Washtenaw County's Colorless, Odorless, Killer

We are in the process of buying a house that failed its Radon test in a manner my inexperience deems spectacular. Evidently it's a common problem for the area, and mitigating Radon isn't that hard. All I knew about Radon I learned from Nathan TerMolen's poem. His poetry can be terrifying taking the commonest items and making them murderous. It has been at least six years since I heard him read it, and the image of the silent invader destroying a woman's lungs cannot be forgotten. Especially now that it's my lungs and my husband's lungs and my kid's lungs. 

God bless Wikipedia. The whole thing becomes a science lesson. Many different government sites explain reassuring practices for abatement and why and how they work. I look at pictures of our current system with my newly educated eyes and scoff that such a system would ever be considered sufficient in the first place. I imagine the amazingly complex structure and rigorous testing schedule we will follow, and I scoff at at Radon. I mock and I laugh. 

Until I remember Nathan's poem, then I cover my mouth with both hands.

222Rn

A snake made of absolute

shadow, held together by 

glass scales that spar, nod

and wink in light. It chose to

adorn itself with thick mist,

an aura the color of blood 

fresh to air. So heavy. Clung

to the ground like a beaten

dog, it slips in sideways

through foundation cracks.

Cobra as vapor — a donned

hood, black tongue tasting air. 

A grazing bite starts down-road 

through parted lips, starts a mute 

riot in lungs, leaves widowers — crumpled 

wet paper behind

                                     a quiet

ever-sneaking

               tail.

                                                            

Anniversary Upgrade

I've been making regular visits to Ann Arbor, and whatever was cheapest on Expedia was good enough to put a roof over our heads. This last visit we decided to invest in an upgrade since it was our anniversary. There are a number of great hotels in Ann Arbor if you believe the web hype. I am partial to jacuzzi tubs, so The Regent Hotel of Ann Arbor earned our business.

The room was nicely decorated, very clean, and came with a fridge and microwave standard. The jacuzzi tub was one of the nicest ones we've been in. All the finishings were granite and quality wood. The carpet in the hallway was plush, and few sounds of people coming and going were audible. We didn't make it to the breakfast, but it sounded good. We also missed using the hot tub, pool, pool table, and a lovely outdoor sitting area. There's also great eats nearby.

It was a happy place to celebrate 20 years of marriage, and I imagine it would be wonderful for lots of other occasions as well.

Orientearing

The biggest thing about Ann Arbor is The University of Michigan. Our daughter is a freshman this year, and as such we all had to participate in Orientation. It was all fine and good until the time came for her to join the student queue. At that moment it was like sending her off to the Hunger Games. We had our own queue involving money, and a fancy binder, and name tags, so off we went. The day was well planned and well spent. All the key aspects of life on campus were covered in a light-hearted way, and everyone pretended not to notice that you were crying. Lunch was served in the Michigan Union, and it made me feel very important and pampered. We met the nicest couple who had eight children to our puny six, and we got along right away. I have to admit we kept hoping Mea would answer our texts, but she was terribly busy with placement tests and such. 

The second day they let us see the kids for a single joint session. I was late arriving, so I missed the best opportunity for exchanging gossip. She looked to be in good shape, and later I found out she was. The second day was only a half, and not as much fun as we quickly lost our student orientation leaders--in our case, Marissa, Ross, and Sarah. They did a great job turning difficult days into victories.

Mea still had the rest of the second day and half of a third to finish. Kurt had to go to work, so I was on my own. I grabbed a quick lunch, shopped a little bit, but mostly I plunked myself down in the Law Quad. What a beautiful space! Quiet, shady, the old buildings are powerfully present without being intimidating. They seem welcoming, glad to work with you. I found lots of empty benches and sat down to work on the idea for this blog. 

Orientation was really Mea's big step, but I fell in love with the university as well.

Where Everybody Knew My Name

In the Muskegon area there are very few places where a woman can sit down and get to work and feel comfortable on Saturday night. For me, Saturday is the best time to separate from my kids and do intellectual work.  Barnes and Noble became my nurturing home away from home every Saturday after mass.

They say start with what you know, and I know Barnes and Noble. I've eaten almost everything on the cafe menu (Personal faves--Turkey Chipotle Panini, Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, and Double Chocolate Cupcake, excellent for ending writer's block). I never walk by the sales table and bargain shelves--homeschoolers use all those quirky books. It's also a great place to take kids for one on one time or for special rewards.

The Ann Arbor B&N is much larger than the Muskegon store. Every department offers more and better. There are two escalators that will be thrill rides for some of my kids and a reason to read more challenging books for others, win/win for me. This store also has new to me departments like the music and film area. 

Everything is familiar but better. I think there will be times when it will be comforting to come back here where everybody knew my name.