Locomotion

I am so pleased to have a job I love in a city I love. I've recently transitioned permanently to my office downtown and love the commute - via transit. I'm feeling kinda transit savvy after a good long while of being a transit newbie.

I get on at my stop along with Business Buddy Soon-to-be-grandpa, Quiet Up-n-Comer always in the logical coat for the day, Overly-gelled Attitude-grl and Clear-ur-Throat. Driver says hello to me now, passengers meet my view in their regular spots and every stop after mine picks up the same folks every morning. I'm part of the crowd now- morning pick-up at 7:19, at the stop, on the line, heading downtown.

Exit off of the Rectangle and find Running-girl coming up toward me, then Senior-fellow reading the paper in the lobby to the left. At the first corner, Married Couple stop, kiss and Glasses IT-husband carries onward up Wasserman's Beat while Well-coiffed Fit-Wife turns her sneakered heels quickly past me. Two more lights. Without fail, every single morning, one person to the intersection starts walking out on turning green light. Honk, holler and curse - Oops.

Steam comes out of the city-covered hole one light before me, my office, downtown. Shop-man pushes out his newspaper stand and I line up for the elevator. Ding and up I go.

Having been exposed to 'shows' like Big Comfy Couch and Franklin, I felt compelled to choose a quality show for Birdie. Treehouse has its limits and I've reached mine - no, I'm well beyond. It's about time I woke up and remembered the declarations I made about TV prior to Birdie's arrival. As I have mentioned previously, I have had to recant many of my pre-parent ideologies. That said I think I might have been right about TV. I really don't like plunking the kid in front of it. I don't like most of the shows she zombies into. I have a few exceptions - like Sesame Street and The Backyardigans - which entertain me as much as Birdie. Although in general the zombie-zoner separates Birdie from me, her innate nature to explore and her ability to communicate post-viewing.

In efforts to sort out the balance and control the content, I purchased The Muppet Show - Season One. We've worked through the first disc and laughed a lot. Birdie isn't sure why we're laughing so much but she's interested enough. The dialogue is snappy and fun. The muppets stand up (although Miss Piggy definitely got a do-over since this season) over the test of time. The only thing that leaves you a bit disengaged are the guests, most of which have disappeared over the last decades, and who are overwhelmingly gaudy in their costumes.

Until we find our way with what to do about the tube, we'll let Gonzo do his best to ring in the show.

Opa died on December 30th. I miss him a lot. That won't go away, I guess. I see this picture of him with Birdie at 5 days old and my heart breaks with pride and sorrow. He had met her the day she was born, but this was the first time he held her. He was a jolly fellow although in general not a big smiler for photos. Um, yeah... this was an exception.

Yesterday, the family got together to plan the funeral. It was an authentic process. In fact, I'm really thankful to have been 'stuck' in a big house going through the process together all day long. The truth is that Opa was all about family and to remember, respect and discuss memories together about his life made sense all the while the great-grandgirls were playing dress-up, the cousins were playing fusball and air hockey and sleeping off their NY eve, and as usual, innumerable cups of stellar coffee were being brewed and consumed by all above the age of 15. Like Opa who was larger than life, his family bursts at the seems with grief, joy and pride all at the same time.

Opa was always a big fan of A and me having a child. He cheerleeded us on throughout our marriage that our kids would be the Most Beautiful, but that we should do what's right for us. It never came off as rude or that we disappointed him by not having a child; rather that it would be a shame for this world that such a beauty would not appear! Ha! When we told him the news of Birdie, he was beside himself with gushy happiness. But when she flapped into the world, he fell absolutely in love with her. In fact, I believe it was mutual. Birdie never fussed with Opa. She always calmed for him, or slept while he held her - and he had one big voice. He already loved me and A so much but when Birdie came on the scene he loved us even more (is that possible?).

Tomorrow I will say good bye - as his first grandchild who could be calmed by being laid on his giant belly, as an adult who enjoyed his visits at the coffeeshop I worked at where he often made friends with lonely customers, as a fan who eagerly listened to his stories and poorly recounted them to others, and as a parent who will sorely miss his influence in Birdie's life.

Love you too, Opa.