Home?

So, this living in a new city is weird.  Especially when it is a new city that, actually, you grew up in so everyone is all, "Welcome home!" but you've been gone so long that it doesn't feel like home, it feels . . . weird.

Like, you're driving along a road saying to your kids, "Look!  That's where I used to buy candy!  And look!  That's where I used to go swimming!  And, what???  What is THAT?  Holy cow, since when is there a California Pizza Kitchen [or a mall or a coffee shop you've never even HEARD of or a roundabout, which is super confusing and you don't understand who is yielding] here?"

Like, you keep spotting people who look familiar and you think, "Is that Kerry?  Oh.  No.  It's not.  Kerry lives in another state now."  And then you meet your next door neighbor and you went to high school with her. High school? How can that be, since this next door neighbor appears to be an approaching-middle-age woman with a KID? 

Like, you go to the library and nobody says hi to you.  Which makes you all, "What up?" because at your old library everyone knew you and your kids by name.  (BUT, if you are THIS family, you go back to the new library a week later and the librarian says, "Oh!  Hi!  You were here last week on Tuesday!"  Because your family is sort of memorable.  I know.  We're awesome like that.)

Like, you want to take your kids to the rocket ship park that you used to love to play at.  But you need to use your GPS to get there because nothing looks the same and there are all these roundabouts. But, don't worry!  GPS can still get you there!  Except the rocket ship park HAS NO ROCKET SHIP.

Weird. 

Hello from the North

Did you miss me?
If you are my Cincinnati friend, please post a comment saying, "Yes!  We miss you terribly!  Some of the light has gone out of the city now that you are gone!"  Or something like that.  Because I miss you like crazy.

I am currently enjoying a front row seat at a little known stage show called "The Great Luigi."  I kind of had a backstage pass and, as the stars of the show rehearsed, I made a dinner of Indian Samosas and a dessert of strawberry sorbet.  We all ate together and then I assisted the smallest star (Luigi) put on his Halloween costume from last year.  Moments later, I handed in my ticket, which read "1 rOw."  The larger star of the show (Mario) then said, "Would you like to buy a commerorative Mario or Luigi hat?"

"How much are they?"

"They are twenty dollars."

"Oh, I'm not interested then."

"Wait!  I meant five!  One!  I meant one!  Thirty cents!  Fine, they're free!"

"Oh," I replied, "free? Well, I'll take one if they're free."

At which point Mario made a sorrowful face and said, "Oh, so sorry, ma'am.  I've just checked and these are our last two and they are on hold for someone else!"

Things are good here.