Of towels, picnics, & comments

Matt fixed my laptop last night - and by "fixed" I mean "broke" - in a well-intentioned effort to make it faster.  He assures me the last 6 years of family photos are safe but this is a good reminder to back them up elsewhere as I'm on his computer right now and mine is nearby making sporadic whirling beeping noises despite being closed up and presumably off. 

I was going to post photos of my son's first train ride (10 days ago - yes, am a little behind) but that will have to wait for daddy to dig himself out of the foxhole to work his magic.  This past weekend was the first event-less one in a while but I spent all of Saturday doing laundry and much of Sunday at work, so nothing much to discuss (except to idly wonder how four people can generate three loads of laundry a day.  I swear the towels are breeding - clandestine trysts when the bathrooms get steamy?  Oops! This is supposed to be a family friendly blogspace).  This coming weekend Matt has to work (again! schedule change still forthcoming. gah!) so I'm going to take the kids to the company picnic solo.  My girl's first introduction to corporate America.  This will be the big company picnic, not just my little section with people who regularly see my kids' photos and who, even if few have ever asked directly, have gleaned the extra bit of magic that's in our lives.  I'm completely calm about this now (I've also had a glass of wine)... but I will take great pains on the day of to make sure her hair bows match and her dress is ironed.  I will smile and laugh, the doting mother, while I ignore the second glances and long stares.  I'm sure we'll have a fabulous time.

And since I'm speaking of work, I once made inquiries into our local DS chapter about a company grant but they assured me they are already recipients and that some other parents work there too.  I mean it's a BIG company, but how cool would that be?  Especially since I seem to be striking out in the finding-similar-moms -for-playdates field (partly through my own lack of effort but I'm hoping school in the fall makes it a mite easier). 

And last... I failed.  I went to a lunch with a bunch of co-workers and one used the R-word.  Not someone I know well.  Said in the midst of light hearted conversation.  The witty crushing speech that I occasionally practice in my head?  Was abandoned.  Instead I simply said "Really?  Do you have to use THAT word?"  Granted it was said with tone, but not really the grand defining moment I'd envisioned.  It took the guy a minute to figure out what the hell I was talking about, he apologised, and it was barely a blip.  The thing about my witty crushing speech is that it's not really appropriate for the light conversations in which people would be most likely to use it.  So I need a new comment.  One that I'll actually use, and yet has a bit more oomph than the verbal equivalent of "knock it off".  Any bits of genius y'all want to share?