- Took Brother to piano lessons. Parked in Piano Teacher's driveway. Piano Teacher's Husband comes to the car and asks me to move it to a spot 15 feet away. I figure, I am blocking his car in. He is going somewhere.
He goes back into the house and sits on the sofa. Thirty minutes later, I emerge with Brother from lesson. Husband is still sitting on same place on couch. I determine that he is rock-sucking jerkface and just wants to boss me around to watch me obey. - Honey is making a Cherpumple for Thanksgiving. Google it. I'll wait.
Honey may be insane. - I have stupidly hired a guy to paint my shed...Friday. Which means I have to go buy paint sometime between right now and Friday morning. Stupid.
- Honey bought me flowers because I had a hard day and my staff drove me crazy and the children are screamy. He is a good Honey.
- I just want to go to bed, but instead I have to make turkey brine in which to brine a turkey. No, I can't skip it, Mother. So. Off I go to make fancy salt water. Catch ya later.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Shorts
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Peachy
So yesterday was the rare occasion where the kids had school, but Honey and I were off of work. We planned to spend the entire day in fits of childless glee. Alas, the wee one decided that it would be a lovely day to get a nasty seal-barky cough and a 102+ temperature. Talk about a buzz kill. I am still mourning a Baskin Robins lunch I had planned.
Today I had a rough day at work wherein every person on the face of the planet told me I sucked and I had to smile and tell them to please come again soon because it is their job make me feel like gum on the bottom of someone's shoe - smooshed and thoroughly unwelcome - and I surely did not want them to get a poor employment evaluation.
Somehow or another it is so much easier to focus on the negativity rather than the good stuff. I had at least three separate people profusely thank me for being helpful, patient, and kind. I taught someone to send an email, found resources for an entire class of 7th graders to do a research paper, and wrote a schedule for an entire staff for the week of Thanksgiving (which was by far, the hardest thing I did all day.) I also recorded some radio spots at the local station which was so dry/hot I felt like I had walked into a bread oven only without the nice smell.
Scooter was feeling much better today, but Honey still stayed home most of the day with him. Brother didn't have much homework and was able to go outside before piano lessons. I made a dinner that everyone actually ate, even treat-fiend Jelly Bean. So even with all of the things that sometimes feel like they are going chronically, oppressively wrong... everything really is just peachy. Really.
Today I had a rough day at work wherein every person on the face of the planet told me I sucked and I had to smile and tell them to please come again soon because it is their job make me feel like gum on the bottom of someone's shoe - smooshed and thoroughly unwelcome - and I surely did not want them to get a poor employment evaluation.
Somehow or another it is so much easier to focus on the negativity rather than the good stuff. I had at least three separate people profusely thank me for being helpful, patient, and kind. I taught someone to send an email, found resources for an entire class of 7th graders to do a research paper, and wrote a schedule for an entire staff for the week of Thanksgiving (which was by far, the hardest thing I did all day.) I also recorded some radio spots at the local station which was so dry/hot I felt like I had walked into a bread oven only without the nice smell.
Scooter was feeling much better today, but Honey still stayed home most of the day with him. Brother didn't have much homework and was able to go outside before piano lessons. I made a dinner that everyone actually ate, even treat-fiend Jelly Bean. So even with all of the things that sometimes feel like they are going chronically, oppressively wrong... everything really is just peachy. Really.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Unexpected
You know, I never meant for this to happen. When I was transitioning my life last February, I realized I would have to give some things up. Leave, some money, flex scheduling. The ability to go to my kids' school functions without a second thought.
I didn't realize that I would give up housework to an even higher level than I ever had before...And believe me, the house wasn't clean to begin with. I would give up my comfort zone and have to deal with unhappy people daily that I would be expected to appease even when the answer was still, I'm sorry, no. I would give up wearing jeans and tennis shoes to work.
I was more focused on what I would gain. Amazing creative opportunities. The opportunity to make my community a better place on a really fundamental level. Perhaps the one and only shot I was ever going to get to use those letters behind my name in my small town. The ability to expand my resume. (One surprising thing that I gained is this -- the ability to be more widely read. I know that seems like a 'duh' issue, but the truth is that I always had access to the materials. I had a library card. But I heard somewhere right before I started the new gig that people who are emotionally uncomfortable or feel uneasy or threatened are likely to be less adventurous readers. They want comfort in their reading material. Folks who are more content and happy with their lives are not afraid to be challenged by their reading material. They are not afraid to venture away from their comfort zone. I didn't know at the time how scared I was; how terrified I was of the world. I literally had read some of the same books over and over for years. I sought the comfort of knowing exactly what would happen in a world of escape where nothing was close to reality. This idea was and is profound to me.)
I knew that I would need to be innovative in my new job, I just didn't realize that it would take every ounce of creative energy I had. I finally realized how much creative energy I was pouring into my job when I was off for over a week for Hurricane Issac. I started making mad plans to start an etsy business in my spare time after I learned a new craft that I literally have no experience with. I was plotting out work spaces and budgets for days until I realized I was just BORED. One week and all that energy had to go somewhere, come hell or high water.
Of all the things I anticipated giving up, I didn't realize I would give this up.
I miss writing here. I started writing here on a Disney trip when Jelly Bean was 6 months old. He is now 6 YEARS old. I started writing here because of Catherine Newman. Because I had admired her work so much a million years ago and figured I could maybe do that, too. Write lovely things about my children and my life.
A reporter while interviewing me a couple of weeks ago said that he would say to his younger self this: Study the written word! He was an older guy and in the years before the internet, there was fear that the printed word was fading. Now, while paper itself might be getting a little passe, the written form of the language is stronger than ever. I believe this. I believe in user generated content as a community builder.
Gretchen Rubin said (or at least quoted it in her book) that what we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while. I believe this is likely true. I would like to cook dinner every day. I would like to go to the gym every day. I think that these goals are honorable and worthwhile. And yet, I can't seem to accomplish them. I believe that when there is a job to be done, give the job to the busy person. Busy people get things done. Maybe I am being paradoxical and not making any sort of sense.
I still read what you write. I'm still here, even in the background, even if I am not contributing. I know you are probably sick of me saying that I will try harder. I am kind of sick of it myself. I think maybe I will branch out a little bit. Try some new things. I could move somewhere else, but I think I would rather have a single place rather than a bunch of different ones. At least, that is what I am telling myself today.
~~~
As an aside, a million years ago, I had a contest for some books. The delay is that the teacher flaked and didn't order my items. So! I will make amends in some other way. There will be books, for sure. And the randomly generated winner is #1....Swistle! A lesson to all of us who don't want to be first in contests. I will contact you. Yay. Happiness.
I didn't realize that I would give up housework to an even higher level than I ever had before...And believe me, the house wasn't clean to begin with. I would give up my comfort zone and have to deal with unhappy people daily that I would be expected to appease even when the answer was still, I'm sorry, no. I would give up wearing jeans and tennis shoes to work.
I was more focused on what I would gain. Amazing creative opportunities. The opportunity to make my community a better place on a really fundamental level. Perhaps the one and only shot I was ever going to get to use those letters behind my name in my small town. The ability to expand my resume. (One surprising thing that I gained is this -- the ability to be more widely read. I know that seems like a 'duh' issue, but the truth is that I always had access to the materials. I had a library card. But I heard somewhere right before I started the new gig that people who are emotionally uncomfortable or feel uneasy or threatened are likely to be less adventurous readers. They want comfort in their reading material. Folks who are more content and happy with their lives are not afraid to be challenged by their reading material. They are not afraid to venture away from their comfort zone. I didn't know at the time how scared I was; how terrified I was of the world. I literally had read some of the same books over and over for years. I sought the comfort of knowing exactly what would happen in a world of escape where nothing was close to reality. This idea was and is profound to me.)
I knew that I would need to be innovative in my new job, I just didn't realize that it would take every ounce of creative energy I had. I finally realized how much creative energy I was pouring into my job when I was off for over a week for Hurricane Issac. I started making mad plans to start an etsy business in my spare time after I learned a new craft that I literally have no experience with. I was plotting out work spaces and budgets for days until I realized I was just BORED. One week and all that energy had to go somewhere, come hell or high water.
Of all the things I anticipated giving up, I didn't realize I would give this up.
I miss writing here. I started writing here on a Disney trip when Jelly Bean was 6 months old. He is now 6 YEARS old. I started writing here because of Catherine Newman. Because I had admired her work so much a million years ago and figured I could maybe do that, too. Write lovely things about my children and my life.
A reporter while interviewing me a couple of weeks ago said that he would say to his younger self this: Study the written word! He was an older guy and in the years before the internet, there was fear that the printed word was fading. Now, while paper itself might be getting a little passe, the written form of the language is stronger than ever. I believe this. I believe in user generated content as a community builder.
Gretchen Rubin said (or at least quoted it in her book) that what we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while. I believe this is likely true. I would like to cook dinner every day. I would like to go to the gym every day. I think that these goals are honorable and worthwhile. And yet, I can't seem to accomplish them. I believe that when there is a job to be done, give the job to the busy person. Busy people get things done. Maybe I am being paradoxical and not making any sort of sense.
I still read what you write. I'm still here, even in the background, even if I am not contributing. I know you are probably sick of me saying that I will try harder. I am kind of sick of it myself. I think maybe I will branch out a little bit. Try some new things. I could move somewhere else, but I think I would rather have a single place rather than a bunch of different ones. At least, that is what I am telling myself today.
~~~
As an aside, a million years ago, I had a contest for some books. The delay is that the teacher flaked and didn't order my items. So! I will make amends in some other way. There will be books, for sure. And the randomly generated winner is #1....Swistle! A lesson to all of us who don't want to be first in contests. I will contact you. Yay. Happiness.
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