What a great word, flotsam. Flotsam. I like to say it. Really, I plan to make this post about a bunch of random things and have over-used such titles as ‘bits and bobs’ or ‘this and that’. I looked it up, just to be sure I was using it correctly, and found this interesting tidbit. Did you know that flotsam is the word for random things floating in the sea after a shipwreck, and jetsam is the word for random things floating in the sea that were thrown overboard by a ship in distress? Huh! This seems like a useful bit of trivia, to me. (As this post has nothing to do with ships, I shall be using definition three: useless or unimportant items; odds and ends.)
Firstly, thank you for your great questions! I plan to try to answer them all over the next week or so, perhaps as a Flotsam Series. The first topic suggestion by my dear friend jbal is none other than Michael freaking Jackson. I bet you haven’t heard enough about him lately, eh? Well, here’s my best MJ memory, I’ll forgo the commentary about his surprising canonization. I must have been 6 or 7 when I had the Thriller album, and I remember how the record cover was a tri-fold, so you could unfold his body, lying on his side in a white suit. I played it in the basement when I had my dance sessions. The saloon-type light above the pool table made a triple shadow on the surrounding walls, so it looked like I had back up dancers. I remember there being a lot of jumping and swirling involved, for making the most impressive shadows. I danced the heck out of that whole album, but of course I would always have to stop and carefully move the needle ahead to skip the scary part at the end of Thriller. My dance sessions must have been hilarious. Must remember to ask Mum if she ever spied on me.
The second question comes from lovely Melinda who took that first awesome picture of my Clarkie in his 6 Month Post. She asks, “What surprised you most about motherhood?” Hmm. Well, honestly, the whole damn thing is incredibly surprising. It’s just one of those things you can never accurately describe, and you’ll never know what it’s like until you do it. It’s like traveling to someplace foreign and exotic. Someone could spend all day describing Paris, but you wouldn’t get it unless you can see, hear, and smell it. One small thing that continually surprises me, though, is being so present for, and in tune with someone else’s bodily functions. For instance, pooping is incredibly private. We almost never witness anyone else doing it, so it’s notable when someone decides to do it in your lap. You’re just sitting there, perhaps turning the pages to a story book and all of a sudden, he freezes, looks you in the eyes and starts ferociously grunting, eyes bulging, face reddening, the whole works. hhhhhhHHHHHHHHHuuuuuuuuuhhhhhnnnnnnnnn! hhhhhhHHHHHHHHHuuuuuuuuuhhhhhnnnnnnnnn!
Should you feel like chatting, I’d love to hear your MJ memories and surprising bits about parenthood.
Oh yes… the poop! My husband and I spend a ridiculous amount of time discussing Vivian’s poop. The color, consistency (changes with solids, you know!) frequency, blow outs, etc.
What has surprised me most about motherhood is that I enjoy it more than I though I would. I never wanted kids until I was over 30 and it’s a good thing too. Because I would have at least 4 or 5 by now if I started earlier! Oh and all the laundry. Sheesh! My laundry has doubled for just one tiny person.
No MJ memories. I’m boycotting.
You won’t believe this: one of the clues on Jeopardy (like 15 seconds ago) was “This word refers to debris floating in the sea after a shipwreck.” I totally knew the answer because of you! Lamont was all impressed! Wow—thanks for the learnin’ Jenny!
Hi Jenny! I have some travel questions. Where are your favourite places in the world, and where do you want to visit with Clark?
Amy: It’s so fun, isn’t it? I think if money were no object, I’d have many children, too. At least 3.
Kelly: See! I knew it was a useful piece of trivia!
Lucy: ooh! Good question. I shall answer it in the next post!
I love it. I knew you would have a good MJ memory. As I said in my last post over on t&c, I was in Illinois visiting my parents when he died, and all my parents’ friends were gnashing their teeth about how there was too much media coverage and how he was a freak whose death didn’t even deserve a 3rd-page mention, and I was mad. But I didn’t bring it up, because it’s just best not to argue with midwesterners in their 60′s. The generational and socio-political chasm is too deep. If I mentioned, for example, that perhaps they consume too much mainstream media, I would be met with blank stares. So I missed out on a bit of MJ rememberance and I’m glad you provided me with some. As for my part, my dad dubbed The Making of Thriller for us (early piracy) using two VCRS hooked together in some fancy way. My brother an I watched it a lot. We had the piano music for Man in the Mirror. Also, we liked to recreate the video for Beat It. We needed something to represent switchblades, so we cut the ends of travel-size toothbrushes into points.