Wednesday, July 16, 2008

So Far, So Good

So the hordes--I mean relatives--have been here for a few days, and with the exception of a few minor fiascos (and one huge one), things have been going *bad pun alert* relatively smoothly. There have been more meals than fights, more laughing than cursing, more good luck than bad, and unbelievably, NO RAIN. The horrifying discovery (two hours from home, enroute to fetch my sister and her kids at the airport) that my van's registration and insurance had expired (possible $700 fine + tow charges and impound fees, yikes!) only delayed us three hours, thanks to an admirably peace-oriented peace officer, the random kindnesses of several strangers, and that rarest of treasures to find on a Sunday afternoon, the helpful, friendly bureaucrat.

My parents have been here since the 10th, my sister V and her kids since Sunday, and my sister M and hers since Monday. I have been having a blast. Yesterday we all went out to a long nature trail that leads to a beach on the west coast of the island. Nothing between us and Japan but water. We roasted hot dogs on sticks and climbed rocks and walked on some seriously weird spongey sand that sinks six inches when you step on it. The kids weathered the death march back to the car with the aplomb of seasoned campaigners--which is to say, they dragged their asses and grumbled, but kept moving until the bitter end. No bears or cougars showed up to spoil our day--although we got to see a teenage black bear and three tiny cubs with their mama by the highway on the way home. Then we all ate a mess of barbequed ribs and wedge potatoes and drank gallons of cheap U-brew wine.

Today fourteen of them turned up for lunch at the restaurant where I work, and made my day exciting for about an hour. Everyone was very well-behaved (even my kids, which is pretty damn unusual, hehe), and I have to say my brother-in-law, even accounting for some pretty blatant nepotism, is one blammo tipper. After I got home, we made homemade pizzas, pigged out, and then went out to the rented cottages to walk along the beach.

My littlest niece, who is two years old and teeny-tiny, has a rare dietary disorder and cannot eat foods containing complex carbohydrates or refined sugars. As a result, she eats lots of fruits and vegetables, and (non sugar-cured) meat. My dog now has a purpose in life: To follow this child everywhere she goes and scavenge the bits of ham, bacon, chicken, beef and pork she leaves in her wake.

So really, everyone seems to be having a wonderful time. Even the dog.

:)

10 comments:

laughingwolf said...

grats k, sounds wunderbra! :)

kirsten saell said...

Oh it's great, laughingwolf! I think we should do this every summer.

Everyone including my kids are pretty much going down island tomorrow, I'll follow the next day. We'll meet up in Vancouver for a big dinner (40 people, holy crap!) at my cousin M's house, then the wedding on Sunday. So many excuses to get drunk and make an embarrassment out of myself, and here I've ruined it by becoming semi-mature and respectable.

Oh well, I'm sure my kids'll embarrass me once or twice, just to maintain the record, lol!

LVLM(Leah) said...

Oooh, sounds like a lot of fun! Glad it's going well and that there have been only a few glitches. So lucky about your van. Some police are real ball busters.

semi-mature and Respectable? *snort* :D

Hope the rest of the time is loads of fun too.

Seeley deBorn said...

Well, as long as the dog is happy ;)

Sounds like quite the bit of fun. I totally miss climbing on rocks and trying to see Japan.

So, I know I totally owe you. I'll add a rant to it. You'll see.

kirsten saell said...

Arrgh, blogger ate my comment!

Yeah, Mme B, it could have been an ugly, ugly thing if that cop hadn't been so nice. Plus, we had two tourists offer me a ride to the only insurance office in the region that's open on Sunday, and the insurance agent not only bent over backwards to help me get in touch with my husband (a hundred miles north) to arrange a temporary permit, but she had a friend of hers drive me back to my van in the middle of nowhere for half what a cab would have cost. The whole ordeal really made me appreciate how great people can be to each other.

And yeah, Seeley, those rocks are awesome. There was wild columbine everywhere and mussels and barnacles and tidal pools with sea anemones and starfish. And that sand was just so neat--all aerated so you sank right into it when you stepped on it. It felt like walking on that tempurpedic memory foam stuff.

And yeah, you owe me, but I'm happy to have you in my debt for a while longer. ;)

Send that rant my way, though. I love those. You have a real gift.

LVLM(Leah) said...

Wow, now that you explain what you had to go through, I'm very impressed. What a pain though. It is lucky that you came across such nice people.

It was prolly your charming personality though. :D

And,or maybe Canadians are just really nice people.

laughingwolf said...

we CAN be nice, or not, depending on... uh... stuff? :O lol

k, have a blast, to hell with the mature crap! :O lol

Stacia said...

How was I so dumn that I didn't realize you are actually blogging?

kirsten saell said...

Hell, D, sometimes I'm not even aware I'm blogging! :)

If you send me some gin, I promise to forgive you. And limes. Lots of limes. And ice, a big bag for my fucked up knee and a little one for my glass. But mostly the gin...

*limping to the post office now to see if it's arrived yet*

kirsten saell said...

More.

Um, more what?

*blinking innocently*