I got to move into my expansive new desk and vast space today at work. It was pretty exciting, if you ask me! My OWN DESK. I haven’t had one of those in… uh… a year and a half? OK, it feels like a lot longer. I’ll have to bring some wind-up robots or something to keep me company. The desk comes complete with a boom box with a CD player in it– I scraped up promos from around the office to play today (the Astralwerks sampler is pretty much a mix-cd made just for me!), but I think I’ll bring some of my own CDs tomorrow, as most of the promos I found were 50 copies of the same 2 cheesy trance compilations.

Guess who I talked to on the phone today for about an hour? MY SIBLING. Can you believe that? She actually called me back (I had called Moth) and talked to me! It was weird–I don’t think I’ve had a conversation with her that long in the past 10 years combined! She’s going to nursing school next fall (she’s taking the prep courses in the spring) at TC3 and and and the Spawn Three are living with Moth and Slug. Spawn 2 just turned 7 last week. Damn, he’s getting old! Squidney’s in 6th grade. She’s in middle school! Dayummm! She’s going to the same school Allie went to when we moved to Ithaca. Pretty soon she’ll be old enough to do drugs, get pregnant, and start stealing the car (not necessarily in that order).

Speaking of pregnant youngsters, my 19-year-old step-niece is in the family way. I can’t help but wonder if the baby daddy is the nice, well-mannered, clean-cut boy she brought to Christmas last year that she met at her Bible Study group. There was something inherently Central New Yorkish about him–I wondered when they were going to get around to reproducing. It’s those small town Born Again Christian hicks that you have to watch out for! Anyway, next Christmas should be even more chaotic than usual with the 6 small grandchildren + a new baby!

It’s weird having step-things that I only see once a year. David’s wife had 2 daughters, I have no idea how old they are–somewhere between 2 and maybe 5. When they’re that young, it’s like seeing a whole different kid after a year elapses.

Of course, nobody ever remembers me, which is a good thing because I totally can’t afford to make or buy this rapidly expanding family presents every year! I feel bad, but I mean, these kids barely know me! I’m just the weird old spinster who sits in the corner and eats all the devilled eggs. Besides, Lori and Allie can’t afford to get people presents anyway (even though I’m just as poor as they are, but it doesn’t count because I don’t have kids to feed), so everyone’s officially off the hook. Thank goodness for poverty-stricken single motherhood! They just knocked 10 people I barely know off my gift list right there! Too bad they don’t like cheesy trance compilations…