It was a cold and rainy night...
Sep. 19th, 2007 09:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elfsOmaha had to be up at the Longhouse yesterday evening to rehearse for this Saturday's ceremony with the rest of her coven. I had, at first, discouraged the idea that we should all go up there. It's usually a 45 minute drive and most of the facilities would be locked up and off limits, but after calling two of the other participants we determined that there would be other kids there and Kouryou-chan and Yamaraashi-chan would at least have a chance to run around and use up energy.
The drive turned out to be much longer, almost 90 minutes. The rush-hour traffic through the S-curves of I-405 Northbound wasn't bad at all, but part of our route took us right through Redmond and SR202, and the huge volumes of traffic disbursing from Microsoft to their burbclaves made the last two miles of the trek a half-hour slog. I mean that bit about burbclaves literally: gated communinities with twelve-foot-high cement walls to block out road noise that make the roads feel more like buried canals through which cars slink like illicit salamanders.
By the time we'd reached the longhouse the skies had prematurely darkened with grey, heavy stormclouds rolling in from the mountains. We were late, but others were ever moreso. Once everyone arrived there was a brief frenzy of feeding upon chicken, chips, bread, and salad.
And then the ritualists went off to practice. As the only person there who was not a ritualist, it became my duty to oversee the children, a grand total of six, three girls and three boys, the eldest of which was 12 and the youngest of which was five. We were not allowed into the house, just the grounds, and even as the ritualists trundled out to the circle the rain started to come down and hammer on the canvas-covered shelter.
The rain passed and the kids broke out into the small field and started an impromptu game of frisbee. The smallest child, C., had forgotten to bring anything with which to stay warm and when the temperature dropped below 15C it was everything I could do to encourage her to run around and stay warm.
I will say that part of me is sad Omaha and I never had a boy; they look like they're fun after they get over their childhood stupidities and race into their adolescent stupidities instead. But I'm happy with Kouryou-chan and Yamaraashi-chan just they way they are, and I think raising them has been more than satisfying and worthwhile. And probably easier.
In due time rehearsal was done. Everyone was chilled, and I was already exhausted. The drive home was uneventful. We got home and watered the cat, put the kids to bed, and then just crashed. Omaha went at 9:30. I stayed up an extra half-hour, but the second I went to bed I was down and out for the count.
The drive turned out to be much longer, almost 90 minutes. The rush-hour traffic through the S-curves of I-405 Northbound wasn't bad at all, but part of our route took us right through Redmond and SR202, and the huge volumes of traffic disbursing from Microsoft to their burbclaves made the last two miles of the trek a half-hour slog. I mean that bit about burbclaves literally: gated communinities with twelve-foot-high cement walls to block out road noise that make the roads feel more like buried canals through which cars slink like illicit salamanders.
By the time we'd reached the longhouse the skies had prematurely darkened with grey, heavy stormclouds rolling in from the mountains. We were late, but others were ever moreso. Once everyone arrived there was a brief frenzy of feeding upon chicken, chips, bread, and salad.
And then the ritualists went off to practice. As the only person there who was not a ritualist, it became my duty to oversee the children, a grand total of six, three girls and three boys, the eldest of which was 12 and the youngest of which was five. We were not allowed into the house, just the grounds, and even as the ritualists trundled out to the circle the rain started to come down and hammer on the canvas-covered shelter.
The rain passed and the kids broke out into the small field and started an impromptu game of frisbee. The smallest child, C., had forgotten to bring anything with which to stay warm and when the temperature dropped below 15C it was everything I could do to encourage her to run around and stay warm.
I will say that part of me is sad Omaha and I never had a boy; they look like they're fun after they get over their childhood stupidities and race into their adolescent stupidities instead. But I'm happy with Kouryou-chan and Yamaraashi-chan just they way they are, and I think raising them has been more than satisfying and worthwhile. And probably easier.
In due time rehearsal was done. Everyone was chilled, and I was already exhausted. The drive home was uneventful. We got home and watered the cat, put the kids to bed, and then just crashed. Omaha went at 9:30. I stayed up an extra half-hour, but the second I went to bed I was down and out for the count.
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Date: 2007-09-19 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-19 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-20 05:13 pm (UTC)