an indoor day (lyn)

A few days ago, I tell Alexander that Friday will be our day together. “And you get to choose what we do, where we go, and what we eat.”  I make some suggestions:

“What about the Carsten Holler exhibit at The New Museum?”

“Or, would you rather go to The International Photography Center?”

“What about seeing the 911 Memorial?

“Do you still want some new shirts?  We could go shopping.”

I don’t bother mentioning a movie (which he’d rather see with friends, and besides, I have every good movie at home) or a play (he views theater as punishment).

In my fantasized view of the day, I picture an early start, maybe a museum in the morning, a nice lunch, and then some shopping and walking around Soho in the afternoon.

It takes hours to get Alexander out of bed, showered and moving.  Finally, around 12:30, he decides on bagels, with lox and cream cheese, so we begin the day with a very late breakfast and episode #8 of Homeland (our recently discovered new favorite show; we want to finish all twelve episodes before Alexander returns to school on Monday).

At two pm, I finally convince Alexander that we should leave the house.  He asks for ten minutes and then falls asleep.  Later he tells me he was up until five this morning; "I couldn't sleep."

We never leave the house.  Instead, I bake some lemon bars, we order in sushi, and together watch another episode of Homeland.

Later, Zelia, Robyn and her friend Arlen come over to watch Senna.  Zelia, who hasn't seen Alexander since the summer, mentions that he looks heavier.  "Your face looks fuller," is how she puts it.  Alexander gets on the scale and sure enough, he's up ten pounds.  But at 162 and 5'10", he still looks slim.  He has more discipline than I do.  He passes on the lemon bars and starts quizzing Zelia on a healthy snack list she recently sent to her son.  I should tell him right now; my weight watchers scale is not going to Cornell.