The Pests:
OK, so it is now day 4 of doctor ordered vocal rest but it feels like day 20. This is not an easy task for a motor-mouth like myself.
First, I decided to go home to Boston with my pen and pad in hand (my handy communication tools), eager to spend some time with my family and just chill out. Dumb move. My ‘no holds barred’ family went in on me the minute I got off the train.
My dad started with jokes and pointing, my brother chimed in with the ‘what did you say’ questions all the way to my uncle’s house. Once I got there, I knew this would be the shortest trip to Boston I’ve had in years. My uncle and cousins start going in on a conversation about ‘women and a woman’s place’ KNOWING I couldn’t respond. ‘Get her a pen,’ ‘I like this ish,’ ‘you can’t talk back?!’ were some of the things my uncle laughed soooo hard at he was crying.
Needless to say, I went to bed early, frustrated, but smiling and surrounded by people who know me enough to know I can take jokes.
The next day got a little worse, my 19 year old cousin bust in my bedroom and just screams out, as loud as she can, ‘Marie, gettt upp!! Breakfast!’ So I half sleepwalk/stumble to the bathroom, wash my face, hands and brush my teeth. (I’m deciding if I’m going to put her in a choke-hold for waking me up like that…ahh OK she’s off the hook only because I miss her.) Raisin French toast, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, tea and oatmeal. Definitely a perk of going home right there.
[pagebreak]
Breakfast was fun as everyone sat around the table planning their day and eating. All was going great until it was time for everyone to run errands. I can’t talk so I stayed back to chill and read a little. Well, that was my second dumb move!!
Before my cousin Marco left he decides to announce (from the front porch) that I am to have ‘no guys over, no sex in the house and not to answer the door for strangers.’ Then my uncle screams out, ‘Awww, let her do what she gotta, just wash the sheets baby.’
OMG, what is happening here? So I go inside the house until they all leave, determined to head back to NY ASAP! Which I did the next morning, after another great breakfast, and way too many funny moments, like my brother asking me if I was gonna survive the week without giving someone a beat down. LOL. 🙂
So those were the pests, my love-able pests! (Them and the squirrel that was throwing acorns at me while I was reading in the yard.)
The Perks:
Needless to say there are some perks to being on vocal rest.
1. You’re really full out resting your voice, so quiet becomes something NEW and pleasant!
2. Since you can’t talk all day, you find a ton of things to do (that should have been done) and they get done!
3. You think a lil’ more, so creatively your on tilt! (Well, at least I am.)
[pagebreak]
4. My favorite perk of them all… reading more.
For some reason I read mostly through the internet.. unless it’s the Wall St. Journal or I’m on a train or plane. So this weekend’s reads were as follows:
Don Diva (The Original Street Bible), Issue 10042
I found this to be a good read, see besides the real life ‘hustler’ stories, Don Diva throws in some information that other magazines might not. Being aware of laws, changes to them and technology is very important.
For instance, on the bottom of page 12 you’ll find a story regarding the use of ‘iris recognition’ by cops in i
