Braggin' on My Kiddos

One of the "over the top" (in a good way) things about Texas is PRIDE.  Not just pride at being a Texan, but pride in anything worth being proud of.  And while everyone is proud of their kids, I've noticed that Texans have a few more ways to show it.  I'm sure this happens in other areas, but California is my only other experience and I didn't notice it to be as pervasive as it is here in Texas.  Things may have changed in the time that I have been gone - do y'all have a lot of this kind of stuff in YOUR area?

One way to show your pride is a yard sign...  doesn't matter if it's a sport, arts or academic team.  School-associated or private club.  The kids expect a yard sign announcing to all who pass by that they are part of something.

Then, there is the vehicle stickers.  I just keep adding to my back window as the stickers arrive.  Who knows how many I'll have on there after a few more years?

Like all parents, I'm proud of my kids and like to brag about them now and then.  Actually, that is one of the main purposes of this blog!  So, a couple of recent accomplishments from the end of the school year.....

Aidan lettered as a freshman.  Which presented a sort of unique opportunity, how do you order a letter jacket for a child that has only begun to grow?  Um yeah, it's a little big.  But if fits Ray perfectly, so we figure the sizing is pretty much spot on.

Bridget was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society.  She works really hard on her school work and gives every assignment and test 110% so she definitely deserves the honor!

Hopefully, my kids will continue to work hard, both at school and other activities.  Mostly, I want them to be proud of themselves.

#%$* Elf

Finally.  The last day I have to come up with a clever and unique hiding place for the #%$* Elf.  Finally.

Up at 5:45am, trudge upstairs to awaken the kids for Christmas Torture Training.  Bridget is so hard to wake up.  She growls and whines.  She begs and snaps.  Unpleasant.  Whoops, almost forget about the #%$* Elf, quickly shove him down the front of my robe before she comes fully awake and grumbling.

Back downstairs, where to put the #%^$* Elf this time.  Bridget's Christmas stocking is as good a place as any.  Must get him out of my robe, he seems extra scratchy this morning.

Maybe it's time.  Maybe I should insert a little note with the #$%* Elf, (but Bridget calls him Robin), from Santa, reminding Bridget that next year she will be thirTEEN (gulp), and the #$*^% Elf only visits children.  Maybe it's time.

Why is this #%&* Elf extra scratchy in my robe today?  Drag him out, and a bright orange sticky flutters to the floor.

In Bridget's neatest writing, I read:

Robin-

Thank you for these many beautiful days of friendship this December.  Although I may have an odd way of showing it, I really do love you.  And not just because you put in a good word with Santa; you are a truly great elf and I hate to see you go back to the North Pole for almost a year.  But I know you miss your friends, family & you have much work to do up there. But I really do hope we've been hospitable this early winter so that you don't feel uncomfortable in this "hot" Texas winter.

Again, thank you very much for your kindness, heart, and long-time-forever-lasting friendship.  I love you.

Bridget Glynn

Awwwww.....

Now, I know Bridget has the whole Santa Thang all figured out, but she chooses to play along, and enjoys the mystery and excitement.

So, no.  No, I won't tell Bridget she's "too old" for the $#^* Elf.  I won't force her to face grown up issues any sooner than she wants to face them.  If she chooses to immerse herself in the magic of the season, who am I to deny her?

I am going to jump right in there with her, and enjoy every moment.

Thank you, Bridget, for keeping the magic alive. 

Merry Christmas everyone.  Let's all take a lesson from Bridget today and embrace it all.  Be of good cheer.  Find your inner child, open your hearts.  Be merry.

Camping

It's been a while since we've gone camping.  Aidan goes pretty regularly with the Boy Scouts and Bridget has been bemoaning the fact that she never gets to go camping.

A few weeks ago, the Scouts were going to some place in Oklahoma called Beavers Bend.  Ray thought it would be a good idea if we piggy-backed on their trip.  The campgrounds don't take reservations, and by heading up mid-week, we'd be able to help the Scouts in securing some campsites.

The first chore of course was locating and dusting off all the old camping gear and inspecting it all to see what was still in good condition.  Apparently, somewhere along the line, we have divested ourselves of a stove, but other than that we were in pretty good shape.  Having a Very Large Car is a good thing, as we don't have to leave anything at home!

The drive up was interesting and pretty.  We went through lots of little towns, which is always intersting in Texas.  Small towns in Texas do City Hall really well...  beautiful and stately stone buildings, typically right on the town square.  Sadly, many of these towns and the surrounding Victorian-style homes were built with now-departed oil money, so what once may have been a charming and thriving town square, surrounded by lovely homes is now desolate and sad.  Shuttered businesses, peeling paint, yet the stone edifice of Town Hall still remains, seeming almost.... hopeful.

It's always fun to stop in some small town and try to find a cafe or diner where the "locals" go, and we had burgers on the way up in Paris, TX, and an amazing brunch on the way home in Mena, Arkansas.

Once we got to Hochatown, OK the quest for the Perfect Campsite began.  There are lots of sites right on Broken Bow lake, and then down below the dam plenty of river sites as well.  After inspecting everything, and evaluating tree cover, bathrooms, site sizes, etc. we selected a gorgeous site right on the river.



The water temperature was cool and lovely!  Being so near the water made the heat almost a non-issue (except at night when I was trying to sleep - then I missed the air conditioning!).  The river was wide, deep, and while there wasn't a strong current, it moved swiftly enough to keep it clear, clean and fresh.

Directly across from our campsite were some great slate rock formations.  Great for climbing on and.... jumping off!

Aidan did quite a bit of fishing and we had delicious fresh trout for dinner.  As part of his fishing merit badge, he was required to cook it.  Since we had plenty, he cooked two and delivered them to his Scoutmaster's site.  His preparation method couldn't be simpler or more delicious.....  wrap two trout in a foil pouch with salt, pepper, and about a half a stick of buttah.  Set them on a rock in the coals of a very hot fire, and in about 12 minutes the packet puffs up and the fish are done.  Delish!

One afternoon, Bridget and I went to the local stables and had a nice trail ride.  It was through a densely wooded area and we saw lots of deer.  And we were highly entertained by the very vocal woman behind me who hadn't been on a horse in over 50 years and used humor to disguise her nervousness.

We spent one morning on Broken Bow lake.  We hit the Redneck Yacht Club and rented a boat and spent a couple of hours tourturing each other on wakeboards and tubes.

In typical "Boy" fashion, Aidan wanted to catch a squirrel.  Using the tried and true "box, stick, and string" method, he created a trail of Cheerios and had several squirrels come investigate.

He was rewarded a couple of times by catching either one slow and stupid squirrel, or a couple of different ones.

There were a couple of places nearby to rent kayaks and canoes, and we did that a couple of times.  It's such a relaxing way to see the river!

The Boy Scouts also had kayaks and canoes, and after they had done the serious work of specific merit badge skills, they entertained us by playing games like "How Many Boys Can You Fit In A 2-Man Kayak" and other silly activities.

I think my camp cooking skills have grown a little rusty, but the family was forgiving.  Bridget invented The Perfect S'more by substituting soft chocolate chip cookies for graham crackers!

On the way home, we took a couple of hours to head in to southwest Arkansas and check out the Ouachita region.  Simply gorgeous, with peaks and valleys, beautiful forests, etc.  We'll definitely be back!

I'll be Home for Christmas

There is no place like "home" for the holidays.  Holidays and "home" just go together.  There are songs about it, and we go over the river and through the woods to get there.

This is my sixth Christmas away from "home" and I have come around to a different perspective.

I love my extended family.  I love my hometown.  These are a given.

But consider this..... those that are "home" for the holidays have a whirlwind of hosting (crazy) relatives, hauling presents, dressing children in itchy clothes, family squables, cooking for crowds or creating "moveable feasts" to contribute to chaotic gatherings.  Yes - I have lived all that and it has it's wonderful irreplaceable rewards.

But....

For the last six years, my Christmas events have consisted of bonding with my husband and children.  The four of us get a reprieve from school work, spreadsheets, carpool, sports practices, travel, volunteer obligations, conference calls, and even to a fair degree, routine chores (the dog poop can wait!).

Wait for it...... the audible "Aaaahhhhh......."

We hunker down together, turn up the cheesy Christmas music (and sing along with lousy harmony), lay in several days of decadent supplies, and just enjoy being together.

Of course we miss our family and I think wistfully of them all together sharing a boisterous meal, having a mountain of crumpled wrapping paper and total chaos, which I gleefully had hosted in my own home for many years. 

But we are far from kith and kid and luckily the four of us (still) truly enjoy each other's company.  These few days clarify for me that I am so grateful for the strength and steadfastness of my husband.  The adventure and drive of my eldest.  The creativity and generousity of my youngest.  The unconditional love that they all bear to me.  And I know that without these few days of intense attentiveness towards one another, I'd miss the moments that would be lost in the whirlwind.

Peace.  Quiet.  Love.

That is what the holiday feels like to me.

That is what I think the holiday is supposed to feel like.

I wish you all the best for 2011.  And especially a little peace, quiet, and love.

You know it's coming, yet it still hurts when it happens

I wish I'd known.  I wish I'd known that last year's visit to the local pumpkin patch would yield the last photos of my two children, together, willingly posing by all the cute fall displays.


Apparently, once you hit thirteen, you are now "too cool" to have your picture taken at the pumpkin patch.  Even though, for some reason, it's still "OK" to go there - just not have your picture taken.  I think FaceBook is to blame.....  Even bribery and threats don't work.


Sigh.


Sob.


For a "tween," it's no problem.  You don't mind having your photo taken in the window of the Pumpkin House.

If you are thirteen, you run away around the corner and hide. 

If you are a tween, you happily pose next to the dried corn stalks.

If you are thirteen, you hide behind your mother and hope that she doesn't realize she can turn the camera around.

If you are a tween, you enjoy having your picture taken next to a giant pumpkin.

If you are thirteen, you run away.  Far, far away.

If you are a tween, you suggest an attractive pose for a close-up.

If you are thirteen, you lurk outside of the Pumpkin House, so you can still be close to the action, yet not consenting to provide actual photographic evidence that you were really there.

I can only try console myself with the fact that even though I am losing the milestones of childhood, I am gaining the milestones of adulthood that will present themselves in the coming years.  Homecoming, driver's license, and proms.  It's a bittersweet position, being at this nexus between childhood and adulthood.  Looking forward has always served me well in life's transitions and challenges.  But I still can't help looking back and feeling just a little bit sad.

Disorganization

I am a bit disorganized lately.  Still recovering from the busy March and I just know that I'll barely get it together by the time I get hit with the End Of The School Year Whammy.

So, in typical disorganized fashion, here are a bunch of odds and ends for amusement and to catch you up on the Glynns.

We had visitors a few weeks ago - Ray's sis & her family from NYC.  More photos to follow once I download them from the camera, but meanwhile enjoy this one of our neice, Kailey.  She's three and adorable.  We went to the rodeo, and being a city kid, she wasn't used to the wonderful aroma of horse and cow poop.  Which Bridget and I find delicious, by the way.  Kailey held her nose the entire rodeo.

In the midst of the visitors, we had Bridget's (belated) "friend" birthday party, and Aidan's (on time) "family" birthday party.  Aidan's "friend" party will be belated too - because I'm disorganized.

For Bridget's party, we took a handful of girls to see Alice in Wonderland.  The cake is supposed to be an homage to Johnny Depp's hat.  And you'll never guess what Aidan's cake is.

Spring has sprung in Texas, and it is as glorious as ever. On my walk the other day my neighbor and I decided to go down to the lake to see if there were any Texas bluebonnets blooming.  There are usually several nice-sized patches, good for the traditional photograph of your children.

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

I don't know what grand alignment of the Texas bluebonnet planets happened this year, but there are banks and banks of bluebonnets as far as the eye can see.  It was stunning. 

Since I didn't have a child with me, I photographed my faithful companion, Scamp.  Isn't he cute?

Another outing we took when our visitors were here was to the Dallas World Aquarium.  I've got a camera full of awesome photos including getting up close and personal with a sloth, but until I get organized, this photo will have to do.

We were awaiting feeding time at the shark tank.

And, because I am in love with TEXAS IN THE SPRING, just a few more photos for your viewing enjoyment.  Ciao.  I must go get organized.

Happy Birthday Bridie Light!

We celebrated Bridget's eleventh birthday last night.

Our birthday traditions have basically evolved into each kid getting two parties.  One for family, and one for friends.  Bridget and I are still in negotiations over what her "friend" party will be.  Last year, it took us until April to arrive at a solution that was acceptable to everyone.

For the "family" party, we usually go out, with the restaurant selection being up to the honoree.  One of her criteria in restaurant selection is that it must have white table cloths.  Two years running now, Bridget has opted for Brazilian barbecue.  A veritable smorgasbord for a little foodie like Missy B.

After dinner, we return home for cake and presents.  Cake can be store-bought (depending on Mommy's schedule) or homemade.  This year, Bridget wanted cupcakes.  Being the slave-driver that I am, she had to make her own cupcakes.  She thinks this is a privlege and a treat so we're all happy.

Her special request was that she wanted "rubber duckies" on her cupcake,

so I decorated that one for her.

She's taking a cake decorating class with her Girl Scout troop in a few weeks.

 I hope she learns a trick or two.

She really really really wanted a set of "Bitty Twins" from American Girl.

That giant sucking sound you hear is all our cash leaving our wallet and going to the American Girl store.  But look at that smile.....  priceless!

And here she is, modeling her new pajamas with her brother.  Sweet kids.

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Bridie!
Bridie who?
Bridie Light.... of the silvery mooo - o - ooon!

Happy birthday, my Bridie Light!

Jingle Bells

Christmas is sometimes an embarrassment of riches.

The kids pretty much get everything the ask for, and then some.  We eat lobster for dinner and drink champagne for lunch.  Ray and I have trouble shopping for each other, because really, we want for nothing.

We are fortunate.  This figurative fortune is a result of my hard-working and clever husband who scratches and claws through a cut-throat industry every week so that we can have food on our table and clothes on our backs.  It's not lobster every day, and we don't wear designer stuff.  But we are grateful for what we have, and grateful for Ray.

He starts a new job with the new year.  The company sent him all his equipment to set up his office here.  Part of the ensemble is a fancy-schmancy VOIP phone for conference calls, etc that ties right into the company's phone system.  He even has his own toll-free number.  It has to run through our cable lines, of which there are none up in Ray's office, so that's another "Honey Do" project for him.  Until he gets that line run, the fancy-schmancy phone is in one of our main rooms.

It rings all day and all night.

"Can you shut that thing off?" I growled at one point.

Ray told me, he'd rather we heard it and went on to explain.  Turns out, the 800# that the company allocated to Ray they only recently acquired.  It previously had belonged to the government.

It was a Food Stamps hotline.

So, no.  We won't be turning off the ringer.  All Christmas Eve, and all day long Christmas Day, that phone would sit in the corner, quietly "jingling"  every hour or so.  Reminding us of our good fortune.  Reminding us that there are people out there who are calling about Food Stamps on Christmas Eve.

The kids would look up from their toys, sigh, and say "I feel bad."  I'd remind them of all the things they donated over the past year during the various charity efforts at their schools, the money from the "fun run", the canned food drives.  But still.

We do our part.  But we could probably do more.  I blithely send off stuff for "Toys for Tots," give my spare change to "Pennies for Ponies," generously fill a bag for every canned food drive, donate our "gently used" clothing to the CCA, drop some coins in the Salvation Army kettle.  But I rarely think about the people.  Every time I heard the "jingle" of that new phone, I tried to imagine a family in need.  How it would feel.

We all need reminding now and then.  While the "jingle bells" of that fancy-schmancy phone remind me to live in gratitude, gratitude is not enough - it feels selfish.  We need compassion.  We need to be remined that even on Christmas Eve, despite the efforts of what I believe is a fairly giving society, there are still people out there who don't just want, they need.  We need to do more.

The universe works in amazing and amusing ways.  I am grateful that my husband has a job, but the universe found a way to remind us through our good fortune the value of compassion.

Thanksgiving

Yeah, yeah, I know.  It was a while ago.  I've been busy.  Fa la la la la freakin' la la la la and all that.

OK.  Enough with the Scrooge attitude.  I just love Thanksgiving.  It's all about food, family and friends and no other commercial trappings.

I've been cooking Thanksgiving dinner ever since my mom died more than 15 years ago.  While the very first Thanksgiving was hard, I took it as an opportunity to mix it up a bit and try some new recipes.  Shake up the ol' palate, modernize some of the recipes, infuse some new flavors.

Every year I pore over magazines, cookbooks, and sites like Epicurious, Martha Stewart, etc. looking for something new and exciting.  I watch the cooking shows and ask all my friends what they are cooking.  A whole day centered around FOOD, what could be more fun!?

My kitchen elves and I started a few days in advance.  The beauty of many of the Thanksgiving style recipes is they can (and often should!) be made a day or so ahead of time, and then just reheated before dinner while the turkey is resting and being carved.

This is the cooking crew, otherwise known as Nonna and Bridget.  They peeled a LOT of vegetables!

The kitchen elves also were the dining room elves.  Bridget and Nonna went through all my linens, china, crystal, silve and flatware and designed a very beautiful table.  Didn't they do a nice job?  Aren't I such a slave driver?

All that cooking in advance paid off on The Big Day.  I got to relax, go for a walk, have a long shower, enjoy my family, watch a little football.  It was great.

This is the dinner - ready to shove into the ovens when the turkeys are removed.

Yes, that's right:  turkeys.  As in plural.  I know we were only ten, but....  I do so enjoy leftovers!  And, one of the birds was a "heritage" turkey.  A breed called a Bourbon Red.  This is sort of like a "heritage tomato."  It's the original breed, hasn't been messed with genetically to grow a bigger breast or mature faster or do any other unnatural things that will make it easier and more profitable to get it to your table.  Since it's a REAL turkey, they only get to be about 12 pounds, and that certainly wouldn't have cut it.  So I cooked another "normal" organic bird.  We could definitely taste the difference.  Meatier, in the same way a homegrown tomato is tomatoier.  Much less white meat, the dark meat was very rich.  Definitely doing it again.

The best part of the evening?  Sitting down at the table with my family.  I live far from my original family, so I've sort of adopted people who are now my Texas family.

The second best part of the evening?

The food!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Just back from our (mostly) annual sojurn to California to catch up with family and friends.

If you're looking forward to lots of wonderful photos of our time spent on the beach, with friends, on horses, at the water park, of the new baby, of the 75th birthday party, etc. I am sorry to disappoint you. All three of us forgot our cameras (even though it was clearly listed on TWO of our lists!). For those of you who hosted us and took photos, please send them!

Our first day there started off in the best way possible - meeting and holding the adorable 2-day old Skylar Kiera, my new neice. Such a cutie pie! Good job, Jude & Brad!

Then it was off to Captain & Nonna's house for several days of chickens, chores with Captain, a baseball game, a visit to a marine mammal rescue center, and lots of time sharing a cup of tea on the sofa gabbing with Lynn. I had a fantastic ride in the hills with Kelli on two very nice horses. Later that night she and I made what is beginning to be an annual trip to the "old fogey bar" to party with the octogenarians and sing show tunes.

We also visited the kids old preschool, I had lunch with an old friend, drove by the old house and generally tried to stay in touch with old things. The preschool teacher, the marvelous Polly, invited Bridget to come ride her Very Nice Horse (named Vienna) at her Very Posh Barn and that was a special morning. Bridget really enjoyed the time on the horse, the time at the barn (heaven, to Bridget) and her time with Polly's puppy. I think Polly got a kick out of seeing that one of her former students has the talent and ability to ride her horse.

Aidan got to join Miles's birthday extravaganza and hit Great America with a bunch of boys. Heaven, to Aidan.

Our last night in Danville, we got together for dinner with more "old" friends from preschool and even further back. It is so neat to see the kids play together like they've never been separated. Also neat to see my kids playing with the children of my childhood friends. Hansen-Judd, Bullock & Powers crews - thanks for coming! It was a lovely evening with your company!

The middle portion of our trip was spent in Manhattan Beach. BIG thanks to Janet for being such a gracious hostess and letting this road-weary lady and her two obnoxious children crash at her place for 3 nights. Janet, it was better than camping. The soft bed and warm shower and put all thoughts of Big Sur out of my head. We still had good grilled food, s'mores over an open fire, and hours and hours on the beach. I think it'll be an annual thing unless you move and don't give me your fowarding address.

Also in LA, we saw old friends from NoCal who moved down there recently. Christie and Ryan, thanks for making the trek out to the beach to hang with us. It was such a joy to see Bridget and Ryan playing together just like old times.

Cousin Dan also joined us on the beach and I got to catch up on extended family news. Note to self, must email Paul Belzer about the two new kids he's had and not notified me! On our way back up north, we went to Dan's for breakfast and to see his beautiful home. The kids were treated to parts of Dan's one-man show "A Songwriting Lesson From Irving Berlin" and got to be wowed by a bit of the huge talent this man possesses.

Back up to NoCal to spend the final portion of our trip with Papa and Grandma. We spent a lovely evening in Fremont's Central Park listening to a very energetic and fun rock and roll dance band. Such a nice setting with Lake Elizabeth sparkling in the background and the evening light on Mission Peak beyond.

Then it was "party prep" mode to get ready for the big hoe-down in celebration of both Papa and Grandma's 75th birthdays. Lots of cooking (I was in charge of appetizers), and lots of set-up (western themed backdrops, straw bales, floral arranging, etc.), and lots of errands by Papa and Aidan (pilfering tables and chairs from the church, trouble shooting and then replacing parts of the AV system...). Big shout out to Julie for her amazing party planning and organizational skills, she had us all mustered and marching like the military and it was a great party!

Wonderful to see Jeff and his beautiful and accomplished kids. Tucker, come visit me and give me a golf lesson! McKenna can give Bridget some tennis pointers.

And if we didn't wear out Papa and Grandma enough, our last two days were spent at the water park, dining at our favorite restaurant (The Willow Tree!), and a trip to the beach to crash Dave & Shelley's vacation. Bill and the boys (and even Chester!) generously carved some time out of their busy schedule to come join us for a while and it was great seeing the kids play together again.

Whew. Got me tired just writing about it.

All in all, it was so nice to hug my family members, hang with old friends, do some old favorite things, and some new ones. We had many generous hosts and a lot of people who changed plans to accomodate us and we are grateful. We are sad we didn't connect with a few of you (Lisa! Paula!), but hopefully you will come visit us soon.

Team Glynn

We are a well-oiled machine. The only way you can haul as much equipment to and from the beach as we do is to be organized and have everyone understand the process and their role in it.

We pull up to the loading zone, jump out of the car, and proceed to pull the following out of the back:

• 1 10x10 canopy
• 3 folding chairs
• 1 skim board
• 2 boogie boards
• 2 inner tubes
• 1 cooler
• 2 baskets containing books, camera, hats, sunscreen, snacks, blanket, 4 towels, sand toys, masks, fins, snorkels

Ray goes to park the car and the kids and I make like pack mules and haul it to the beach. Ray quickly catches up and the canopy goes up in mere seconds. People around us comment at how quickly we do this. Bridget arranges all the “furniture” to her satisfaction.

I could get used to this schedule. Aidan and I are up early so he can train w/ a local team. A big shout out to the Bluewater Bay Barracudas who have been so accommodating and friendly. The pool we have been going to is outdoors, apparently like most Florida swimming facilities. For some strange and wonderful reason, it is set in the middle of a woodsy swamp. This is how you get to it.

After swim practice we hit the hotel buffet – Ray and Bridget meet us there and in true Team Glynn fashion, they work as the “advance team” and scope out a table, get my tea brewing and Aidan’s waffle going.

After we’ve had a hearty breakfast we head back to our hotel room and relax for a few hours. OK – Aidan and I nap, I’ll admit it. Ray catches up w/ the news, a bit of work, and Bridget plows through the Harry Potter series.

After sufficient rest, we head to the beach and stay there until 6 or so when we finally have to drag Aidan out of the water. Last night he was trying to catch fish with his bare hands. A few days ago the kids caught a bucket full of jellyfish that have sparkly lights running up and down their bodies.

Yesterday, Ray rented a catamaran and spent a couple of hours sailing us up and down the shoreline. Aidan sailed too, as he learned how to wind surf at Boy Scout camp a few weeks ago. It was so beautiful out on the water, I loved it and loved seeing the big grin on Ray’s face as he was sailing.

It’s been quite crowded at the beach, but there is plenty of room for everyone. We wait until people start clearing out before Ray and the kids start construction on the sand castle du jour. Yesterday’s was Hogwart’s Castle complete with Hagrid’s Hut, a quidditch stadium and the Forbidden Forest.

A nice lady nearby offered to take a family photo of us, even though we weren’t wearing the requisite khaki and white.

The kids are definitely loving the beach, they play and play and play. Ray and I read and read and read. Like I said, I could get used to this!