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Alida: A 23-year-old Canadian exploring the infinite abyss that is New York City.

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Uncle Richard, me, and James Earl Jones - Tuesday, Apr. 04, 2006
So beautiful when the boy smiles - Sunday, Apr. 02, 2006
One way or another - Sunday, Dec. 25, 2005
Way up high - Saturday, Dec. 10, 2005
Reason to start over new - Friday, Dec. 09, 2005

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Today's one of those days when I'm glad I live on my own. I'm at my mom and dad's right now--I came out to do laundry, and the roads are kinda crappy, so I'm going to spend the night here. That's fine, but...

My Uncle Joel is here.

Now don't get me wrong--I love him--but there's only so much of him you can take, and it's been a blessing not to live here for his visits.

He's 78, has been hard of hearing for as long as I can remember, has the corniest sense of humor, and comes for about two week-long visits a year. He never married, so his nieces and nephews--and great-nieces and -nephews--are all the family he's got. He loves us, but still... he's hard to handle for long periods of time sometimes.

Most of the time, we've given up trying to yell at him. Anything beyond a "gesture-able" answer, we write down. There are scraps of paper with one-sided conversations on them all over the house.

I walked in, wearing a puffy winter jacket, and the first thing he did was pat my stomach and say, "Gaining a little weight, are we?" Then he looked at my ears, with 5 holes between the two of them, and said, "You should only have one there."

Gah! Like I said, I love him, but he's hard to talk to, hard to listen to, hard to carry on a conversation with, and I've heard his stories over and over and over and over and... you get the picture.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic, or disrespectful. He's lived a full life and he has a lot to offer... I'm just glad he doesn't stay at my house, and I don't have to live here while he stays here.

And the dog is snoring.
infinite || abyss