Dog park and phone frequency.

I’m at the dog park this morning with Elka – it’s been so hot and so busy (for me in the morning) this week, that I haven’t been able to take her to the dog park until today and she’s been giving me the side-eye allll week – like life is soooooo boring you folks are so boring, can I see my friends? So we made it here today. It’s totally not as good as New Hampshire with acres of woods and water and dog friends, but it’s the best I can do here in the regulated suburbs. We are certainly not Live Free or Die here in Rockville.

Vince and Dani are on their way to Berlin right now to meet up with Bob – this is his graduation gift to them both. Everyone is very excited, fingers crossed that everyone stays well, I’ve not seen so many people mask traveling in a long time. Bob kind of sheepishly said during our vacation in NH that he couldn’t resist and bought them all tickets to the Berlin Philharmonic on their last night in town. He was kind of worried that they’d be bored? Annoyed at listening to classical music? Jeremy and I said that they would truly would enjoy the world’s premiere orchestra playing in their home performance hall. I wish I could see the Berlin Phil in Berlin! Someday!

Vince sent us his graduate student handbook that he got (I was like – what’s a grad student handbook?) and we looked over it. There are a lot of classes and 2 qualifying exams (which I was relieved to see the format of was and wasn’t anything like mine) and Vince was like – I’m starting to get overwhelmed and I’m like, it’ll be much better once it starts, it’s killer just waiting around for something to start (he’ll start mid-late September).

I was talking to Dani earlier this week (probably the first time I’ve talked to them without Vince on the phone too) and mentioned that I was trying to get in touch with their mother to really thank her and Jeff for moving Vince from Davis to Irvine, but I felt like I was playing phone tag with her (Jeremy also said that I avoid actual voice phone calls which is true)…anyways – literally 12 hours later, Dani’s mom (Loanne) called me and said – I heard that you were trying to get in touch with me? I’m like – Dani told you? Like right after I told her? It’s not that I disapprove or anything, it’s just the speed of communication between parent/ grown child was very impressive. I talk to Vince like once a week and usually, he calls. I thought once a week was impressive. And then I asked Vince, so how often does Dani talk to their mom? And he was like at least twice a day. And then I said – TWICE A DAY? And then he said well…Loanne calls me twice a day. I was like…wha?!!!

So I recounted this story to Jeremy, Edda and Ginny at dinner last night and Jeremy joking said – you are totally jealous. And I said, I’m not jelly. And then I tried to defend myself. And then I said – Ok, maybe I’m a little jelly. Hahaha. OK, I’m only *slightly* jealous. I’m not jealous of the phone calls really, because I hate the phone, I’m mostly jealous that Loanne and Jeff are literally 10 minutes from Vince and Dani and get to see them a lot not on the phone. I do wish I could do that. Not right now. But maybe someday!