Random thoughts on the week just ending:

Spending a couple of days with an intelligent, strong-willed three year old is at once disquieting, educational, and lots of fun. Add a one year old to the mix, plus the fact that they were away from their parents for two full nights for the first time ever, and it was quite an experience. Just typing about it exhausts me all over again, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I have enough time in between to rest up.

I was looking around for something to read at my daughter’s place a few days ago and picked up her study guide for the upcoming board exams in urology. I randomly opened the book to a section titled Indifferent Gonads, which I’m sharing in case anybody out there is looking for a name for their new band.

Four parties in seven days, two of which we hosted. So far outside my comfort zone that I’m having a little trouble finding my way back to it.

Indian food’s well deserved reputation for spiciness: the first Atlanta party started off with lamb chops on the grill, hot and spicy and almost gone before they got to the table; I had stationed myself next to the grill, so everything worked out okay. The second Atlanta party featured a cracker of some kind that was pretty innocuous until it got to the back of the throat, a butternut squash/tomato soup with quite a kick, and a tandoori turkey, delicious and complex and hot enough to surprise. Both meals were wonderful, as was the chance to meet quite a few new people. Still working on name pronunciation, but it’s getting a little easier every time.

Watching my children grow into their roles as parents is immensely gratifying. It’s always a learn as you go process, and they’re getting a lot of stuff right. 

At this point in our lives our house is a little too big most of the time, and barely large enough a few times a year. It’s a fine, balanced way to spend our days, and, as I mentioned to Suzanne a while back, for me this is the good life. A very good life indeed.