Sunday Blues

It’s Sunday evening and, even though I’m currently sans job and don’t have to get up early tomorrow, I’m feeling kinda down, a little reminiscent of the old “where the heck did the weekend go” blues. Part of it is the job interview I had last week. Don’t get me wrong, it was great – great interview (at least from my side of the table) and an amazing job! If I had been put to the task of writing out my ideal job, eliminating making a living doing my GIS mapping or as an artist, of course, the kind of things this company does are, well, just what I love doing. The company does research and analysis, and they even have a GIS person on staff. To paraphrase what Matthew Perry says to Salma Hayek in Fools Rush In: “It’s everything I never knew I wanted”. The only catch is that I wouldn’t be doing the research and analysis part – I’d be the Admin Assistant, doing regular-type stuff for that position. Anyway, I think I’d be a good match for the company as an Admin, and I know that I’d love working there…I just have to wait until “next week” when I hear something from them one way or the other.

Maybe another part of the bluesy feeling is the holiday coming up. I’m at the point in my life that when I look around a holiday table, there are a lot of much-loved faces that are missing. Plus, for the last several years, I’ve lived in either an apartment or my small condo – kind of small to host a family dinner. So, it has kind of evolved into a set thing – we go to my son-in-law’s family’s home for Thanksgiving and then (because of the grandkids) everyone goes to my daughter (Lori) and son-in-law (Kirk’s) home for Christmas.

You know how it is when you mesh two families together – different traditions, different habits, different ways of doing things. My family has always liked, not a formal dinner, but a fancy table – you know, the good china, the sparkling glassware, shiny silverware, all of them handed down, with many fond memories attached. Kirk’s family is more laid back and casual - but Linda, Kirk’s mom, certainly sets a wonderful table – she’s a great cook!! They are also a family of game-players, so often they play cards or something after dinner. My favorite evening was when Kirk’s cousin Robin taught us how to play bunco, resulting in much silliness and laughter!!!

Kirk’s family always makes me feel welcome and included, it’s just, well….I miss getting to cook. I can hear all those gasps and/or guffaws out there from you women who cook every holiday meal. Sweet Kirk (who is the cook in their house) has shared the cooking with me at Christmas a couple of times, and that helps some. When my Lori was little, I couldn’t seem to get her interested much in learning to cook. So one day, I said “What are you doing to do about feeding your family when you get married?” and she replied (with all the wisdom of her 9 or so years) “I’m going to marry a man who cooks.” and that’s exactly what she did!

One thing that my daughter does cook is the pumpkin pies for the holiday dinners, and let me tell you, she definitely takes after my mom – amazing pies! One Thanksgiving (one of the first few years they were married) Kirk’s dad Gene said “Everybody’s always talking about how good your pumpkin pies are – mine are just as good or better, so this Thanksgiving I’ll make some of my own, and we’ll see whose pie everyone likes better!” So, the contest was on, and Lori took special care with her pies that year. After dinner, Gene went out into the garage to get his pie, and as we were cutting and serving the pies, Lori (who had come to know her father-in-law pretty well by now) kept saying “You didn’t make this pie. You did not make this pie.” But Gene kept insisting that he had baked the pie. As we were starting to taste the pies, one of the kids, Lori or Kirk, went out to the garage to get a soda out of the 2^nd refrigerator, and there on the counter was a Mrs. Smith’s Pumpkin Pie box!!!! What a teaser!