growing up

Don't worry Mony. I am not going anywhere. I just wanted to make sure I had made my contributionfor April 2009 's NaBloPoMo. This month's theme is "growing up".

I can't say I've been very good at it. I seem to exist in a perpetual state of immaturity. Even in my 40's I wish I could sit at the kid's table at Thanksgiving and sometimes shy away from conversations that involve adult topics. However, overall I think I did a pretty good job of growing up. This month you'll hear all of it - someone of it mudane, some deep and some of it sort of funny and pathetic. Growing up as a half generation from the oil refineries, carpet looms and high plains of the motherland in a country where Middle Easterners are portrayed as the bad guys made growing up hard to swallow at times. It also gives one pause for thought.

Hold on though, it should be good.

The above picture was taken this weekend, in Paris where I decided to wrestle between my adult mature self and my not so mature free wheeling self and go on a quest for DEQMs. It wasn't all that bad really money wise and time wise or on my body. In the long run, I will still be able to retire before I'm 65 and be able to say that I was once young and foolish enough to fly to Paris to buy macarons and easter eggs. Yes, I think I will be okay.

the miracle of the mommy network

Where the mommy mafia met, from the Iranian.com.

Today my Khaleh Mehri called me to thank me for the email I sent this morning to her son updating her on what my family was up to and where they were in their journey. I know that by sending out an email to a core bunch of my mom's friends, their kids and my family, the news will get disseminated far and wide and fast!

The mommy network is an amazing thing. I know I have written about it before. These are a group of amazing women who went to nursing school together in the 50's and still remain amazingly close friends, well, maybe more like sisters. I cannot begin to explain their bond. They laugh together, they cry together and they mourn together.

They are also amazing in their ability to run to eachother in the time of need or find the resources through their networks to make sure things are done correctly. I cannot tell you how much we benefited from K.Mehri when TH's dad needed help and we were 700 miles away.

I love them all.

nm

view from afar

Shemiran, north Tehran, April 2007, photo courtesy of the published one.

How I wish I could be there to see my dad see everyone again.

nm

Happy New Year 1386!

Narcissus, March 2006. Seattle, WA.

I'm off to surprise my father for his birthday.

He's a new year's baby and its the first No Ruz I have spent with my parents since 2002.

Here's hoping spring brings you all joy and peace.

nm

catch up....

Crocus, March 2007, Seattle, WA taken with macro lens.

Catching my breath here. It has been a week and it is only Tuesday.

My spacebar seems seems to be having some issues orshouldIsay,myspacebarseemstobehavingsome issues?

Oy!

I have caught a small cold from some unknown vector. Half the folks
at my meeting last week were sick. I am not amused. I am still functioning, however, part of me would be quite happy to curl up in a corner and take a nap. The other part would love to be staring at my computer screen trying to reconcile data formats and decide how to archive model runs.

Wow, what excitement my career has brought me!

I love my new very lovely macro lens. It rocks the free world, whatever that means.

I am going to California twice next week. It is a secret, so don't tell my dad.

Tonight was the eve of the last Wednesday before the new year (Persian New Year). I know I have blogged about it before, but this year, I was caught off guard. I did receive my Adele by Mail - Deluxe Noruz in a box kit for young Iranian women who can't get it together in time. Thanks Mom!

I just need to drop all the goods in my own containers and I'm done. The last few years we have been in Italy for Persian New Year, so I have managed to put assemble my travelling haft-sin. This year, I'm here sort of and I can't get things arranged.

It'll get done, trust me, even if I have to call every freaking bank in the Seattle area to find new one dollar bills.

Other than that, last week, Ernest turned one. He's quite adorable. Go see him here.

We're still doing the race a month thing here at floraandflying. Trying to convince my dear friends that the race for the cure is a decent day of running and walking and that we can all wear pink boobage enhancing shirts. I am trying to convince a few (ehem, you know who you are) that it is for a good cause). I may have to bribe them with boas.