Sunday Family Dinner

Sunday. Family Dinner Day. A new tradition I began when I got laid off from my last teaching job. I was unemployed all summer (not a big deal to a teacher) and promised that if I didn’t have a teaching job lined up by August, I would learn to cook. This doesn’t sound that impressive, but I couldn’t even boil water at that point. Literally. Cereal was challenging. And…no job = master chef. I began cooking Italian dinners every Sunday for our family. Not because we’re Italian (we’re not) but because “sauce” was one of the first things my mom taught me to make and it went with everything! I have since expanded and we occasionally drift from the Italian Sunday dinner, but almost every single Sunday since then, I shop and cook, my mother hosts, and about 15-25 people sit down for a meal at around 4 p.m. Love it. I look forward to it every week. (I used to really enjoy the wine part of it. Now, I create some sort of sherbet punch or sparkly something-or-other to make myself feel better. How many more days left?!)

Today, Family Dinner Day has to be combined with Hurricane Preparedness Day. We are expecting a rather disturbing storm on Long Island beginning tonight, I believe. (Oh yes, I am from Long Island. New York. Don't be jealous). My poor father is running around tying everything down at his house and at mine. (Lucky him – your pregnant, single daughter moves in next door to you). The electric company left a voicemail yesterday telling me to be prepared for 5 – 7 days of outages. I hope they are kidding. Surely they need to restore pregnant women’s DVRs first, right?! I hate when the power goes out. It depresses me. But my parents have a generator hooked up to their electric circuit and so it will likely be like Grand Central over there. Fine by me and Juliette. (Or, of course, my unnamed yet loved son).

Quick update on the F front: we haven’t spoken in a few days. My panties are all in a knot, I suppose, but I am not sure yet if I have any ground to stand on or if it’s just hormones, so I’m letting things be for a bit. I’ll update you during the week (I can type in a power outage, thankfully!) He texted me this morning asking if I was “set” for the storm and when I said “I suppose so” he seemed agitated. He wanted reassurance that I was “in good hands” so that he didn’t “have to worry about me and the baby.” (But apparently he didn't want to actually come here and see for himself. Or help with anything.) This is definitely a conversation that he will refer back to in our next disagreement. Sigh. I’m keeping that in mind as I text my responses. You cannot win an argument with this attorney.

Off to buy 7 pizza doughs at the pizzeria. Already bought the ingredients for a variety of pizzas today – football games and hurricanes call for a less formal dinner, apparently. Fine by me! 

94 days to go!!!