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Thursday, July 24, 2003
Aha! I think I've finally cornered Javier into going to the Dentist. A few months ago I found one that has Saturday hours, and scheduled an appointment for Javi so far in advance that it seemed completely unreal to him and he assented. But the moment of truth is upon us -- he goes THIS SATURDAY.
I've never been able to get him to go during the week. Although he has rarely missed the chance to chaperone a field trip for Galen's classroom, and regularly creates watercolors of Central Park on his way to the office, his work schedule mysteriously (and quite suddenly) gets jammed up at the precise moment of his impending checkup. When I reminded him of his obligation this Saturday morning at 8AM, he actually even attempted a weak, "Well, I will try to go -- if I have the time." There is no doubt in my mind that either tonight or tomorrow night Javier will experience a sudden bloom of distrust for quack American denstists who are so desperate that they have to work on Saturdays. I am fully prepared for the "So who is this guy anyway, and what have you read about him and what does the ADA say about him and WHAT is his deal with Saturdays?" line of questioning. I will hear, "What do you mean you haven't called the ADA about him? Then how do you know that he even has a license?" He will doubtless develop the unshakable theory that any doctor with such a pathetic personal life that he'd rather spend his Saturdays in someone's MOUTH must be a seriously warped human being, and is probably dangerous to himself and anyone nuts enough to be trapped in a small room with him and a drill. Poor Javi. It's really not his fault; it's part of his cultural heritage. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," was actually first coined by the Spanish government as a public service announcement on dental health. As well, while I freely admit that submitting oneself to oral hygiene during a day off is about the last thing I would choose to do, I would jump at ANY CHANCE AT ALL to get out of work for just a little while these days.
posted by Dorothy 2:54 PM
Wednesday, July 23, 2003
We had yet another I love New York weekend. Breakfast at the Hungarian Pastry Shop on a PERFECT morning. The Pastry Shop has been around for 30 years or so, and overlooks the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Naturally, we moved on from there into the gorgeous gardens of the Cathedral to play in the playgrounds, look at the flowers and generally admire the peacocks, of which there are now five. Then we sort of wandered through the Cathedral and discovered that (A) There is a Medieval Arts workshop for kids every Saturday (you'll see news of that next week!), and (B) The cathedral has installed telescopes in the nave for anyone who wishes to get a seriously close-up look at the rose windows in the main facade, which we definitely did. After all that we just had time to hit the Bank Street Bookstore (best children's book store in NYC, AND in our neighborhood), then cross the street to Tom's Diner. Galen and I then repaired to the hacienda for a nap, while Javi went back to the Cathedral gardens to make a watercolor. In the afternoon, we took Galen on his bike down into Riverside Park to play some more, then had dinner outside. Perfect, but perfect day.
On Sunday we went to the 68th Street playground in Central Park. It's right next to Tavern on the Green, and has a tremendous sprinkler / river / wading pool system built in with a shady canopy of trees overhead.
As of tomorrow I believe I have exactly six weeks to go before B-Day, as we've been calling it. We STILL haven't gotten any requisite equipment (crib, stroller, car seat), and haven't even really considered how we'll rearrange Galen's room to accomodate all the paraphernalia. I wonder if a loft-crib is available... Javier is sanguine about all this to the point of near-coma when I discuss it. "Changing table? Why? The coffee table is pretty large," is one response I've heard in the past week. As an alternative to finding one place to store the diapers, he merely suggests that we store them "everywhere." I have to admit, I actually considered both suggestions for a minute...
posted by Dorothy 11:14 AM
