So I'm flying solo for a few days while J is in Florida. B has been sick so we haven't really gotten out very much this weekend. On the plus side, I did manage to finish painting the dining room - pictures to come soon. But by yesterday afternoon, we were all starting to climb the (freshly painted) walls, so the kiddos and I decided to get out of the house and go the park. On the way to the park, we went by Sonic for some yummy goodness. I made a slight misstep and got a drink with caffeine in it. Not smart, but I didn't think about it at the time.
Last night, we were supposed to get some rough weather. I am a complete and utter weather nerd - I love watching storms roll through, I like to keep up with what is going on, and the weather simply fascinates me. Always has.
So last night after the kiddos were in bed, I checked into my weather sites while sort of watching the Oscars on mute. Turns out there are quite a few weather nerds out there, so I followed the chat room at one of the local news stations, watched the radars, and listened to the wind blow through the screen door. It was a really nice night out.
Around 11, the Oscars over and the weather portion of the regular news done, I took my laptop and sat on the back porch to enjoy the breeze and nice weather. I got settled outside, and resumed my weather watching ('cause that's just what I do). I hadn't been out there more than a minute or two when I felt the deck sway back and forth a few times.
"Huh," I thought. "That's a bit strange - wonder if we need to get the deck checked? I mean, it is windy, but I've never felt the wind blow the deck back and forth."
I then turned back to the laptop screen and immediately started seeing people in the chat room saying "Earthquake!", "Big one!", and "Just felt a big earthquake!"
Um, maybe it wasn't the wind that made the deck sway after all... Almost immediately I saw lights come on in other houses nearby, and figure maybe other folks felt it too. I just had the good fortune to be sitting outside ... on a deck that swayed ... several feet above ground.
Thus ended my mostly pleasant night on the deck as I beat a hasty retreat to the house. The earthquake was a 4.7 about 30 miles away, and I'm fairly certain that's what I felt. Between the adrenaline that little adventure prompted, the caffeine I'd gotten in the afternoon, and the impending storms? Yeah, sleep did not come easy or plentiful last night. Great way to start the week.
On the plus side, I can now say I've felt an earthquake. I'm not sure that was on my bucket list, but whatever. I've got cred now. Or something like that.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Too Many Questions, Too Early in the Morning
Too early Sunday morning. There are several questions going through my mind right now:
- Is it bad to chase a Diet Coke (told you I wasn't going cold turkey) with a cup of coffee?
- Why are my pancakes so damn thick this morning? Did I mess up my measurements in trying to make 1.5 batches, as opposed to just one? (See, above: need caffeine drip)
- Is it better to feed my kiddos homemade buttermilk pancakes with lots o' butter and buttermilk for breakfast before school, as opposed to Eggo waffles? I can't help but think yes, but I don't have anything to back that up.
- Mmmm...coffee. I know that wasn't a question. Deal. I'm in a mood.
- Are these the ugliest pancakes I've ever made?
- J left for Florida this morning for a few days. Aren't we lucky that we've got such a great relationship that he can say how happy he is to be getting the hell out of dodge for a few days? (see above: mood.)
- Will my boy be able to go to school tomorrow? See: 101.5 degree temp, sore throat, Lego Star Wars as a cure all.
- Should I ban all electronics from our bedroom? See: beeping and text notifications at ungodly hours of the night. See also: light sleeper.
- What am I going to try to do to today...other than take an apparently much-needed nap?
- Will I get my 12 miler in? See: not really feelin' it yet, plus childcare issue.
- EDIT: Does it matter if said pancakes are ugly when it appears I'm the only one who is going to eat them? Mmmm...chocolate chip...
Friday, February 25, 2011
TGIF
Well, it's a new day, and a much better one at that! Let's make this a little more optimistic than yesterday, shall we? We had no arguments or squabbles in the process of getting ready this morning, so apparently yesterday was made an impression on all of us. WHEW, glad that's over with. I think everyone in this house is glad it is Friday.
On tap for today? Well, work, a 3 miler somewhere in there, book club tonight (girl time - woo hoo!), and possibly getting started on the dining room paint project. Although I'm not sure how likely that last one is...
I've got a tennis match tomorrow morning at 8:30, so I'll have to behave tonight at book club. And I think there's a birthday party sometime tomorrow for the kiddos...need to find the invitation, now that I think about it.
I guess I'm also due for a 12 miler on Sunday which will mean a good two or three hour chunk out of my day (I'm slow, plus prep and recover time...), so I need to figure out how I'm gonna fit that one in, along with all the other weekend chores. Ahhh, remember when the weekends were time to recharge? *snort*
On the plus side, the half marathon is next weekend! Woo hoo! I can take a week or so off after that, and start spreading the longer runs out a little. Maybe I'll look at a marathon in the fall. One of these days the stars will align correctly...
On tap for today? Well, work, a 3 miler somewhere in there, book club tonight (girl time - woo hoo!), and possibly getting started on the dining room paint project. Although I'm not sure how likely that last one is...
I've got a tennis match tomorrow morning at 8:30, so I'll have to behave tonight at book club. And I think there's a birthday party sometime tomorrow for the kiddos...need to find the invitation, now that I think about it.
I guess I'm also due for a 12 miler on Sunday which will mean a good two or three hour chunk out of my day (I'm slow, plus prep and recover time...), so I need to figure out how I'm gonna fit that one in, along with all the other weekend chores. Ahhh, remember when the weekends were time to recharge? *snort*
On the plus side, the half marathon is next weekend! Woo hoo! I can take a week or so off after that, and start spreading the longer runs out a little. Maybe I'll look at a marathon in the fall. One of these days the stars will align correctly...
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Rough Mornings
This morning was a rough morning at our house, and I did something I should probably feel badly about, but I don't.
Let me explain.
Both of our kiddos have alarm clocks that go off about 6:40. The girl's goes off about 90 seconds before the boy's, so she's usually down the stairs first. She's gotten into the habit of jumping up into bed with me and snuggling for a few minutes before we really start our day. It's been a very nice part of the morning.
The problem is, the boy is now wanting to get into bed to snuggle with us, too. This would be fine, except neither of them wants to be in the middle between J and I; both want to be between me and the edge of the bed.
If my girl knew how to take turns, it wouldn't be a big deal. We'd just rotate through each day; one day the boy is in the middle, the next day, the girl. But apparently 4.5 year olds are still going through those fun kinds of phases. And we are solidly in one right now. This phase involves: crying muchly over small things; only wanting her way; not wanting to take turns; not understanding that when I say no. And the whining. My god the whining.
So I'm already lacking a little in patience for her, which admittedly, I need to work on.
This morning, the girl's alarm goes off as usual. I was in the middle of a pretty deep sleep, and awaken to the sounds of doors slamming and feet pounding down the stairs. Oy.
The girl gets there first and immediately wants up on my side of the bed. I tell her that it's her brother's turn to be there, and she gets the middle. Consistent with the phase I mentioned above, I immediately get a "no." By now, the boy has made it downstairs and wants to snuggle, too. I try again to explain to the girl (as they are both pressed against the side of my bed, arguing) that it is not her turn; it is B's turn to be on the edge of the bed.
No dice.
At this point, both the girl and the boy attempt to climb up onto the bed, elbows, knees and heads banging together against them and me (as they are literally on top of me now). I think I might've tried one more time to get my point across, but it was lost in the cacophony. I was irritable at being woken up like this, and more pissed that they were ignoring me.
So I did what I do to the cat when I can't take it any more (because the cat usually occupies the space between me and the edge of the bed). Sudden body roll towards the edge of the bed while yanking up the covers = two kids OFF MY BED NOW AND ON THE FLOOR.
I was probably harsher than I needed to be, but I was more than a little tired of being ignored. The boy rebounded immediately, figured out that his presence was probably not needed or even welcome in our bedroom, and beat a hasty exit. He was completely fine the rest of the morning.
The girl? Not so much. She hit the ground and immediately started crying because her knee hurt. Every parent knows the difference in cries between "my knee really hurts" and "I'm not getting my way." This was the latter. I let J handle the aftermath, I was simply too pissed off about the situation to do anything else.
The morning actually ended fine. The girl eventually came out of her sobbing fit, the boy was fine, and they were happy kids going to school.
And now I'm torn as to whether I should feel badly for pitching them off the bed. Because really, they are old enough to know better. And old enough to learn the consequences when you don't do what you are asked or when you hurt other people. I'm sure there are better ways to get my point across, but for some reason, that was the only thing I could think of when I was still mostly asleep and getting pummeled at 6:40 am. Tomorrow is another day, right?
Let me explain.
Both of our kiddos have alarm clocks that go off about 6:40. The girl's goes off about 90 seconds before the boy's, so she's usually down the stairs first. She's gotten into the habit of jumping up into bed with me and snuggling for a few minutes before we really start our day. It's been a very nice part of the morning.
The problem is, the boy is now wanting to get into bed to snuggle with us, too. This would be fine, except neither of them wants to be in the middle between J and I; both want to be between me and the edge of the bed.
If my girl knew how to take turns, it wouldn't be a big deal. We'd just rotate through each day; one day the boy is in the middle, the next day, the girl. But apparently 4.5 year olds are still going through those fun kinds of phases. And we are solidly in one right now. This phase involves: crying muchly over small things; only wanting her way; not wanting to take turns; not understanding that when I say no. And the whining. My god the whining.
So I'm already lacking a little in patience for her, which admittedly, I need to work on.
This morning, the girl's alarm goes off as usual. I was in the middle of a pretty deep sleep, and awaken to the sounds of doors slamming and feet pounding down the stairs. Oy.
The girl gets there first and immediately wants up on my side of the bed. I tell her that it's her brother's turn to be there, and she gets the middle. Consistent with the phase I mentioned above, I immediately get a "no." By now, the boy has made it downstairs and wants to snuggle, too. I try again to explain to the girl (as they are both pressed against the side of my bed, arguing) that it is not her turn; it is B's turn to be on the edge of the bed.
No dice.
At this point, both the girl and the boy attempt to climb up onto the bed, elbows, knees and heads banging together against them and me (as they are literally on top of me now). I think I might've tried one more time to get my point across, but it was lost in the cacophony. I was irritable at being woken up like this, and more pissed that they were ignoring me.
So I did what I do to the cat when I can't take it any more (because the cat usually occupies the space between me and the edge of the bed). Sudden body roll towards the edge of the bed while yanking up the covers = two kids OFF MY BED NOW AND ON THE FLOOR.
I was probably harsher than I needed to be, but I was more than a little tired of being ignored. The boy rebounded immediately, figured out that his presence was probably not needed or even welcome in our bedroom, and beat a hasty exit. He was completely fine the rest of the morning.
The girl? Not so much. She hit the ground and immediately started crying because her knee hurt. Every parent knows the difference in cries between "my knee really hurts" and "I'm not getting my way." This was the latter. I let J handle the aftermath, I was simply too pissed off about the situation to do anything else.
The morning actually ended fine. The girl eventually came out of her sobbing fit, the boy was fine, and they were happy kids going to school.
And now I'm torn as to whether I should feel badly for pitching them off the bed. Because really, they are old enough to know better. And old enough to learn the consequences when you don't do what you are asked or when you hurt other people. I'm sure there are better ways to get my point across, but for some reason, that was the only thing I could think of when I was still mostly asleep and getting pummeled at 6:40 am. Tomorrow is another day, right?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
And J Starts to Twitch Uncontrollably...
Every now and then I get the urge to tackle house projects. It usually ends up being more of a pain in the ass than I ever imagined and takes much longer than anticipated (see: the half bath redo that took at least 6 months and resulted in my finally hiring someone to get the damn thing done). But in my defense, it usually looks pretty good at the end (please to ignore the Tang orange color I managed to paint our kitchen in Houston - it was cheerful, dammit!), and since I'm the only one who really cares about that sort of stuff...well? Why not.
Maybe it's just because the weather is getting nicer - but I'm getting the urge to tackle a house project. I'm thinking of something simple, like painting our dining room. It's very dark maroonish color, and when you combine that with the dark furniture and wood floors in here? It feels a bit tomb like. I'm pretty sure I could knock the dining room out over the weekend...
Besides, if I remember correctly, J is headed out of town for a few days next week...perfect timing, right J? Cue evil laugh.
Maybe it's just because the weather is getting nicer - but I'm getting the urge to tackle a house project. I'm thinking of something simple, like painting our dining room. It's very dark maroonish color, and when you combine that with the dark furniture and wood floors in here? It feels a bit tomb like. I'm pretty sure I could knock the dining room out over the weekend...
Besides, if I remember correctly, J is headed out of town for a few days next week...perfect timing, right J? Cue evil laugh.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Happiness - In a Year
So, I finished both the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and The Happiness Project in the last week or so. My book club is supposed to discuss Battle Hymn on Friday, so I think I'll wait until then to talk about it here.
But Happiness. It was ... interesting. And thought provoking. And something I'm not sure I could tackle, but it sounds cool. The premise is that the author, Gretchen Rubin, has something of an epiphany and spends a year focusing on happiness as a project - specifically, her happiness. It's not as selfish as it sounds, and her background research and readings sound intriguing.
She breaks the year down by focusing on a different aspect of happiness each month (playing, marriage, life passions, etc.), to produce a sort of cumulative effect over the year. I'm not sure I'm organized enough or have the forethought to spend an entire year on something like that, but the concept is pretty cool. I'm also not sure I have enough energy to do something like that. There was a lot of record keeping and work involved, and I'm not sure I could overcome my inherent laziness.
I expected the book to be a little self-helpy and maybe a bit campy, but it really wasn't. She had several excellent quotations scattered among the chapters (she has a reading list that looks quite interesting), and I've noticed my thoughts returning to the book several times in the last week or so as I encounter "challenging" situations. No, it's not a panacea or silver bullet or anything like that, but it does remind me that some of my thought processes might be a little too well-ingrained, and it might be time to reconsider some assumptions.
I think one of her later chapters, Attitude, probably hit home most for me. She focused on giving positive reviews, using good manners, laughing more. To use one of her quotes from Tolstoy, "Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness." This is something that I've lost sight of over the years, and this chapter helped bring a few things into focus. Some of her self descriptions sounded eerily familiar - rushing past people in a hurry, not thinking of others who might need to go first, not offering to help when the chance arises, having more than my share of cynicism, and being a "deflater."
I could do with a little thinking outside of myself at times (okay, probably a helluva lot more than a little), and it was interesting to read the challenges faced by someone doing so. There are plenty of things that I identified with in the book, and, on the other hand, just as many strategies that would never work for me. But at the end of the day, it was an interesting read. It has crossed my mind more than a few times since I finished, and if I can absorb a few strategies that help make me a little happier? Well, I consider that a few bucks well spent.
But Happiness. It was ... interesting. And thought provoking. And something I'm not sure I could tackle, but it sounds cool. The premise is that the author, Gretchen Rubin, has something of an epiphany and spends a year focusing on happiness as a project - specifically, her happiness. It's not as selfish as it sounds, and her background research and readings sound intriguing.
She breaks the year down by focusing on a different aspect of happiness each month (playing, marriage, life passions, etc.), to produce a sort of cumulative effect over the year. I'm not sure I'm organized enough or have the forethought to spend an entire year on something like that, but the concept is pretty cool. I'm also not sure I have enough energy to do something like that. There was a lot of record keeping and work involved, and I'm not sure I could overcome my inherent laziness.
I expected the book to be a little self-helpy and maybe a bit campy, but it really wasn't. She had several excellent quotations scattered among the chapters (she has a reading list that looks quite interesting), and I've noticed my thoughts returning to the book several times in the last week or so as I encounter "challenging" situations. No, it's not a panacea or silver bullet or anything like that, but it does remind me that some of my thought processes might be a little too well-ingrained, and it might be time to reconsider some assumptions.
I think one of her later chapters, Attitude, probably hit home most for me. She focused on giving positive reviews, using good manners, laughing more. To use one of her quotes from Tolstoy, "Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness." This is something that I've lost sight of over the years, and this chapter helped bring a few things into focus. Some of her self descriptions sounded eerily familiar - rushing past people in a hurry, not thinking of others who might need to go first, not offering to help when the chance arises, having more than my share of cynicism, and being a "deflater."
I could do with a little thinking outside of myself at times (okay, probably a helluva lot more than a little), and it was interesting to read the challenges faced by someone doing so. There are plenty of things that I identified with in the book, and, on the other hand, just as many strategies that would never work for me. But at the end of the day, it was an interesting read. It has crossed my mind more than a few times since I finished, and if I can absorb a few strategies that help make me a little happier? Well, I consider that a few bucks well spent.
Blah Blah Blah
Hellooooo Monday. Man, it was not easy getting out of bed this morning. The girl came down the stairs at 3am crying because her leg hurt. This happens with both of our kiddos every now and then, and J says it's probably just growing pains. He says he remembers getting them. Heh. Funny, I don't remember ever having those...
So I doped her up with some medicine, sent her back to bed, then was awake for the next hour. Lovely.
That, combined with tennis on Saturday and the 10 miler yesterday (which I did manage to eek out) means that I'm really, really gonna want a nap this afternoon. Caffeine, please and thanks.
I listened to the Weird Sisters for much of the run yesterday, and it did help make the time go faster. I'm not sure I RAN any faster, but that's not the point of a long run, anyway. But I'm enjoying the book - it's written by a writer who I believe is from Arkansas [Edit: not at all sure this is correct; her bio doesn't say anything about this], although the story itself is set in Ohio. I'm still waiting to see how she ends it, but it has been engaging for the first half, anyway.
And with that, I'm off to figure out what all needs to be done for work today. On to another week!
So I doped her up with some medicine, sent her back to bed, then was awake for the next hour. Lovely.
That, combined with tennis on Saturday and the 10 miler yesterday (which I did manage to eek out) means that I'm really, really gonna want a nap this afternoon. Caffeine, please and thanks.
I listened to the Weird Sisters for much of the run yesterday, and it did help make the time go faster. I'm not sure I RAN any faster, but that's not the point of a long run, anyway. But I'm enjoying the book - it's written by a writer who I believe is from Arkansas [Edit: not at all sure this is correct; her bio doesn't say anything about this], although the story itself is set in Ohio. I'm still waiting to see how she ends it, but it has been engaging for the first half, anyway.
And with that, I'm off to figure out what all needs to be done for work today. On to another week!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Motivation?
Let's see, it's been a couple of days. I've got a 10 miler scheduled this morning that I'm desperately trying to convince myself I really want to do (really, really, I do!).
Hm. Positive talk isn't working yet, but I'm hoping the coffee will kick in momentarily...
My team had our first tennis match of the season last night, and we won - woo hoo! We had a great season last year and ended up going to Southerns. We came within a match of playing in the finals for Nationals, so I think we're all hoping to give it another good run this year.
But on the down side, my legs are already a little tired from the match last night. Ugh. Not good motivation for the run. Wuss.
On an entirely different note, I finished two books this week, and I'm hoping to write a bit about each of them, but so far haven't managed to work in the time. I'm also trying out an audio book on my ipod, to see if that works for me. I've tried books on tape in the past, and they never worked for me - my mind would wander and I'd end up having to rewind the tape every ten minutes. I'm hoping this time around will be different.
I've also been trying out a new goal-setting mechanism that seems to be working pretty well. I'm beginning to think I need to keep the KISS principle in mind for more things in my life.
At any rate, time to load up the shuffle and pound the pavement. Or maybe go back to bed. The day has not yet declared itself...
Hm. Positive talk isn't working yet, but I'm hoping the coffee will kick in momentarily...
My team had our first tennis match of the season last night, and we won - woo hoo! We had a great season last year and ended up going to Southerns. We came within a match of playing in the finals for Nationals, so I think we're all hoping to give it another good run this year.
But on the down side, my legs are already a little tired from the match last night. Ugh. Not good motivation for the run. Wuss.
On an entirely different note, I finished two books this week, and I'm hoping to write a bit about each of them, but so far haven't managed to work in the time. I'm also trying out an audio book on my ipod, to see if that works for me. I've tried books on tape in the past, and they never worked for me - my mind would wander and I'd end up having to rewind the tape every ten minutes. I'm hoping this time around will be different.
I've also been trying out a new goal-setting mechanism that seems to be working pretty well. I'm beginning to think I need to keep the KISS principle in mind for more things in my life.
At any rate, time to load up the shuffle and pound the pavement. Or maybe go back to bed. The day has not yet declared itself...
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Noooo!!!!
Well, this just wrecked my week.
Time to Kill the Habit?
Is it better to have my Diet Coke and not kill anyone, or give it up and take everyone down with me? Maybe this shouldn't be my decision to make...
For what it's worth, this is about the last bastion I have of artificial foods. No, that doesn't mean I've given up fast food (*gasp*), but it does mean that given the choice between something low fat / low cal v. the real thing? I'll take the real thing every time. Except for my DC. *sniff*
It appears it's time to start an affair with coffee...helloooo my pretty...
Time to Kill the Habit?
Is it better to have my Diet Coke and not kill anyone, or give it up and take everyone down with me? Maybe this shouldn't be my decision to make...
For what it's worth, this is about the last bastion I have of artificial foods. No, that doesn't mean I've given up fast food (*gasp*), but it does mean that given the choice between something low fat / low cal v. the real thing? I'll take the real thing every time. Except for my DC. *sniff*
It appears it's time to start an affair with coffee...helloooo my pretty...
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Strange
Currently packing for my next trip to Houston. Wondering what sort of circumstances resulted in an old wine bottle cork taking up residence in my empty suitcase...probably best that I don't remember.
Lightness in the Dark
I managed to eek out a 3 mile run last night after dinner. I went to a nearby lake that I enjoy running around on the weekends, although I'd never before run it at night. But yesterday we finally got a taste of spring, and it just seemed silly to go treadmill at it with this wonderful weather.
I hit the lake at the tail end of dusk, with just a few streaks of light remaining in the sky. It was an amazingly nice night. No heavy clothing required, no gloves, no jacket - just shorts and short sleeves and a nice cool breeze. It was nice to feel 'light' again.
Towards the end, I hit a patch of the park where it got pretty dark. I really couldn't see much of the road beneath me. In some ways, it was a little like floating through the end of the run - mainly because I had to keep my footfalls light and quick so I didn't bust my ass on an unseen rock or pothole. But I had a good song on the Shuffle, the weather was fantastic, and my legs were happy with me. I found the zone and got lost in my run, even if it was only for a short time. It doesn't get any better.
After finishing, I walked for a few minutes around the lake, enjoying the night air and the peacefulness. When I started running three years ago, we were in a different city, and running at night unnerved the hell out of me. I was frightened to run on the sidewalks in our neighborhood, certain that some evil person was lurking behind the next tree. In case you are wondering? That doesn't lend itself to dropping into any zone other than one associated with a heart attack.
Last night, I was able to let go of most of that fear and uncomfortableness. When I was younger, dusk giving way to evening was probably my favorite time of the day. To me, that time of day lends itself to reflection, hope, and possibilities. Last night, I was able to conjure up just a taste of that again, a few fleeting minutes of the younger, more idealistic me. Just add that to the many reasons I run...well, that and chocolate of course!
I hit the lake at the tail end of dusk, with just a few streaks of light remaining in the sky. It was an amazingly nice night. No heavy clothing required, no gloves, no jacket - just shorts and short sleeves and a nice cool breeze. It was nice to feel 'light' again.
Towards the end, I hit a patch of the park where it got pretty dark. I really couldn't see much of the road beneath me. In some ways, it was a little like floating through the end of the run - mainly because I had to keep my footfalls light and quick so I didn't bust my ass on an unseen rock or pothole. But I had a good song on the Shuffle, the weather was fantastic, and my legs were happy with me. I found the zone and got lost in my run, even if it was only for a short time. It doesn't get any better.
After finishing, I walked for a few minutes around the lake, enjoying the night air and the peacefulness. When I started running three years ago, we were in a different city, and running at night unnerved the hell out of me. I was frightened to run on the sidewalks in our neighborhood, certain that some evil person was lurking behind the next tree. In case you are wondering? That doesn't lend itself to dropping into any zone other than one associated with a heart attack.
Last night, I was able to let go of most of that fear and uncomfortableness. When I was younger, dusk giving way to evening was probably my favorite time of the day. To me, that time of day lends itself to reflection, hope, and possibilities. Last night, I was able to conjure up just a taste of that again, a few fleeting minutes of the younger, more idealistic me. Just add that to the many reasons I run...well, that and chocolate of course!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
The Reading
My kindergarten son B is in the process of learning to read. I've always loved to read - it has been an escape and a passion for many years. I can't imagine not loving to read. But it's been a slow process for him.
The first week of kindergarten, he came home with what would turn out to be a year long assignment - read for 30 minutes every night (we've sort of modified that to reading every school night). The first few months, this half hour felt like an eternity.
I bought some young reader books that I thought he might like (Star Wars, Firetrucks, etc.), and we would painstakingly stumble through 5 pages or so. Each and every word would be an accomplishment, and each and every potential distraction had to be removed.
There would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth over that half hour, and at the 15 minute point, everyone in the house would be ready for a break. B would complain and whine that it was too hard and he didn't like to read and didn't want to read. But bit by bit, it got easier - he started reading words a little more smoothly, but still didn't seem to have the attention span or interest.
Then I spent most of January in Houston, and didn't read with him for over a month.
Once I started reading with him again in February, though, it was obvious something had finally clicked. He's been reading his books very smoothly, still sounding out a lot of words but his speed has picked up. Often, he'll sound out the words completely wrong, but in between sounding it out and starting again, he'll figure out what the word is and say it correctly.
Last night, he picked up a book he hadn't read before, one that is actually a couple levels above where he has been reading. It was a Star Wars book (god bless star wars), and after the first page or so, he complained that it was too hard. I convinced him to give it one more try, and he turned to a page where he ended up reading the word "unfortunately." He sounded it out, stumbled over it, then said it correctly without my help, and we both got these huge grins on our face. Holy crap, that was a HUGE word for him!
He was completely thrilled that he'd been able to read it all on his own. We switched to an easier reader after that, but his confidence got a huge boost, which has been so important for him.
His vocabulary got a huge boost, too, as it turned out. As I was telling him goodnight last night, he looked up me, and said "Mom? Unfortunately, I just tooted." Yay for boys.
The first week of kindergarten, he came home with what would turn out to be a year long assignment - read for 30 minutes every night (we've sort of modified that to reading every school night). The first few months, this half hour felt like an eternity.
I bought some young reader books that I thought he might like (Star Wars, Firetrucks, etc.), and we would painstakingly stumble through 5 pages or so. Each and every word would be an accomplishment, and each and every potential distraction had to be removed.
There would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth over that half hour, and at the 15 minute point, everyone in the house would be ready for a break. B would complain and whine that it was too hard and he didn't like to read and didn't want to read. But bit by bit, it got easier - he started reading words a little more smoothly, but still didn't seem to have the attention span or interest.
Then I spent most of January in Houston, and didn't read with him for over a month.
Once I started reading with him again in February, though, it was obvious something had finally clicked. He's been reading his books very smoothly, still sounding out a lot of words but his speed has picked up. Often, he'll sound out the words completely wrong, but in between sounding it out and starting again, he'll figure out what the word is and say it correctly.
Last night, he picked up a book he hadn't read before, one that is actually a couple levels above where he has been reading. It was a Star Wars book (god bless star wars), and after the first page or so, he complained that it was too hard. I convinced him to give it one more try, and he turned to a page where he ended up reading the word "unfortunately." He sounded it out, stumbled over it, then said it correctly without my help, and we both got these huge grins on our face. Holy crap, that was a HUGE word for him!
He was completely thrilled that he'd been able to read it all on his own. We switched to an easier reader after that, but his confidence got a huge boost, which has been so important for him.
His vocabulary got a huge boost, too, as it turned out. As I was telling him goodnight last night, he looked up me, and said "Mom? Unfortunately, I just tooted." Yay for boys.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Today's Run
What an incredibly nice day, as evidenced by the water skier I saw on my run today. Yeah. Seriously - there was still snow on the banks of the river, it was 66F, and some dude was out there in a wet suit, skiing around buoys. THAT, my friends, is sheer desperation. To his credit, he did have gloves on...
I managed 8 miles this afternoon. Fortunately, I did an out and back run today, meaning I ran out 4 miles before I turned around to come back. Had I not done that, I probably would've quit around five miles into the run, hit the car and gone home. I started feeling really rough somewhere before six miles and had to change up my music and focus on the run; otherwise, I would've stopped. But it's done now, and my legs are "thanking" me for it already. Ahhh advil, my new best friend...
I managed 8 miles this afternoon. Fortunately, I did an out and back run today, meaning I ran out 4 miles before I turned around to come back. Had I not done that, I probably would've quit around five miles into the run, hit the car and gone home. I started feeling really rough somewhere before six miles and had to change up my music and focus on the run; otherwise, I would've stopped. But it's done now, and my legs are "thanking" me for it already. Ahhh advil, my new best friend...
Shoes
I was putting my shoes away a few minutes ago and realized that:
a) I wear about six pairs of shoes regularly.
b) I wear one of those pairs to work (comfy black boots) 90% of the time.
c) Three of the six pairs are various types of tennis shoes (running shoes, actual tennis court shoes, everyday tennis shoes).
d) This really isn't a logic puzzle, although it sorta feels like it.
e) I could probably clear a bunch of space in my closet from the shoes I don't wear.
a) I wear about six pairs of shoes regularly.
b) I wear one of those pairs to work (comfy black boots) 90% of the time.
c) Three of the six pairs are various types of tennis shoes (running shoes, actual tennis court shoes, everyday tennis shoes).
d) This really isn't a logic puzzle, although it sorta feels like it.
e) I could probably clear a bunch of space in my closet from the shoes I don't wear.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Snow Pictures - Half Fail?
We really did get out in the snow on Wednesday with the kiddos - even though I have no pictures. The camera was in the pocket of my ski bib (which, incidentally, I think I've had since high school?), and as soon as I tried to take a picture, I got the "replace battery" signal. Terrific.
So here are a few pics I was able to take from the house. This is actually before the worst of it; we probably got a few more inches after I took these. The first one below is our cul de sac. It always amuses me to watch the street turn white - probably a throw back from childhood, where a white street almost inevitably meant no school. The second one is the backyard, where the day before the goldfish and koi had been swimming happily around the pond. Little did they know... The last one looks up the street from our house. It was snowing crazy hard at that point.
Even though the vast majority of the roads were clear by Friday morning, the kiddos still got the day off of school, giving them a five day vacation this week. They got sunburns from playing in the snow so much.
Today, J and I played tennis outside. Avoiding puddles of snow and slush on the court. Wearing shorts and short sleeves (well, he was in shorts anyway) because it was 60 degrees. Arkansas weather is just bizarre.
So here are a few pics I was able to take from the house. This is actually before the worst of it; we probably got a few more inches after I took these. The first one below is our cul de sac. It always amuses me to watch the street turn white - probably a throw back from childhood, where a white street almost inevitably meant no school. The second one is the backyard, where the day before the goldfish and koi had been swimming happily around the pond. Little did they know... The last one looks up the street from our house. It was snowing crazy hard at that point.
Even though the vast majority of the roads were clear by Friday morning, the kiddos still got the day off of school, giving them a five day vacation this week. They got sunburns from playing in the snow so much.
Today, J and I played tennis outside. Avoiding puddles of snow and slush on the court. Wearing shorts and short sleeves (well, he was in shorts anyway) because it was 60 degrees. Arkansas weather is just bizarre.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Friday Randomness
Friday Bullets:
- The snow is nearly gone, but the schools are all closed. Fortunately, aftercare is open and my kiddos actually wanted to go!
- I managed to get in 3 miles last night, which brings this week's total to 14 miles. I'll take it. Planning on the following runs for the next 3 weekends: 8 miles, 10 miles, and 12 miles. That ought to have me ready for the half marathon, right? *fingers crossed*
- I'm trying to decide what to do for the weekend - I'm thinking a shopping trip is in order for the kiddos. Both of them are outgrowing their clothes right now, so I suppose I need to suck it up and get out there. On the plus side, they both like getting new clothes, so I guess that's a good thing.
- It was 15 degrees this morning driving the kiddos to school. By Sunday it's supposed to be 60. That'll be good for an 8 mile run - that would totally suck on a treadmill, regardless of how good the playlist is.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Snowmageddon, Snogasm, Too Much Damn Snow
Whew. As much as I love snow, I'm kinda glad that's over. We got 6 inches of snow yesterday - lots of fun and quite beautiful, but totally destroyed any sort of schedule or routine. After doing a couple hours of work yesterday and figuring out that I'd screwed most of it up and would have to redo it anyway, I gave up. J and I dragged out some of our ski gear, bundled up the kiddos, and wandered the neighborhood for a little while.
In all honesty, it probably took us longer to bundle up than we actually spent in the snow, but whatever. It was still nice out. I had forgotten the sound that snowflakes make as they hit the trees and ground, such a soft, hushed sound. Very peaceful. And then my kids came outside.
On a different note, I was supposed to get a book from Amazon yesterday, but strangely enough, they didn't deliver it in a half foot of snow. What's up with that? My book club is going to read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. I expect it to be an interesting read, and hopefully an even more interesting discussion.
I've got some thoughts on the book I'm currently reading, The Happiness Project, but that'll probably be for another post. I'm about 2/3 of the way through, and am hoping to finish up later this week. Probably depends on whether the schools are open tomorrow... My fingers are crossed.
In all honesty, it probably took us longer to bundle up than we actually spent in the snow, but whatever. It was still nice out. I had forgotten the sound that snowflakes make as they hit the trees and ground, such a soft, hushed sound. Very peaceful. And then my kids came outside.
On a different note, I was supposed to get a book from Amazon yesterday, but strangely enough, they didn't deliver it in a half foot of snow. What's up with that? My book club is going to read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. I expect it to be an interesting read, and hopefully an even more interesting discussion.
I've got some thoughts on the book I'm currently reading, The Happiness Project, but that'll probably be for another post. I'm about 2/3 of the way through, and am hoping to finish up later this week. Probably depends on whether the schools are open tomorrow... My fingers are crossed.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Addictive
Yesterday, B had to have some work done on his teeth (the result of a huge parenting fail), and his lower jaw was numb right around lunchtime. Rather than take him back to school and have him drooling and unable to eat for the next few hours, I just took him home and let him have an off day. I suppose one missed day of kindergarten won't ruin his permanent record...
When he was ready to eat, we hit one of the local fast food type places around here for lunch. While we were eating, he commented on some folks he saw who were outside smoking.
As an aside, neither of my kiddos has ever been around folks who smoke. In fact, I realized just how different their childhood is from mine in that respect when they were old enough to ask "what is that person doing?" It wasn't part of their everyday life. The smell of nicotine is not going to be woven into their childhood memories, nor will the sound of a flicked lighter evoke any recollection other than perhaps a grill being lit.
That's not to say that my household smoked - other than an occasional pipe, my dad didn't smoke (he saw too many patients with bad outcomes), and I've never seen my mom smoke a thing. So my brother and I weren't exposed to it at home. But we had relatives who smoked heavily, including my cousin who was smoking by the time he was 10 and addicted by the time he was 12. We also had neighbors and friends who smoked heavily, so it was something that my brother and I grew up very familiar with.
When B commented on the folks who were smoking, I took a few minutes to talk to him about it. My hope is that if we can start talking about stuff like that now, maybe I can keep the lines open later on, when the questions get harder and the answers get more complicated.
I talked to him about how smoking isn't healthy or good for our bodies, and how it is a choice that each person has to make. I hit on addiction a little, and how that can make an impact on whether you are able to quit smoking if you want to. I talked about family history and how that can affect the decisions you make. And I tried to impress on him that while smoking itself is unhealthy, the people who do it are not bad people for that; they are simply making a decision for themselves. I also talked about other things that can "make you feel good" for a little while but are not great for your body.
What I really wanted to tell him, and hopefully will tell both of them in a few years, was this:
"Kiddos, your family history is critically important here. Each person reacts differently to substances that are addictive - be it cigarettes, alcohol, or other chemicals. Some people can try something once and never go back, and some have no issue with occasional use and never have an issue. But your family history suggests that you may be in the third group, the ones that are predisposed to slide into a major problem before they realize it. You need to be aware of this before you decide to try anything. Those opportunities will come up, and I want you to make your decisions with full awareness of what the results can be.
You've lost relatives that you should have known, due to addiction. There was an amazing musician who also had a wonderful gift of making people laugh. His children, my cousins, had to watch him grow sicker and sicker and finally blow away. There was an aunt who lived on oxygen for several years, who grew more shriveled and emaciated each year but who could still spar verbally with anyone who dared cross her. There is someone important to you now, whom you came within days of losing not long after you were born. When you are old enough, you will hear that story, and nothing will be buried or hidden. You need to know.
This story is no different from that of most families. Be it alcohol, nicotine, drugs, whatever - everyone has been affected, or will be. You need to be aware and have compassion, because overcoming something like an addiction is an incredibly hard, courageous thing to do, both for the one overcoming and for the supporters. An addiction doesn't mean the person is bad or weak; nothing could be farther from the truth. Addiction is equal opportunity, and it doesn't care what kind of person you are.
Even more importantly, though, you need to be aware that you could also be the one that goes down, the one who slides too far and can't get back up. And if that happens, you will need help, and there will always be help available. If you start to get worried, come talk to me - you will never find judgment here. If you can't talk to me, talk to someone and take steps to get help.
Better yet is to not end up there. Be aware of your habits, your personality, and pay attention to yourself. Make good decisions: this is not just a genetics issue, you have the ability and responsibility to make good choices. If you start to think you need help, get it before things get bad - that is never a bad decision. With any luck, you will never have any issues and you'll wonder why I made such a big deal about this. But you need to be aware that it is out there, and you need to know sooner rather than later."
When he was ready to eat, we hit one of the local fast food type places around here for lunch. While we were eating, he commented on some folks he saw who were outside smoking.
As an aside, neither of my kiddos has ever been around folks who smoke. In fact, I realized just how different their childhood is from mine in that respect when they were old enough to ask "what is that person doing?" It wasn't part of their everyday life. The smell of nicotine is not going to be woven into their childhood memories, nor will the sound of a flicked lighter evoke any recollection other than perhaps a grill being lit.
That's not to say that my household smoked - other than an occasional pipe, my dad didn't smoke (he saw too many patients with bad outcomes), and I've never seen my mom smoke a thing. So my brother and I weren't exposed to it at home. But we had relatives who smoked heavily, including my cousin who was smoking by the time he was 10 and addicted by the time he was 12. We also had neighbors and friends who smoked heavily, so it was something that my brother and I grew up very familiar with.
When B commented on the folks who were smoking, I took a few minutes to talk to him about it. My hope is that if we can start talking about stuff like that now, maybe I can keep the lines open later on, when the questions get harder and the answers get more complicated.
I talked to him about how smoking isn't healthy or good for our bodies, and how it is a choice that each person has to make. I hit on addiction a little, and how that can make an impact on whether you are able to quit smoking if you want to. I talked about family history and how that can affect the decisions you make. And I tried to impress on him that while smoking itself is unhealthy, the people who do it are not bad people for that; they are simply making a decision for themselves. I also talked about other things that can "make you feel good" for a little while but are not great for your body.
What I really wanted to tell him, and hopefully will tell both of them in a few years, was this:
"Kiddos, your family history is critically important here. Each person reacts differently to substances that are addictive - be it cigarettes, alcohol, or other chemicals. Some people can try something once and never go back, and some have no issue with occasional use and never have an issue. But your family history suggests that you may be in the third group, the ones that are predisposed to slide into a major problem before they realize it. You need to be aware of this before you decide to try anything. Those opportunities will come up, and I want you to make your decisions with full awareness of what the results can be.
You've lost relatives that you should have known, due to addiction. There was an amazing musician who also had a wonderful gift of making people laugh. His children, my cousins, had to watch him grow sicker and sicker and finally blow away. There was an aunt who lived on oxygen for several years, who grew more shriveled and emaciated each year but who could still spar verbally with anyone who dared cross her. There is someone important to you now, whom you came within days of losing not long after you were born. When you are old enough, you will hear that story, and nothing will be buried or hidden. You need to know.
This story is no different from that of most families. Be it alcohol, nicotine, drugs, whatever - everyone has been affected, or will be. You need to be aware and have compassion, because overcoming something like an addiction is an incredibly hard, courageous thing to do, both for the one overcoming and for the supporters. An addiction doesn't mean the person is bad or weak; nothing could be farther from the truth. Addiction is equal opportunity, and it doesn't care what kind of person you are.
Even more importantly, though, you need to be aware that you could also be the one that goes down, the one who slides too far and can't get back up. And if that happens, you will need help, and there will always be help available. If you start to get worried, come talk to me - you will never find judgment here. If you can't talk to me, talk to someone and take steps to get help.
Better yet is to not end up there. Be aware of your habits, your personality, and pay attention to yourself. Make good decisions: this is not just a genetics issue, you have the ability and responsibility to make good choices. If you start to think you need help, get it before things get bad - that is never a bad decision. With any luck, you will never have any issues and you'll wonder why I made such a big deal about this. But you need to be aware that it is out there, and you need to know sooner rather than later."
Monday, February 7, 2011
Running Idiocy
I ran 6 miles yesterday. Actually, it was somewhere just north of 6 miles, but who's counting. It felt good to get back out there and lose myself in a longish run.
Sidenote: It's not really a "long" run - those are reserved for 10+ miles in my book. So maybe I should just call it a medium run. But it was longer than I've done in several weeks. Anyway.
I didn't run it very fast, and ended up walking it a bit here and there. I listened to one of the more recent Phedippidations podcasts (The Poetry of Running), and pondered big, deep thoughts. Like what I wanted to snack on during the Superbowl.
Overall, though, I was thrilled with the 11:40 average pace. Two or three years ago, a 13:00 pace was about the best I could do for 2 or 3 mile runs - and I was exhausted at the end of them. I was pretty tired yesterday, but I'm not too sore today, so I guess my baseline has strengthened significantly.
That's a good thing. 'Cause I'm gonna need every bit of baseline I've got on March 6 when I try to run 13.1 miles on a month's worth of training...
Sidenote: It's not really a "long" run - those are reserved for 10+ miles in my book. So maybe I should just call it a medium run. But it was longer than I've done in several weeks. Anyway.
I didn't run it very fast, and ended up walking it a bit here and there. I listened to one of the more recent Phedippidations podcasts (The Poetry of Running), and pondered big, deep thoughts. Like what I wanted to snack on during the Superbowl.
Overall, though, I was thrilled with the 11:40 average pace. Two or three years ago, a 13:00 pace was about the best I could do for 2 or 3 mile runs - and I was exhausted at the end of them. I was pretty tired yesterday, but I'm not too sore today, so I guess my baseline has strengthened significantly.
That's a good thing. 'Cause I'm gonna need every bit of baseline I've got on March 6 when I try to run 13.1 miles on a month's worth of training...
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sunday Night
Ahhh, tail end of the weekend. In bullets:
- Went to bed way too late last night, so the 7am wakeup call was a bit painful.
- Got up, fixed chocolate chip pancakes, debated a run.
- Got my ass in gear and got out for a run. 6 miles, about an 11:40 pace overall. Slow, but steady. It was a good run, but the last half mile of the run was all uphill, and I was DONE by the end.
- Got home, ate lunch, turned into a complete and utter bear for about an hour.
- Realized I needed to take a nap or I was going to kill someone.
- Took a half hour nap. Much better, thanks.
- Grocery store run. We are now stocked up on milk and bread and enough food to keep this house eating for the next week. Of course, that's not really that different from our normal routine.
- J made homemade guacamole as an appetizer, and baked taters with chili for dinner.
- I can't believe tomorrow is already Monday...here we go again.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Ouch
Another fast and furious Saturday. I can't complain about this one, other than I got shellacked on the tennis court this afternoon. In my defense, I did play a former college player who has only been out of college a few years, but I certainly could've played a hell of a lot better than I did. Over the course of an hour and a half, I managed to eke out two - count 'em, one, two - games. It was depressing. On the plus side, though, she's on my spring tennis team, so I don't have to worry about actually playing her in a match any time soon. And I do believe I have a few aspects of my game that I now need to work on so I don't get my ass handed to me this spring when league starts. The glass is half full, right?
Other than that, J and I slept late this morning (my parents had the kiddos), we hit Chick Fil-A for lunch, went to the park with one of Benjamin's friends and his parents, ate out for dinner, and there you go - the day is over.
We're supposed to get a small bit of snow tomorrow night and then a lot of snow on Wednesday, so I need to get my planning gene in gear and figure out what needs to be done before the state puts out the panicked cry for French toast (read: slams the grocery store for milk and bread). I'm not sure when I'm heading to Houston next, but for right now, I'm very much enjoying being at home. Fingers crossed that the lack of traveling lasts for a while...
Other than that, J and I slept late this morning (my parents had the kiddos), we hit Chick Fil-A for lunch, went to the park with one of Benjamin's friends and his parents, ate out for dinner, and there you go - the day is over.
We're supposed to get a small bit of snow tomorrow night and then a lot of snow on Wednesday, so I need to get my planning gene in gear and figure out what needs to be done before the state puts out the panicked cry for French toast (read: slams the grocery store for milk and bread). I'm not sure when I'm heading to Houston next, but for right now, I'm very much enjoying being at home. Fingers crossed that the lack of traveling lasts for a while...
Friday, February 4, 2011
And Then There Was Snow...
Well, it actually turned out to be a very pretty day. It snowed for about 6 hours, and while the streets never really got covered, there were some large, pretty flakes. It was the first time in a long time I was able to enjoy watching it without feeling like I needed to be somewhere else.
When is a Snow Day not a Snow Day?
I woke up this morning to the news that the kids are out of school on a snow day.
Whaaa? This is our deck as of about 10 minutes ago.
Whaaa? This is our deck as of about 10 minutes ago.
I'm not complaining, I promise! I'm sure it will start snowing any minute now. ... Any ... Minute ... Now.
On the "damned unlikely to happen" list of things for the day - my office is closed because of the weather. You know, the office that is geographically located IN HOUSTON? Yeah. They are getting snow and ice today, too, but true to form, nearly everyone is able to work remotely. Sometimes a snow day is really not a snow day at all.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Late in the Evening
I love XM Radio. We've had it in one of our cars for about 5 years now I think. Well, technically it's J's car, but I tend to drive his more than mine these days because it's better for trips. I digress. We have a variety of stations programmed in, including the trifecta 90's, 80's, and 70's stations. Tonight, I landed on the 70's station at the exact moment they were playing Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."
This song actually conjures up about three different memories for me.
The first time I heard that song, I was somewhere midway through college. A guy friend of mine could play the guitar and kept one in his dorm room. He and the guitar performed regularly at the tail end of those dark, smokey, hazy nights when we'd all finally meander our way back to campus. I'm sure the first time I heard it was one of those late nights where we were all crashed around his room, draped over chairs, beds, people, whatever we could find to prop us up, and singing along with the songs we knew. It became something of a signature song for my close group of girl friends (also known as The Girls), one of those songs where you can look at each one of them and know you are remembering just about the same memory, with similar emotions. Well, maybe not exactly the same emotions - two of the four of us dated the guy, so I'm guessing there are slightly different memories for some of them. But close enough.
After graduation, all of us went different ways, and I forgot about the song for a while. Sometime during law school, probably during some random study break, I stumbled across it again. I downloaded it and put it in my studying playlist. So the second memory that song recalls is of a desk and a room with blue walls where I spent many, many hours studying. It was a stressful, but fairly uncomplicated time of life - sort of like college, I suppose.
The third memory I have is a bit random, but amusing as hell to me. Several years ago, J and I took a trip to Vegas. OK, there have been many trips to Vegas, but on this particular one, my friend Anne (one of The Girls) and her husband came along. Anne and I ended up having to make a drive wayyy out to the outskirts of Vegas to pick someone up, and while we were en route, that song came on the radio. Neither of us had heard it in several years at that point, but almost immediately we were taken back to that same dorm room, laughing at the capers and shenanigans that we had gotten into back then.
This morning on the way to school, my kiddos heard Paul Simon's "Late in the Evening" for the first time, and they both loved the song. Maybe if I'm lucky, a few of the songs I introduce them to will stick with them for a while.
This song actually conjures up about three different memories for me.
The first time I heard that song, I was somewhere midway through college. A guy friend of mine could play the guitar and kept one in his dorm room. He and the guitar performed regularly at the tail end of those dark, smokey, hazy nights when we'd all finally meander our way back to campus. I'm sure the first time I heard it was one of those late nights where we were all crashed around his room, draped over chairs, beds, people, whatever we could find to prop us up, and singing along with the songs we knew. It became something of a signature song for my close group of girl friends (also known as The Girls), one of those songs where you can look at each one of them and know you are remembering just about the same memory, with similar emotions. Well, maybe not exactly the same emotions - two of the four of us dated the guy, so I'm guessing there are slightly different memories for some of them. But close enough.
After graduation, all of us went different ways, and I forgot about the song for a while. Sometime during law school, probably during some random study break, I stumbled across it again. I downloaded it and put it in my studying playlist. So the second memory that song recalls is of a desk and a room with blue walls where I spent many, many hours studying. It was a stressful, but fairly uncomplicated time of life - sort of like college, I suppose.
The third memory I have is a bit random, but amusing as hell to me. Several years ago, J and I took a trip to Vegas. OK, there have been many trips to Vegas, but on this particular one, my friend Anne (one of The Girls) and her husband came along. Anne and I ended up having to make a drive wayyy out to the outskirts of Vegas to pick someone up, and while we were en route, that song came on the radio. Neither of us had heard it in several years at that point, but almost immediately we were taken back to that same dorm room, laughing at the capers and shenanigans that we had gotten into back then.
This morning on the way to school, my kiddos heard Paul Simon's "Late in the Evening" for the first time, and they both loved the song. Maybe if I'm lucky, a few of the songs I introduce them to will stick with them for a while.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Quick Run
Ahhhh. First run in about a week. 4 miles, around a 10:00 pace. I'm happy with it. I downloaded a few new tunes and they were probably instrumental in helping me get the extra mile in, as I only had 3 planned. Actually, if I'd had a little more time, I might have gone 5 (it felt awesome to run tonight!) but that didn't happen. I'm still signed up for the LR Half in a month, but at this point I figure it's just going to be a matter of getting it done, as opposed to an actual time goal. If you are planning to run a half marathon, it's probably a good thing if you run more than once a week, right? Hell, I'm just happy I'm farther along than I was two years ago, when a couple of miles at a 13:00 pace was all I could handle.
Still Recovering
Funny how it seems to take forever to come down from a big project. I've done exactly ZERO hours of work the last two days, but still feel not quite rested. So, in a nutshell, here's what I've been doing the last few days:
Monday: I did virtually nothing of value. Well, that's not quite true. I paid some bills, scheduled dentist appointments, updated our finances, did some laundry, and did a small (micro) bit of cleaning. I also did some reading, contemplated (once again) trying to learn to play the guitar, and made some potato soup for dinner.
Tuesday: I took B to his dentist appointment. Although he did fantastic, there were some not so great results, and he's going to be headed back for a few more visits. On the plus side, he seems to be taking his teeth a bit more seriously. Sidenote funny from the dentist office: the hygienist commented that after he gets the work done on his mouth, he'll be able to eat a lot better and won't have any pain. B and I looked at each other and I laughed, because the boy eats more than I do on a regular basis. Eating is NOT A PROBLEM for him, nor has it ever been. One of those things I'm quite grateful for.
After the dentist appointment, B and I had lunch and I dropped him off at school and headed back to the house. Did a few more random things, goofed around online for a while, and actually got my guitar out and tuned it. I have some new strings for it, but I think I'm going to bribe my brother in law to help me restring it, as I've never done that before. After that, made some chicken and dumplings for dinner, put the kiddos to bed, and did a bit of reading.
Today: Dentist appointment for the girl in about 10 minutes, so I'd better wrap this up. Conference call at work later this morning to get the next project in line, and now I go back to the grind. I've got a few posts rattling around but nothing has crystallized so today, it's just the mundane. Sometimes that's more than enough, though, right?
Monday: I did virtually nothing of value. Well, that's not quite true. I paid some bills, scheduled dentist appointments, updated our finances, did some laundry, and did a small (micro) bit of cleaning. I also did some reading, contemplated (once again) trying to learn to play the guitar, and made some potato soup for dinner.
Tuesday: I took B to his dentist appointment. Although he did fantastic, there were some not so great results, and he's going to be headed back for a few more visits. On the plus side, he seems to be taking his teeth a bit more seriously. Sidenote funny from the dentist office: the hygienist commented that after he gets the work done on his mouth, he'll be able to eat a lot better and won't have any pain. B and I looked at each other and I laughed, because the boy eats more than I do on a regular basis. Eating is NOT A PROBLEM for him, nor has it ever been. One of those things I'm quite grateful for.
After the dentist appointment, B and I had lunch and I dropped him off at school and headed back to the house. Did a few more random things, goofed around online for a while, and actually got my guitar out and tuned it. I have some new strings for it, but I think I'm going to bribe my brother in law to help me restring it, as I've never done that before. After that, made some chicken and dumplings for dinner, put the kiddos to bed, and did a bit of reading.
Today: Dentist appointment for the girl in about 10 minutes, so I'd better wrap this up. Conference call at work later this morning to get the next project in line, and now I go back to the grind. I've got a few posts rattling around but nothing has crystallized so today, it's just the mundane. Sometimes that's more than enough, though, right?
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