I’ve made peace (mostly) with my life as an unpartnered single parent. Obviously there are times when it is rough, without a reliable co-parent or safety net. All kinds of feelings were felt at our house recently, just before the kid left town to visit his grandparents. On a Friday I’d gotten home from a rough work week only to be met with an exceptionally grumpy teen. Much of what was going on with him had little to do with me. I knew that. Rationally I know I’m the person he feels safe unloading on but it still feels lousy. I’ve been his number one cheerleader his entire life so it feels unfair to be the one he growls at and dumps on. Nor was I pleased to find his purple hair dye had gotten all over multiple surfaces around the house, including my bath towel. We were off to a better start the next morning. Until I took a look at his passport. The kid was flying out to the West Coast to spend time with his paternal grandparents. They had planned to visit Vancouver again. Well, his passport expired last month. Usually I’m a stickler for details. But I was miserably ill May, June and July and focused on our sudden and all encompassing house move so that little detail slipped through the cracks. Thankfully they’ve still had a pleasant visit. He flies home tomorrow night. Hopefully with lower levels of teen angst. He starts his new school program next week.
Five Good Things:
- I’m not the only one struggling with motherhood. Listened to this podcast episode How to be a bad mom and finally watched the first Bad Mom movie (which I take issue with but still, I was in guilty pleasure mode).
- Just yesterday the weather shifted to give us our first hint of Fall. I took advantage of that to trek out to Pizza Farm with friends for an utterly perfect evening. And I’m looking forward to trying out our new firepit in our backyard before long.
- A good friend - with longer arms than mine - came over last weekend with her power drill and put up curtain rods and blackout curtains in my bedroom. Made a HUGE difference. Before I felt like someone was shining giant spotlights into my bedroom at sunrise. I also hung more of my art around the new place so it’s really feeling like home now.
- Took myself to see Spike Lee’s new joint, BlacKkKlansman. Thoroughly enjoyed it though I understand this hot take on it by Boots Riley.
- So want to fly out to DC next month for an evening with Roman Mars and Bill Barbot:
Punk rock was never just about having a mohawk and wearing a Clash button. It was a movement that redefined the design world. At its heart and at its best, it became a model for equality, inclusion, and authenticity in the face of fascism, corporatism, and economic injustice. At the dawn of Reagan’s America and at the vanguard of this fight, DC punk’s fans, followers, and artists created a unique space in DC whose impact ultimately spanned continents and decades.
But that is my son’s birthday weekend, and the Twin Cities Veg Fest. And I’ll be taking a break in Ireland and Italy in less than two months.
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