Moonie Moaning
Reports of my return have been greatly exaggerated, mostly by me. Here’s the thing- I’m now renting a room from a fabulous gal. Really, she’s amazing– she’s about my age, and has the energy of seven ten-year-olds– she gardens, she tends bar, she rides a Harley, she cleans houses, and she’s so tough that I imagine she pees standing up. I’ve never met a more fearless, independent woman. However, there is one thing that terrifies her, and that thing is the threat of a power surge. Texas has gorgeous, terrifying, get-down-on-your-knees-and-give-thanks-you’re-not-in-a-trailer thunderstorms, the approach of which causes her to turn off power switches and unplug anything with a cord days in advance. My computer is connected to her computer, and if there are reports of rain within three days or less, I return home from work to a black screen and a computer tower as quiet as my mouse. I do have my laptop, which is what I’m trying to write on now, but it’s squirrely. It’s difficult to get a wireless connection, and when I do, it’s usually a short lived one. As I’ve probably told you, this laptop was built when cavemen roamed the Earth. Forget pictures or editing or checking for typos. I’ll be happy just to finish this. I’m in my bedroom, throwing a ball to Theo between sentences to keep him distracted.
My roommate has just been lovely about the whole thing. She doesn’t understand much about writing, or how someone could actually yearn to sit on their ass for hours at a time and stare at a blank page, but she’s certainly been accommodating. She cleared me out a little writing room and connected my computer to hers, but right now, there’s just too little time and too few cloudless days to use it much. I’m training Theo to sit beside me while I write, so I’m not constantly worried that he’s getting into something, but it’s going to take a while (the roomie, a “Dog Whisperer” devotee, has convinced me that just shutting the door is not really considered “training,” and that I need to teach the Wonderdog to stay in the writing room with the door wide open. It’s a work in progress). Soon though, soon. Weekends are full of people and puppies and activity around here, so writing’s usually out then too, but I’m convinced that eventually it’ll all work out just fine. In fact I know it will. Seriously, this is a great place, my roomie and her friends are great people. My squinchy-headed, everything-must-be-just-so writing methods have everything to do with me, and nothing to do with her. Except for the whole weather thing.
Oh, so this post is a preamble to the postamble of my last post. Did you catch that? Thanks to those who voted, but now I’m worn out from explaining why I didn’t post when I said I was going to, and why this current posting sort of sucks. Geez, Louise, I’m wearing myself out!
It seems that the voting results were sort of a three-way tie between 1, 3 and variations of “however you want to do it.” I think I’ll start with three, which in my head had a working title of “You’re What?,” the answer to which is, “Pregnant.”
I guess the next question would be, “Who?” and the answer to that is my precious, tattooed, eighteen-year-old college freshman daughter. She called me a couple of weeks ago to give me the news. She’s ecstatically happy, and I have decided to be ecstatically happy for her.
I’m going to be a grandbeam. Or a moonma. I’m trying to distract myself from the implications of what this means for my daughter and her now forever changed life, by thinking of zippy alternatives to “grandma,” “nana” and (heaven forbid) “meemaw.” I’m also in denial about being old enough to take on such a role.
Sigh… It’s been a long, action-packed past few months, and I’ll fill you in as I can. Oh, wait. Was that thunder?
Little Miss said,
May 5, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Oh, my, Moonbeam, so much for me to say. First, I was 18 with my first baby (wait, you must have been too!) and although I’m sure it was a shock for my parents too, I managed just fine. And we’ll have to chat about the emotions you go through at our *young* age when we learn we are going to be grandmas.
Above all, congratulations to you – for the new life and lives all around. It sounds like you have found a happy place, at least for now, and I hope you’re enjoying every minute of it.
I was a little older than my daughter and you, and a lot dumber! But yes, it will all be just fine. She’s really geared up for it, mostly because she has no clue as to what she’s in for! I always thought I’d have grandcats or grandfish.
Thank you for the congrats. This is a happy place, and has been a good experience.
Sigh…we’ll have to have that grandma chat.
The Vinyl Villager said,
May 5, 2009 at 10:45 pm
I bet a few of us could get together and send you some surge protectors.
There are surge protectors here. I even brought my own! But we have to turn them off when a storm’s a-brewin’! My roomie’s not the first person to tell me that Texas storms are immune to them.
Magik Quilter said,
May 5, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I’m with TVV on the surge protectors…they saved all our equipment in the Super Surge/ Electrical Firestorm of 2008…post below
http://magikquilter.com/2008/12/16/in-tears/
many congrats meemaw!!!!
(((MQ))), that was a scary story! I’m so glad everyone was okay.
Heyyyyy…I’m no meemaw! I’m thinking maybe Bootsie, or Zippy.
trishatruly said,
May 6, 2009 at 7:40 am
Congrats on the baby thing! I’ve been Nana for several years now and it’s not so bad actually. I do like “Grandbeam” and “Moonma”!!!
You did really well with the writing of this considering the stress of those conditions!! See? You could be an embedded war reporter!!! Heeheeeheee
Thanks, Trisha! I’m embedded in something, alright!
Kendall said,
May 6, 2009 at 10:05 am
Maybe you ARE an embedded war reporter…in the economic wars. I guess you’ve read Nickled and Dimed, and whether or not you’ve read it, you’re living it. One of the things we all love about you is that you crack us up with your self-deprecating humor, but I have to object this time. The current posting does not suck. It’s tender and funny and well-written as always (I love the way you see people–and this roommate sounds like a wonder woman, just the right kind of roommate for another wonder woman with a wonder dog).
Congratulations on approaching grandbeam-hood. It’s not always wonderful, but it’s certainly interesting. At least you’re not responsible for this one! That’s what’s best about grandbeaming. You aren’t responsible. What a relief. You can pick up your toys (or theirs) and go home.
I have read Nickle and Dimed and I am living it! I appreciate the warmth of your comments, as always.
I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m not happy about the bun in my daughter’s oven– I hope it’s a multi-grain!
birdpress said,
May 6, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I thought for a minute that you meant YOU were pregnant! Congrats on being a Grandbeam-to-be!
As for Theo, maybe tether him to you for a while. He’s small enough, right?
joanharvest said,
May 6, 2009 at 9:06 pm
I’m with Birdpress. I thought you were pregnant. Congratulations on not being pregnant and congratulations on becoming a grandbeam. Your daughter had a good mom so she will be a good mom. My daughter is due in 5 weeks. No kid is calling me grandma or nana. I’ll be Noni, my nickname when I was little.
Heather P. said,
May 8, 2009 at 12:17 am
Congrats! I used worry when someone so young gets pregnant, but you know, having my kid at 32 and with my Fibromyalgia, I think there is a reason that G-d makes us so fertile when we are young and maybe it’s for the best. I hope that she has an easy pregnancy and a wonderfully healthy baby.
My mom has got ya beat on the name game, Paddycake calls her by her name, Penny. That was her choice, her decision, and we are all fine with it. Other family members not so much, mostly the in-laws but they can take a leap.
Moonbeam McQueen said,
May 10, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Thank you all for these good wishes. To those who thought I was pregnant, please know that should that happen, you will not be reading a post about it, you will be hearing from my Blogger Emergency Card contact person, informing you that I’ve hurled myself off of a skyscraper.
Happpy Mother’s Day to all!
David said,
May 10, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Well I didn’t think you were pregnant, but I’m not sure why. Maybe the postamble to the preamble tipped me off. I’m with Kendall on the critique. It doesn’t really matter what you write about, it’s always been worth reading. But thanks for asking us to vote, that was fun. Even if #2 was not the winner.
That’s wonderful news about your daughter! Congratulations! Moonma! Our daughter says 2011 is when they’ll start having kids. Whatever, we’ll be ready. Thank GOD we had our kids when we were young. We had the energy and adaptability that child-rearing calls for.
I think I lost my Blogger Emergency Card.
Happy Mother’s Day to you MM!
Thanks for not thinking I was pregnant! When I imagine me in maternity clothes at this stage of the game, lugging around a diaper bag and one of those carriers, I get a little squeamish. Now, imagining doing all that for my daughter (except wearing maternity clothes) is just keen!