Baltimore.
Well, Owings Mills, really. It's not the same thing. Last night was Baltimore, this is Owings Mills. Oh, last night was partially a living hell too, ask me why. It's the coughing, the coughing, the coughing. I always forget my attacks of the throat tickle cough at the end of a cold. It's bittersweet, because I know it signals the last few days of my illness, but I sure do have to pay for it. These are the thoughts of a coughing man at 4:45am: Inhaling water seems like it might help, how do you do one of those tracheotomies again? Is this pen big enough? What if I bang my head on the headboard enough to knock myself out? Forget the pen, I have a Leatherman. It's still sort of early on the west coast, who can I bring into my misery?
Sitting here while my mom plays Bach on the piano behind me, it sort of feels like home. This house was never home to me, but it's becoming something like it. Not home really, but their home, and that has a hominess to it. The place where I get to spend time with my niece and nephew too. They're growing up so fast. Actual little people with ideas and jokes and snot. It's amazing.
Last night I spent a few hours at Jerry's with Susan, the only old friend I'll see on this trip, but enough. It's always great to catch up with Susan, to get a Susan perspective on things. It's wonderful to have people in my life who I don't see much, but who know me well and I'm very comfortable with. There's a perspective I can't get from myself or people who see me all the time.
Thanksgiving was fun, late but fun, and international. Four Frenchies (not counting mom), two Argentinians (not counting Dre and Faith) and the rest Americans and half-breeds. Enough people who didn't speak each other's languages to make it very interesting. The best thing to watch though, was Morgan and Antoine, both 4, neither understanding a word from the other, but playing all evening anyway. They argued, joked, decided the rules to pool, all without being able to understand each other's words at all.
I'm thankful for everything. Yes, even that.
