LETTERS HOME: BATMAN AND BEACHES

September 25, 1992

Dear Folks,

Sorry for the time lag between letters, but it's been a zoo around here. Thank goodness though, we've finally moved!!! That's not to say that P.T. Arun has done any of the painting or repairs they promised, or even that we have any furniture (they wouldn't just let us bring the furniture from the other house -- that's class 3 furniture, and it can't go in a class 2 house, of course), but we are living in it, nonetheless! Our new phone extension is 1246 (house #66) if anyone is interested. My dilemma now is whether to rush like crazy and get things hung on the walls before the girls come to play Shanghai here next week, or wait until Carolyn gets here at Christmas, to tell me how to do it right! (besides, knowing John, he will rearrange the furniture at least 10 more times before he's satisfied with it) Speaking of Shanghai, have any of you played it since I left? Last night one of my friends had all of us gals over for a "Ladies Night Out" party (her husband is on the night shift this week). We all had to come dressed in PJs or loungewear, and we played Shanghai and acted silly. Great fun, especially since I happened to have a brand new ensemble I could wear (thanks Twit!). Just wish I had taken my camera -- there was blackmail material at that party! I'm also relearning how to play Mah Jong with a few of the ladies, but it's nothing like the Chinese version that I used to play. Now I play like all the little Jewish ladies in NY and Florida.

We had Austin's Batman birthday party last Saturday. I changed plans at the last minute, what with the move being in progress, and opted for a swimming party up at the snack bar. This year it was NO GIRLS ALLOWED (other than Mom and big sister), and everyone had to bring a water gun. Of course, his gun was the biggest and the best, thanks again to Uncle Twit. John told Austin he made a big mistake not inviting girls, because they make the very best targets!

That same evening we went to a big shrimp boil in honor of Danny Reeh's 36th birthday. Umm-Umm-Good! Unfortunately for Danny, the very next day he took his family to the beach and got stabbed in the foot by a stingray or something, in water that was only up to his ankles! He was in agony for about 4 hours. Good thing I didn't know about this a couple of weeks ago when we had our big Beach Day for the kids. They were out there most of the day taking sailboat and boogey board rides. I was nervous enough as it was!

Ms. Patti, our official cowgirl, bought a wee horse locally, and brought it to the beach that day, to let the kids ride it.

School seems to be going pretty well for the kids. Austin is usually bubbling over about something almost every day when he gets home. He learned how to draw a rocket in art, and now spends hours working on them. Alexis gave him some of those fancy template rulers for his birthday, and he's usually spread out on the terrazzo floor with giant sheets of butcher paper, working on some new design. He's also having great fun being a Tiger Cub Scout. I'm so happy that one of the new moms came prepared with all the supplies for doing that. Luckily for Alexis (not so lucky for me) they've started a new after school sports program for the older kids twice a week, then on Thursday evenings they make their parents come up and play games with the kids. We just finished several weeks of volleyball, and Lex just loved it that she was better at it than me. If she thought I was bad at that, just wait til she sees me playing soccer next week!

Guess that's about all the news for now, except that we are now able to special order certain fruits and vegetables from Jakarta, and they bring them in each Friday on the company plane. Last week we had fresh asparagus, mushrooms and strawberries for the first time in over a year, and it was WONDERFUL! Which means it probably won't last. Well, take care everyone, and write soon. We're off to Singapore this afternoon to take Alexis to the orthodontist (Austin opted to stay with a buddy). MEXICAN food for dinner tonight!