I would like to be pregnant.
I would not like to go to school.
I would like my finger to stop hurting.
I would like weeks like this one to replicate infinitely; low humidity, bright blue skies, verge of autumn days are the best.
I would like my fucking room to be done so that I can get in and put books on my shelves, etc.

Anyway.

Kate’s visit has been great; her boyfriend is so wonderful. He is so much better than the bong-poet ex, but I guess we all had to have the BPE as a reference point. When she and I drove the old truck out west in 2000, we stayed with Pete (new boyfriend) for a night, and went to a Big Head Todd show with him and some other of her friends. I was telling her then, four years ago, “WHY are you with BPE? You need to hook up with Pete. Seriously.” It tooko 3.5 years, but when they finally ended up single at the same time, it happened. It may have made the papers out there, as their friends all saw what I did, a perfect match. He counterbalances her flakiness, as opposed to compounding it, and he has a strong character and is just a real nice guy. Sure, they look like the Swedish ski team, all big white teeth and bright blue eyes and shit, but they really work well together. So, yay.

ALso, Dave and Pete got along famously. Kate and I did some shopping while the menfolk played PS2 or worked on video editing (Dave hooked Pete up with some software and instruction, as Pete wants to get into river-shooting) and Dave and I talked about how he could have NEVER handled that much alone time with BPE. And, it made me feel good about the Dave&Gretchen family unit.

We grew up differently, Dave and I, and we are very aware of that. My family is very close, his is not. ANd I’ve said “I know my family probably doesn’t make sense to you, because yours doesn’t to me, but I want OUR family to be more like mine.” Dave agrees, the more we spent around each other’s families, the more I’ve appreciated mine, and the more he’s resented his. I mean, there is just never any contact with them except for holidays, and they LIVE HERE. In the same ZIP CODE.

To see Dave and Pete hanging out (he will be my BIL, I am throroughly certain of that) and building that relationship, it just makes me want to cry almost. The Dave and Gretchen family will be close to others in our family. My kids WILL know their aunt and uncle and cousins, and we will visit each other and stay in touch beyond obligatory and soulless holiday ‘celebrations.’

And that makes me happy.

My goddamn finger, though, is pissing me off.