I know when you’re awake…

I check my blog stats on a fairly regular basis (another telltale sign of BCD) and take note of who visits on a somewhat regular basis.
Basically, I see you when you’re sleeping and I know when you’re awake…the bad or good, I really don’t care to know about. Thanks anyway.

The heavy hitters include my new blogging buds (Carnealian, Snotsucker, Interstellarlass, Lisa and Ash), my daughter and lately my niece.
I’m always humbled and so happy when I see folks that stay at the modest Smoke and Mirrors Lodge for anything longer than, say, two minutes. To me it means that you’re reading something I’ve written. I like that.
For some reason, lately I’ve noticed my niece’s stats and thought that maybe it was time to tell a little story.

A little bit about my niece: she is currently attending a notable college far away and unfortunately I never see her.
She’s no longer the little girl with curly blonde locks that I was thinking about this morning. Suffice to say, she has blossomed into an exceptional, intelligent and beautiful young woman (and I’m proud to say she reads my blog!).
As a baby, she possessed this amazing photogenic gift and I would laugh just looking at her smile and crinkled up face.
Her bliss was utterly infectious.
I was thinking about Christmases past and couldn’t stop thinking about this particular one.

In the early 90’s, my sister actually lived across town from me and we would visit with a regularity you would associate with family.
It was Christmas Eve when we all stopped by for a visit.

My niece received a Little Tikes Kitchen that year.
These toys are behemoth chunks of bright red, yellow and blue plastic that are virtually indestructible. They will remain here on earth and may someday inhabit the planet. Scary thought.
I remember her being very territorial with her kitchen, especially the phone. Yes, it had a fake phone with a chintzy 2 foot cord. It was a cousin vs. cousin battle over the phone…and the kitchen and the pans and the cute little tea kettle and…. It was hysterical. A cat fight, to the death.
My daughter was captivated with the plastic kitchen and I was pissed off. Our Christmas shopping was done two days ago, for God’s sake.
At the time I felt we had no option but to go to the ends of the earth to get one of these godforsaken pieces of plastic. I still harbour ill thoughts against my sister for that year. I recall wanting to strangle her for re-arranging my holiday. (just kidding)

After 400 or so frenzied phone calls to area stores, I located a Little Tikes kitchen and that was the end of that.
My wife tells me we gave it to my daughter on her birthday that year (December 26th) and not on Christmas.
I thought, what is it with women and their memory?
My wife can remember the exact shoes she was wearing on June 21, 1984
while I’m having a tough time remembering what I had for lunch today.

It’s been several months since I’ve seen my niece but I have the feeling that will change soon. Semester break is headed this way faster than the Polar Express and this year it’s carrying some very precious cargo.
It’s funny how the years change the little things in life that I look forward to like a long hug from Sarah and seeing my niece smile.

~m