1. my sister, my brother in law, R, and i are all co-working all over my parents' house this week. My mom is pursuing various culinary projects by day and watching the Dem convention in Chicago at night. I love it when my sister and I take 15 minutes at lunch to do a HIIT, even if I mostly can't do any of it. It's fun to have a workout buddy.

2. My father is at times charmed to have us all here but then mostly annoyed he can't find a quiet corner where he can drink in peace. By yesterday it all came to a head as usual, and he was blitzed by noon, unsteady on his feet by 4, blah blah blah. Same old, but maybe it seems easier now, if more bleak. We all accepted long ago that he is gone. I regret it tho. I took a break out on the deck and tried not to listen to my parents having an intense conversation about my dad, and i had a flashback to hiding in my parents' closet with my siblings when I was 7, with my bags packed as my parents fought. (I packed: my yellow blankie, my cabbage patch kid (Melanie), and some bulk barn cheetos - the treasures i couldn't leave behind when my mother left with us as she swore she would. But she never did).

2. It's 12 pm and I can hear the bottles clinking in the cold room. I asked R to work outside this morning so that my father would have a place to check out, so hopefully things will go more smoothly today. I don't care if he's blitzed, I just don't want to see it and I want him to eat something and drink an occasional glass of water so he doesn't fall over and hit his head or break his hip.

3. So sad to have hardly seen the kids this week. They're at camp in the day and R and I have been out doing social things every night. I'm totally over it and can't wait to be home tonight with them to ride bikes and play Skipbo.

4. planning our weeklong canoe trip next week. I am going to dehydrate squash and quinoa today.

12:05 p.m. - 2024-08-22