all in the family

the parents have been here since tuesday, as has the godmother. dad seems to be healing nicely from the big heart surgery - his typical brisk walk has become more of a shuffle, but the rhythm of his mind has not.

you should lay eyes on this auntie. she is a cherubic wee brown woman, barely five foot shit and hardly 100 pounds. she is the one i have lovingly referred to as the 'velcro auntie' since my visit to india last year, attributed primarily to the fact that she almost literally clung to my shoulder during our time together. i don't really care on account of her being so fucking adorable and all.

happy birthday to mama who spent yesterday doing such ottawa-y things as ogling buskers and the famous five, and dining at the best of this city's 17 million east indian restaurants (which shall remain unnamed to protect the secret). the birthday ended with us shivering in front of the peace tower to take in this spectacle.

so all in all, the visit has been ok. while i am still figuring out all the ups and downs and learning how not to blame myself for the years of duress that has been the history of our relationship, i have no problem crediting myself for the vast improvements seen now. i must commend my own damn self for the absence of explosive debates about my lack of stability, direction, and husband. that said, i'm anxious for them to get the fuck outta here. being around them is a bit like a 10 year old doing the whole 'look ma, no hands!' thing. now i'm anxious to get back to my regular schedule of coffee, cigarettes, cocktails. anxious to return to teetering between confident goddess and self-indulgent neurotic.