, have everything. Darin brought up the idea that once a month a child should have to choose something to give away, so that a)other children can play with it and b)the child figures out what is of value to them.

Bummer, this whole values thing.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

3.5 miles (non-stop!) this morning. First day I've gone running since Wednesday.

The fingernail on the middle finger of my right hand continues to be toast, while I leave the nails on all other fingers unscathed.