Rambling Rhodes

Groggy Monday Morning

Having just completed an early-morning 1.5 hour commute from the Twin Cities back down to Rochester today, I'm sitting at work right now wishing the caffeine in Diet Pepsi had more of a kick to it.

I thought about driving back to Rochester last night, but I think the Easter feasting had a debilitating effect on me, kind of like a pride of lions lounging around drunk on meat after bringing down a gazelle. I just plain didn't have the energy.

Melissa met much of my more extended family yesterday, a flurry of introductions of cousins, and aunt and uncle, and cousins' fiances, and children, followed by the probing investigative questions that have been percolating in everyone's mind since Mel and I started dating just over 1.5 years ago.

Melissa took it all in her cool stride, maintaining her impenetrable aura of "cute" through the entire holiday. Of course, I always expected that she would. I could have left her alone for two hours alone with my family, and they'd want to exchange me with her. She has eerie power like that.

My family is fun, if I do say so myself, and they always have been. When we get together, it's like some comedian convention in Las Vegas or something. Everyone tosses jibes at everyone else, and we're all fast and loose with the puns and groaningly bad humor from time to time. And time always flies. The clock twirled away from 1 p.m. to 6. p.m. in what seemed like just a few minutes.

It was a Greek type of Easter, in that my aunt prepared a Greek salad, leg of lamb, some sort of Greek bread, Greek wine (I think) and a variety of other Easter offerings that left me feeling more full than probably was wise. I couldn't help myself. I mean, the lamb, oh my God, the LAMB. Could it have BEEN any tastier. This gourmet says "no."

Next weekend, unfortunately, will be Easter with Melissa's family. I don't want to say they're not fun, but. . . well. . . they're not fun. It's hard to explain, but I think the disparity stems from a difference in rural and city mentality. Whereas much of my family has always lived and worked in cities, most of Mel's family (at least on her mother's side, and to a large degree her father's side, too) are all hardcore farm families. The people who make up her family are stoic, hard working, decent, loyal, yet incredibly boring folk. Conversation topics usually center around the weather, last year's crops, this upcoming year's crops, with some good old reminiscing thrown into the mix. To them, I'm sure the conversations are scintilating. For me, they're blood from the ears boring.

But, on the other hand, I close on my house on Friday, so Friday night and Saturday will no doubt be spent trying to paint the master bedroom so I can actually start thinking about moving my stuff in by the end of the month. I can't. . . I won't. . . sleep in a bedroom that is entirely pink. That has to be changed immediately.

Welcomg to Monday all. Enjoy the ride.

Posted by Ryan at April 12, 2004 09:53 AM