Showing posts with label st louis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label st louis. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

4/23/13

Dear Temple,
I hope this note finds you well and happy. It's rainy here today. Your Aunt Crystal and I were sitting on the couch and listening to piano music while reading. Which is about as close to contact sports as I've gotten in years, unless you count the guy I accidentally bumped at our local coffee shop while reaching for my Latte.

Your Aunt Crystal is reading a book called Strapless. It's about the historical significance of French art and artists. She's finding it a fascinating and compelling read. She shares anecdotes from the book with me, which I thoroughly enjoy. Reading something like that, a person can really feel a sense of personal and intellectual growth.

I'm reading The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In my book Gimli the Dwarf just chopped off a Goblin's head and said, "Arrgh!"

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy I'm reading used to be my father's. Cracking the books open I get a faint, familiar musty smell that reminds me of the basement bookshelf where he used to keep it. It makes me smile.

The letter is going to be a bit short today. I'm not feeling my best and it steals my words.
I love you much and miss you always,
Uncle Justin

Thursday, November 15, 2012

11/15/12

Dear Temple,
I hope this note finds you well and happy. Today was a pretty full day. I got the little ones ready for their visit to their biological dad and his girlfriend. Funny how I got his kids as well as my own and myself showered/bathed, fed, nails clipped, clothed, packed and to the pick-up spot five minutes early - and he couldn't get his own posterior up and dressed to be on time. He was fifteen minutes late and by the time the baby was pretty upset.
I was a little upset myself. I had scheduled to pick up our new son at 2:30. This meant that I had should have had alone time with Elijah from 9 until 2:30. Alone time that we will rarely see from this point onward. Any reason that time was encroached upon, especially when it's a selfish/stupid reason - didn't sit well with me.
Oh well, Elijah and I had a good time. We went to the Art Museum and the Zoo. We made it through everything at the art museum. I felt like we were speed walking. Never had I been slapped with so much culture at such alarming speed.
Elijah knew many of the artists work on sight. He knew Warhol, Kline (that's the stuff you like dad), Monet, Rembrandt and Van Gogh. I was pretty proud. Your Aunt Crystal has been working with him. We saw a really good media installation piece - James Nares' Street.
The zoo was fun. We saw everything we wanted too. It's nice to be able to go during the day since exhibits like the sea lions, which is usually a long wait, was empty and we could watch at our leisure. The animals are very interactive when there isn't a crowd around. Elijah played with Lemurs, monkeys and a baby sea lion.
Then we went to the camels. I didn't want to go to the camels but Elijah said we had too. He didn't want to miss the show. There is this one camel that hates my guts. He just watches me when there is a big crowd, but when it's just us he always trots over and just stares me down with unbridled menace. Once he spit at me. I don't like him either. I'm not sure really why we hate each other so much, but we do. Elijah thinks its hilarious.
I will get him in the end though. Once my novel sells and I make my millions, I plan to provided a large endowment to the zoo. I wouldn't ask for anything in return for such philanthropy....maybe just one little thing - a 40 ounce camel steak.
I love you much and miss you always,
                  Uncle Justin