Sigh. My dad just called and was all "Have you thought about what you want to do while you're here?" and I'm like "Um...WTF?" and he starts talking about the freakin' ART museum. (Of...Indianapolis. I'm not visiting them in NYC or anything). And maybe there's a Barbie Doll exhibit at the Children's Museum. Or have I thought about anything else? My mom invites me to her swimming class. Or am I just going to sit around the whole time? I'm like "Er...yeah? Movies? Shopping? Reading books? It's called a bloody VACATION, and just because I happen to be flying out to spend it with you people for the holidays doesn't mean I don't need one?" And he's like "Well, what are you doing?" and I"m like "Right now I'm frantically doing expense reports so I can be ready to TAKE a vacation, thank you very much!" ARGH. Does he not get that? Has it been so long since he retired? WTF??

Ugh. I insist that I go on an actual vacation within a vacation when I go home--my sister and I take a beach holiday when I go back to Jamaica. The rest of the time I damned well sit around. I don't see why that should be a problem--even when I was jobless, I made a point that I was coming home to do nothing in particular.

But parents are different.

Oh, does that sound familiar! When I drove out to see my mom and my brother and his family this summer, Mom was all apologetic that she was still recovering from walking pneumonia and couldn't go out and do things with me, and I was all, "No problem!!" I actually got several books read that week--sheer bliss.

If only my family would let me read.

Well, luckily these days I stay at my sister's house, and she is totally down with the "hang out, be on the laptop or reading a book, and watch Law and Order" plan. My brother-in-law finds this a little odd, as he'll look in at the two of us doing this from time to time, silently side by side on the couch, and be like "you people!" But really--the only other thing I might do is bake, but I don't feel comfortable doing so in their kitchen! I don't have my recipes/ingredients/utensils around me!

I haven't read that article, but soldiers aren't allowed to have sex while deployed. Generally, but I assume specifically in this case.

I've seen this on a couple of blogs, and active soldiers deployed in Iraq have all chimed in with this very point - they're not supposed to be having sex in the first place, so the no-preggers rule is just a SERIOUSLY, WE MEAN IT, NO SEX addendum. It's not as out of the blue as the media is making it seem.

The major issue with it (again, that I've seen raised by currently deployed female soldiers) is that it's not going hand-in-hand with stricter penalties for rape, which is a far more prevalent problem than female soldiers getting deliberately knocked up in order to get out of active duty.

I nterrupting to say :

I want my cat's health to improve.

Oh, meara, I feel your pain! With those specific locations! You could also go to the Eiteljoerg! Or go to Monument Circle and look at the lights! (Although Dave & I love Indy's children's museum and have dragged many people there. It has a giant liquid clock.)

Or, you know, you could have a vacation. Sheesh, parentals.

My folks totally do this. Last time we took the architectural tour of Columbus, IN. We were dubious, although it did in fact turn out to be interesting.

I just was way more intent on lying around on my parents' couch and reading their back issues of Mother Earth magazine and Readers' Digest and filling in erroneous answers in my dad's latest Sudoku book.

I think the parents worry that we'll be bored hanging out with them. But really, not so much.

{{{beth}}} and {{{beth's cat}}}

A friend who is in town (i.e., closer to me than California - where she lives) phoned tonight to say that she may not be doing anything she planned because they were on their way to the hospital with her little boy who pulled a cup full of hot water for tea onto himself and is badly burned. - - ~ ma for him please.

~ma for Sumi's friend's little boy.

~ma also for beth's cat.

I am strangely soothed by playing in my brain a constant loop of Paul Gross as Geoffrey Tennant uttering a magnificent "FUCK" as he stalks out of the theater.

I really need to see him in something other than Due South. My brain just broke trying to imagine Benny cussing.