jaeleslie

It's been a fatiguing few days. Naturally we had to have a little computer crash incident before I could actually tell you about it.

I had arranged a visit in Naperville, when I thought I was going to be taking a class in brush lettering down in Lemont which is near there. Then I didn't get into the class but was so disappointed I thought I'd still go for the visit anyway, just me without the family. And it was a good thing I did. I thought I was just going to be visiting my Cuban lawyer, who was my bestest friend in sixth grade, but then her mother was going to be there, and then it turned out they had a big birthday party for Mrs B, the abuelita, with all the grandkids and students and friends who used to hang out at their house when her kids were in high school and college. It is a fine thing to have a 75th birthday party with no old people at it, and live music, and good food.

At the same time it is very interesting to be part of a family that I am at the same time not really a part of. My Cuban family takes me in as a surrogate daughter, that is what we call it, when I turn up.

Skip all the fascinating family incidents and the shopping and the driving; yesterday I was home again and called intelligentrix at the home of the Aged Ps here where she is briefly visiting. Her legendary brother Mr Alaska was there too, with spouse and tiny daughter. So I went over there last night with my spouse Mr S for another birthday party for various family members and a bit of visiting (I needed a driver by that time). I mentioned some of the people I had seen in Naperville, and it seems one of them was the guy Mr Alaska went to Europe with after high school. Now I knew that, or must have, the name was surely familiar, but I swear I have no memory of ever actually having met the guy before this weekend. He filled a perfectly familiar niche in the social group and I could describe how all these people were laced together in the community of people-I-went-to-high-school-with and their parents, which strangely enough has not entirely evaporated. Still a shadow network, stretched thin over continents.

I came home and looked up more people on Google, and looked at old photos. My dad that I haven't seen in so long has been writing poetry, funny how that works. I'll have to make some links.

http://www.winningwriters.com/warcontest/2003/adams.htm

The other phone message I had when I got home was from my bestest friend in ninth grade, Janet, who still lives right here in Madison, although I have hardly seen her since I was in college. So I called her this evening and we are going to Do Lunch.