Well, there were many happy adventures in San Francisco, but the result was the same.
Mama's little Chicken is off and flying--as of last text message she was in L.A., and tomorrow (or Friday the 11th because of the whole dateline thing...) she'll be in Australia.
I'm actually pretty sanguine about it--but I did tear up a little at the airport. Just a little--we were wrangling short people, and I was pointedly reminded that she's not one of them anymore. She had her shirt and her slacks and her luggage--she looked very very competent and ready to go do this.
I'll probably have some sort of retro-freak-out around Sunday, when it dawns on me she isn't here--stay tuned for some intense hilarity!
The trip itself was sort of fun. We spent WAAAYYYYY toooo long at the airport--got there pretty early, puttered around trying to find some place you could watch the airplanes take off. No luck, on that one--but we kept the Cave Troll grounded with a promise to go see the ocean afterwards.
The Cave Troll LUUUUUURRRRRRVVVZZZZZZ the ocean--I think it's because his heart is the same. He's always contending with himself to see who will win, and the awesome destructive power of all that chaotic brine...well, it calls to him, that's all I can tell you.
Ladybug abhors the ocean. She screamed and wept and wailed. Her feet wouldn't touch the sand, they wouldn't touch the surf, and for some reason, she blamed her father for being there--I think it was because he was driving. The closest thing I've ever seen to a child levitating was when he tried to put her on the ground to run to me--it was truly incredible. She didn't want to touch the ground and she didn't want him... wow. What a dilemma. Anyway, the only peace I got in an hour and a half at the beach was to sit on the kids' backpack with her on my lap. (Feet. Killing. Me.) As I sat, she started to dabble her toes in the sand. And then she started to dig her feet in. And then she started to throw it around. And then by the time we left, she was sorry to see it go. Kids. As Tinkingbells said, can't live with 'em, can't take 'em back.
The beach was actually encouraging--the last time we'd been to the beach at San Francisco it was black, slimy, and sadly birdless. With the exception of all the dead jellyfish (? No. I don't know either.) there was a lot more life there--and a lot less black and slimy. But there was an oil tanker, many miles off shore, and it was sort of a grim reminder that yes, we can still fuck up the environment pretty much unimpeded.
Speaking of, our air quality is still apocalyptic with a chance or orange. Seriously--when you look at the air quality index, and it tells you that breathing puts your life in jeopardy? Time to hid under an air-filter and spend your days watching reruns of Without a Trace.
Or take your daughter to the airport, and start her path to making the world a better place.
Of course, that last one does make you a little more optimistic if it helps to get you the fuck out of dodge, doesn't it? Oh yes, it does!
9 comments:
What an adventure Chicken is departing on. This will be a trip she'll remember her whole life. She's fortunate to have parents that recognized that and sent her on her way. Hope she gets some good pictures!
What an amazing adventure she is going to have! I'm jealous!
Enjoy your trip Chicken!
Amy this is just a preview of when they leave the nest and don't come back. So enjoy it while you can.
She looks like a young amazon - ready for anything! She may revert to short-person once or twice on the trip (we all do when we get tired and over-stimulated and hungry) but she will come back with so MANY stories!
Love your description of Cave Troll and the ocean. And ladybug with the sand.
And every night when the news shows where the fires are burning, I cringe for you. Major suckage for air quality.
Forest fires at Green's Hill?
(Believe it or not, a forrest fire for Green's Hill is a planned plot device for book 6... for good reason, too!!!)
could you remind me: why is she going to Australia? Take care, must get back to the bat cave, well I haven't left the computer, just the computer programs... stupid things are starting to be VERY funny, I worry about my sanity. Thank goodness you are hear to ground me ;oP
Where in Australia is she going? Is she coming to visit me? That would be cool!
I still remember the whole 'not walk on sand thing' with both my kids - but the vision of Ladybug trying to levitate is hilarious!
Oh she looks so pretty and grown up! I bet she'll have a blast. I've always wanted to get to Australia some day.
I to have been thinking of you with the fires, I don't know how close you are to all of the craziness but I did pause.
One of my twin nephews is like the CT, loves the water, the other is like Ladybug, he'd rather do almost anything else. If you leave him alone though he will eventually get to it. We learned that the hard way on our recent trip to Myrtle Beach. By the end though we just let him get used to water/sand on his own terms and he could deal.
the trip's arrived! Keep us abreast of her progress and the offer still stands to meet her when she gets to Canberra although I'm sure she'll be far too busy.
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