I don't have anything to say today. I was uberbusy. It was nice walking with Rachel and her dog, but should I keep doing this when I'm already behind? Yes. I need the walks. I need the conversation. I haven't been bored lately, though I'm trying to catch up with almost everything. Walking the dog takes time. Well, I've needed to take this time. I need the exercise. Yesterday, I walked five miles with Teddy and RunKeeper said I burned 1130 calories. Wow, that's half the calories I should be eating for one day. Here's what you should know - I don't, I won't count calories. I might keep track of carbohydrates on a good day. The exercise is supposed to even out my sugar levels. I haven't been able to feel a distinct difference, but it definitely has a good effect on my mood. But maybe that's Rachel though. She's funny. Even when she's aggravated about something, she's funny. Today, we were talking about how drugs are a deal-breaker, how we don't want our kids around anyone involved in drugs.
So here's another thing you should know about me. I love gossip. I really do. I try not to love gossip, but I can't help myself. I've set up some rules so that I can gossip comfortably and others so that I can listen to gossip eagerly.
I don't want you to tell me that the dad who volunteers in Nick's classroom has tried to seduce another mom that I know. I don't want to hear anything juicy about someone I know that you heard from someone else's lips, anything that's really conjecture. I don't want to hear anything, not one word that isn't nice, about a kid, especially a kid I know. It's hard enough for kids, let alone if some parent is looking askance at them about something they might not even have done. Will I change my mind about that when they all get to be teenagers? I doubt it. I want to make up my own mind about Nick's friends and his enemies. We'll see if I can stay true to that one. I hope so. It's hard for kids.
On the flip side, I'll tell you dirt about my friend and her lover if I suspect that you'll never meet her. Old stories are perfect gossip. They grow in stature and extravagance and who's to say where those people are now? I might tell you something about my family, but I try not to enact revenge on them, even from a distance. I swear that my poor sister can sense if I've been saying anything bad about anyone in my family. She really can. And I think it hurts too. The bad news about you is that I might write about you. I write about everyone I know. I just don't publish much.
I do want to hear about your in-laws, your cousins, your best friend's dog's trainer. These people are like characters in a story. There's an element of fiction to them. I want to hear about how you stood your ground to protect your kids against drug users or dogs that bite. I want to hear about your minister's wife. I really do. And if I don't know these people, sex, drugs, alcohol, and dangerous liaisons are all very interesting. Just as long as I don't have to sit across a table from them while I help some kid learn his multiplication tables. It is so uncomfortable when good stories get interrupted by reality.
Thank you for listening, jb
So here's another thing you should know about me. I love gossip. I really do. I try not to love gossip, but I can't help myself. I've set up some rules so that I can gossip comfortably and others so that I can listen to gossip eagerly.
I don't want you to tell me that the dad who volunteers in Nick's classroom has tried to seduce another mom that I know. I don't want to hear anything juicy about someone I know that you heard from someone else's lips, anything that's really conjecture. I don't want to hear anything, not one word that isn't nice, about a kid, especially a kid I know. It's hard enough for kids, let alone if some parent is looking askance at them about something they might not even have done. Will I change my mind about that when they all get to be teenagers? I doubt it. I want to make up my own mind about Nick's friends and his enemies. We'll see if I can stay true to that one. I hope so. It's hard for kids.
On the flip side, I'll tell you dirt about my friend and her lover if I suspect that you'll never meet her. Old stories are perfect gossip. They grow in stature and extravagance and who's to say where those people are now? I might tell you something about my family, but I try not to enact revenge on them, even from a distance. I swear that my poor sister can sense if I've been saying anything bad about anyone in my family. She really can. And I think it hurts too. The bad news about you is that I might write about you. I write about everyone I know. I just don't publish much.
I do want to hear about your in-laws, your cousins, your best friend's dog's trainer. These people are like characters in a story. There's an element of fiction to them. I want to hear about how you stood your ground to protect your kids against drug users or dogs that bite. I want to hear about your minister's wife. I really do. And if I don't know these people, sex, drugs, alcohol, and dangerous liaisons are all very interesting. Just as long as I don't have to sit across a table from them while I help some kid learn his multiplication tables. It is so uncomfortable when good stories get interrupted by reality.
Thank you for listening, jb
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