Rhode Island Baby

Rhode Island was lovely. Most of it is beautiful, and hey, water and shoreline is always a bonus. Very soothing usually. Unless, of course, you are with your family questioning your every move and life decision. Which might have been what I was dealing with a great part of the time I was there.

Sunday, after being completely exhausted from the wedding festivities, I flew out to visit the family. Brother lives in RI and Mom and Dad flew up there to celebrate Dad's birthday all together.

Mom flew into Providence around Thursday, partly to make sure she was able to visit the art museums in Boston. And partly to help Brother get ready to move - that weekend. He hadn't packed much. Now, I understand the tough situation of a bad breakup and the whole "woe is me" aspect of that. But really, must you wait for your mother to get there to help you pack and move? You are 30. At any rate, he moved most of Saturday and Sunday. Then I got there Sunday night and it was just him picking me up. Hello? Parents? Nope. Sitting in the hotel room after sending him off to pick up the sister and some snacks.

I spent Sunday night at Brother's new place with his incredibly ample cat, Pollock. He names his cats after dead artists that he likes. Usually people that died young.

As a side note, I have to admit, I don't understand how people get fat cats. I mean, I pretty much leave dried food out for mine all day and they don't seem to gain much weight. So what's the trick? Canned food? My cats could probably stand to gain a little weight. But the canned food is just asking for disaster as one cat always pukes after eating the stuff.

OK. Pollock, the brother and I hanging out at his new place. With boxes and clothing and paintings all over the place, because he just moved. Have I mentioed that Brother is an artist?

Monday we decided to visit Newport. Along with the rest of the tri-state area. Newport is lovely and it has the ginormous mansions like The Breakers. And the ocean. And there's this picturesque little college along the coast that I think I would move out there to work at those days when I've had enough of Chicago. But then I get over it.

Tuesday was was Father's birthday. We had also visited Brown the day before and my dad thinks it very clever to wear Brown t-shirts. Not because he went there, but because he is Brown. So, Brown t-shirts for the birthday. And steak. And, because Mom never did make it to the art museums in Boston, we walk through the Northeastern campus to get to the art museum. They had a nice exhibit up which we enjoyed for a while. There were several good pieces but some of the most interesting that showed process - I liked this one from Picasso quite a bit. And back to the hotel to watch the basketball game. Because that was Important.

The next day. Well, the next day Dad left early. He had another flight to catch that evening to somewhere else in the country. He's doing some traveling these days. But Mom and I went to Brother's old apartment to help clean the kitchen and move the final things. Things like plants and the food from the fridge. After the whole go-go-go weekend I just about lost it. In fact, I might have yelled at my mom. Regarding the cleaning of the stove. That is the state of where I was at that point in time. Right about then I decided I needed a break and went outside. And saw these. And this. It was much better.