Some notes from visiting my parents over the weekend:
- Florida weather still sucks. Cloudy, rainy, 94 degrees and humid. And there's already a tropical storm heading their way.
- I hate being so pale. Went jet-skiing with my sister on a completely overcast day, put sunscreen on, but missed a spot and now have a painful, awkward sunburn on the front of my upper left arm.
- I keep getting better at deflecting my parents' unwanted conversations toward my sister. Lectures about why I should be careful on my planned vacation to Buenos Aires with my roommate turn into why my sister cannot go to Buenos Aires by herself. Questions about what my next career step is turn into questions about what continuing education classes might benefit my sister. She hates it, and I love doing it.
- My mom claimed to have a cure for my sleep troubles (in that it takes me at least an hour to fall asleep on most nights)... Melatonin. It does absolutely nothing.
- My grandma gave my sister and me a scare when we went to pick her up at her apartment. We could hear the TV blasting from the hall, but when we knocked, no answer. Rang the doorbell, no answer. Pounded on the door and called out her name, no answer. Finally I called her, and she picked up on the 4th ring. Said she hadn't heard us. I hate being irritated and relieved at the same time.
- I really need to go home more often than I do. I'm down to averaging 2 trips a year (this was my first since Thanksgiving). I'm very lucky that I have such a great relationship with my parents, and I do get to see them a lot because they come to New York often (my dad is at least every 6 weeks for business). But it's not enough. I wish my job was more flexible in allowing time off... or maybe I shouldn't be so reluctant to "waste" vacation days going home.