Wednesday, Nov. 09, 2005 - 7:56 a.m.

It's unseasonably warm here, and I'm loving it, even if it does cause tornadoes. That one the other day that killed all those people woke us up too--- well, not the tornado in person, but the alarms and warnings had us and two skeptical cats squeezed into the downstairs bathroom at 3:30 in the morning. On two occasions. I always feel like a bit of a sucker when I actually obey the tornado warnings (locals seem to treat them with nonchalance), but I feel vindicated this time for sure.

Anyway, it's already 68 degrees. Soaking it up while I can.

We went to a local grocery last night-- Sahara Mart-- which had previously been a average-to-good ethnic store-- they expanded and now rank high in awesomeness. The largest selection of high-end chocolate bars I have ever seen-- an entire wall! They stock Vosges chocolate! And olives! Every kind of olive you can imagine, in big vats! And organic stuff! We bought some chocolate, coconut milk, and curry paste and vowed to return sometime when we weren't on foot.

That's the big news around here: going to a new grocery store. What can I say?

This friend of my parents'(there should be a word for a person who stands in this relation to a family-- not enough to be honorary family, but persistently present nevertheless) who has known me all my life sent me a framed picture that I had drawn for her when I was 7, which had been hanging on the wall of our house (the house I lived in till I was about 6, which she then bought from my parents). It's kind of a hmm, what do I do with this? sort of thing-- very nice and sentimental, so I can't throw it out, but at the same time, it's not like I want it hanging on my wall.

Anyway, I was thinking that our relationship with this woman--my mom has all these friends who she doesn't really like but puts up with anyway--it's been quirky. She's exasperating and full of advice for everyone about everything, and rambles on in the strangest way. But I was thinking that really every child should have such an entity in their life. I'm not sure why. But there is an adjunct role of some sort for such a person. "Crazy aunt" type thing.

My mom does attract the quirky types. I don't like listening to her talk about all the things that people I don't know or don't especially like are doing, but at the same time I do sort of wish I could manage to find one or two of my own to entertain me. (I guess the diaries I read may be a proxy for this).

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