Small Talk 12-07-09

I am sitting here in the suite, listening the boys practice evil laughs and forbidding threats in the manner of Marvel Comics. Not that they've read any, but I think Star Wars suffices for fodder. And now they are doing their variations of a Marx Brothers movie. I am ready to believe this week truly is magic.

On top of this, we have deduced the whereabouts of the soft toy known as Big Bear. (Eamon had no recollection that he was ever called that and declared, "He's not big." Then I pointed out that Big Bear dates back to his first birthday and the concept relative size was remembered. "Oooohhhhh. Could I even carry him?"

During our everyone who is here to see Jack collect his Nobel come to our rooms soiree Eamon came out of his safe zone, that is, his bedroom, and asked where his bear might be. He was looking for it, he went up to Marjorie and asked in a clear, soft voice if she knew where it might be.

Many folks looked but I decided a final run through rooms would have to wait until everyone had gone. We fairly turned this place over, no bear. Throughout thsi I asked Eamon, did you bring him in the limo, did you bring him to breakfast. Margie revealed that she had seen bear in our rooms when she dropped by after 11:00 a.m., before the lectures. I didn't remember seeing her and that is when I remembered this tid bit. Jack and the boys had fittings for their tuxedos today, but at different places, so a car was sent the three of us while Jack took the limo to his. I had a facial scheduled for ten nearby (the spa here was booked and my free time is rare) So I dropped the boys back here and they went up to the rooms while I was whisked off to my appointment. I did not see the boys until I met up with them again at the lecture hall for the Nobel in Medicine or Physiology lectures. This meant that Jack had got them dressed and to the limo by himself. I began to surmise that an anxious father might have coaxed a reluctant child to come along quickly by telling him he could take his bear. I asked Eamon again, maybe you brought it with you in the limo? No. He was certain. We looked in and under, around and over everything in the room again. No bear. Eamon and I went to the front desk to inquire about the bear. No bear, there. Up in the room again I worried Eamon would never go to sleep for fretting over his bear. Marjorie kindly offered to let him borrow her leopard (long story) but I thought it better not to as if would be likely to take as a write-off of bear, or at least an indication that we consider bear replaceable. Jack comes into the boys bedroom. "Who was carrying your coat this morning?" (It was noon, really, but this wasn't the time to get technical on him.) "I don't know," Eamon said. "I was, his Dad said. "Remember, I said you could bring bear because we were running late?" you could almost see the memory surfacing, him holding bear by one paw, being urged along, yet again, by Dad to go somewhere in this suit and tie. Then a concern, "I didn't see him in the limo." "It was dark, I said, plus Kiki put something in the trunk. Maybe it was bear, because she didn't want him stepped on."

It didn't happen exactly as I thought, but pretty close. Call me MOM.

In other news of the day - they rushed off in the limo to pick me up, but when I came out of the galleria they weren't there. I thought maybe I missed them, or perhaps I'd come out the wrong door so I decided to walk toward the hotel, just five minutes away. When I got to the hotel I asked Carol Greider's aide de camp, "Did Jack Szostak leave?" Yep. Damn, so I begged two things of her, could I ride with them to the lectures, and could she call Britt-Marie and let her know I was going to do so.
So it all worked out in the end. But when I suggested to Britt-Marie that I take the family and guests bus or catch a taxi to the Chemistry lectures she seemed as though she had never heard of such a breach of protocol. I was to ride with Carol Greider and family again. As the spouse of a laureate I am required to arrive in a suitable car, it appears, and Jack will be going from the grade school where he is giving a talk straight to the lectures in order to be on time.