Monday, May 15, 2006

If the people have no bread, let them eat cake. - Marie Antoinette

As I type this, Terzo is intently trying to jam things down the radiator pipe holes in the hardwood floor. I am fairly confident that, at 21 pounds, 5 ounces, HE will not fit. But I digress.

I took the two younger boys to the bookstore this morning, as an excuse to get some coffee and kill some time in a pleasant way. I do have stuff to do, just nothing that could be done with the two of them around so I figured we might as well enjoy ourselves.

Our Barnes and Noble has a Thomas table, with umpteen trains and all the fancy-schmancy pieces. My boys could play there for hours, were I so inclined.
The baby was not mobile the last time we went, so there was that this time around to deal with, but still, I can sit down, give him a train to chew on (preferably one of the not-popular ones, like Duck), and drink my coffee in relative peace. And oddly, the boys do not fight with each other over the B&N trains the way they do at home - probably because they are busy fending off OUTSIDERS.

I decided that since I had a little extra cash left over this week - no idea how that happened - that I would buy the last Kate Martinelli mystery that I hadn't read. So I bought Night Work.
And Sarah Louise was with us, and she recommended a book she has been raving about, Eat Cake. How oh how could I possibly resist that title? I ADORE cake. So I bought that too.
And then, there's this blog that Gina and I found when we'd first started blogging, consisting of Weight Watcher recipe cards from the seventies that are hilarious, with commentary. The woman who posted them got a book deal - and lo and behold, The Amazing Mackerel Diet Plan book was born. And I bought it. Because I really like to support fellow bloggers.. If you ever get a book deal, I promise you, I will buy your book pretty much as soon as it comes out. Because I am a good friend that way. (Although,I have to say, commentary was completely unnecessary in the Jiffy Cooking cookbook Blackbird and I scored last weekend at the Bethlehem thrift shop.)
I wanted to buy the new issue of Outside magazine, the one where Nando Parrado, one of the survivors of the 1972 Andes airplane crash, has his new book excerpted. It's the first time he's ever talked about his experience, and I can't wait to read it. So I decided to wait and just buy the book instead.



And would you like to know what else I bought? This little porker captured my heart at first glance. He has this precious little curling tail, and those teeny, velvety cloven hooves. He is MINE. He will live on my mantel. He will NOT be slobbered upon by babies, or thrown around by toddlers. (I must have pigs on the brain - in Bethlehem, I barely restrained myself from buying a little plush pig with her little nursling piglets attached magnetically - decided it was a bit to close to home...) Anyway, I think I will consider him my Mother's Day gift to myself.

Speaking of, I still think, despite my lovely day, that celebrating Mother's Day is such a scam. I decided this morning that I would rather celebrate National My-Children-Not-Pummeling-Each-Other-to-Death day. Does anyone know when that holiday falls? And if Hallmark makes cards for it? I actually thought I would be spending my Mother's Day at church and then at the Holiday Inn, eating bad food and observing my nephew's First Communion. Although probably in reverse order. I think that this was incredibly poor timing and taste on the part of the Catholic church, to schedule this on Mother's Day, but what can you do? He's my nephew, it's a big deal to him, and we love him - we go. But Mother's Day is normally when I can count on being taken out for an enormous sushi dinner. Which didn't happen this year. Instead I anticipated - not in the positive sense - undercooked chicken and overcooked green beans and wilted salad. At least there would be cake. Surprisingly, SHOCKINGLY, even, the food was good, the cookies were plentiful, and the cake - it was delicious.

8 comments:

MsCellania said...

Oh I LOVE that little Piggy! I used to collect pigs but when word got out I quit as I ended up with too many. And I keep my faves up on the mantle, too. Otherwise, they are on a little boy's bed so fast...

I want to read the Parrado book, too. I imagine parts will be horrendous. But what could they do? My reading group picked WHITE TEETH for the early summer read. I just finished BECAUSE I SAID SO and have OUR ENDANGERED VALUES on the nightstand to start (from Christmas; it keeps getting pushed aside).

I admire your ability to read while mothering. If I sit, the boys immediately start bugging me, so I run around here like a Border Collie all day long.

BabelBabe said...

Who said anything about mothering while I read? : )

Now I have to go look up those titles, too...

I have never been a pig person before, so this is doubly odd. I do admit to a serious shark fetish, have too many to count. But many people find that odd so I do not display that many...although I have some very cool bits and pieces.

Sarah Louise said...

I love your opening line. I see a book contract for you...soon (in my crystal ball).

Have you read Toot and Puddle? I will lend you my copy--they are the best pigs ever. (But only the first book is good. The sequels are gross, like commercials.)

How's Eat Cake going? Did you get to the part... [this question censored by the author]

That is all.

Except that my vw is: mvwfil.

Mother word verification father in law?

I must go.

SL

Caro said...

I used to collect pigs. I like pigs but am especially fond of frogs! (which I don't collect but love)

I don't think there will ever be a National Non-Pummeling Sibling Day. Maybe we could settle for a "not screaming at your sib for at least half an hour" day.

Or maybe we could have a "She may not be your mother but she's the mother of your kids, so buy her a gift you asshole" day. That would be good.

But now I'm whining.

Joke said...

Hey! I don't have a book deal (yet) but I did have that (VERY SMALL) article on menswear published.

-J.

Bec said...

Now I'm troubled because I don't remember any train called Duck in the Thomas books!! Am I reading you wrong?

Of course, once you've used up all the good names, like Percy and Scar Lowy, Duck probably seems like a reasonable option.

Please BB, put me out of my Thomas-pondering misery!

Bec said...

ps - I must be too tired: is Scar Lowy right or did I just imagine that from the George Harrison tv readings?

pps - see what you've started now?

Anonymous said...

You are dangerous in a bookstore.