After much research, study and discussion, we decided that our family should have the H1N1 Vaccine as we have an infant in our home. TO this end we found out when it would be given out and resolved to just DO IT despite much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth from one of our clan who will remain unnamed-- but who is older than all the other children :)_. As I passed the venue at 9 a.m. on this cold, rainy thurs. morning and saw cones and law enforcement galore, I knew this was going to be one crazy line. So I got in it. The drive-up clinic was scheduled to open at 1. I got in line at 10 and was the 6th person in line. Bentley and I hung out in the car until Grandma brought Nate after preschool. Then the three of us hung out for another hour with nothing to do. At 12 p.m. first responders and health care professionals were allowed through while we waited patiently. The plan was for Robert to pick up all the kids at 12 and bring them to me in plenty of time for the 1 p.m. opening.
The Best Laid Plans . . .
The nice police people began allowing everyone in my line to go, but I had no kids. This, too, happened to be the day that Rob's phone decided not to work so I called the elementary school in a panic. Found out that Rob got Matthew but forgot that Katie goes to that school too. Called Maggie's school and told the receptionist to tell Rob he forgot Katie. By this time I had pulled out of the line and told all the nice police people that I was waiting for my kids. They were patient with me, kind of.
Bear in mind that I have been hearing that health centers have been running out of the vaccine all over the country. So, I call back the elementary school and tell them to tell Rob to call me. When he does I tell him to forget picking up Amy and just get over here with the other kids. (Although Amy is probably the one who needs it most, frankly) He does, we get in line and then he says-- the line's going slow now, should I try and get Amy? (Schools about 1/2 mile away) Why not. So he left. We are now at the front of the line in our car with no Rob and no Amy when sprinting down the parking lot they come-- Just in time to get their shot. Definitely a Rocky Movie Music Moment.
Yea!!!The whole family is vaccinated in the van. It was a vancination.
Did I mention that the line, by 1 p.m. was about a mile long? Glad I got in line when I did.
Practicing Alternative Dispute Resolution Finding humor in the daily Stuff; Occasionally waxing poetic and philosophical; Preserving a history for my family
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
WHAT WOMEN WANT
Around here there's a biennial event held each October and April. It is an expo, a convention as it were of "What Women Want". This expo is hugely popular. Finding a parking spot is difficult which is saying a lot as the area set aside for said parking is beyond enormous. I go every time because, frankly, there's a lot I want and I'm always hoping they'll have it there. They never do. Why? Well, let's see . . .
If the event coordinators are a good judge of what women want then I must be looking for hair bows, flower headbands, chunky acrylic bead watches, eyelash extensions, weight loss surgery, glitter . . .you get the picture. Do you know what? These things are n o t w h a t I w a n t. (although I was kind of excited about the ice rink coming to town-- If you build it, they will come ;)
WHAT I WANT:
Windows that wash themselves and Clothes that fold themselves
Motivation to quilt, bead, scrapbook-- anything.
A Guarantee that my family will not get the swine flu
Peace of mind
Energy to do-- anything.
A cozy place to read.
For my mind to conceive and my hands to achieve
Patience-- with my children, myself, and life's patterns
To feel that I am contributing-- to my business, my calling, society, etc.
To be more organized
To see the world.
To be articulate, intelligent, compassionate and fun
To love myself and to conduct myself always in accordance with this belief.
These things are not available at the expo.
If the event coordinators are a good judge of what women want then I must be looking for hair bows, flower headbands, chunky acrylic bead watches, eyelash extensions, weight loss surgery, glitter . . .you get the picture. Do you know what? These things are n o t w h a t I w a n t. (although I was kind of excited about the ice rink coming to town-- If you build it, they will come ;)
WHAT I WANT:
Windows that wash themselves and Clothes that fold themselves
Motivation to quilt, bead, scrapbook-- anything.
A Guarantee that my family will not get the swine flu
Peace of mind
Energy to do-- anything.
A cozy place to read.
For my mind to conceive and my hands to achieve
Patience-- with my children, myself, and life's patterns
To feel that I am contributing-- to my business, my calling, society, etc.
To be more organized
To see the world.
To be articulate, intelligent, compassionate and fun
To love myself and to conduct myself always in accordance with this belief.
These things are not available at the expo.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
An Assessment of Addiction
Books. Are. My. Friends.
Are they yours?
* Were you twice as attracted to the young man you eventually married because you were impressed with the size of his bookcase and paperback collection?
* Do you cry at the end of Anne of the Island because Anne and Gilbert are finally together and all is right with the universe Even though you've known it was inevitable since she cracked that slate on his head and this is the 10th time you've read it?
* Do you walk around in a funk for 2 days after finishing a book not because it's sad, but because it's over?
* Do your books all have chocolate stains on the pages?
* When you go to D.I.(salvation army-esque place) do you spend more time in books than in any other section and do you squeal with joy when you find Cry, The Beloved Country, Cold Sassy Tree, and a college Algebra Textbook all in the same trip:?
* Do you have books in boxes, on shelves, by your bed, between the seats of your car, on the back of the toilet, and on the treadmill all at the same time?
* Can you read 4 different books simultaneously?
* Are you constantly saying to your kids-- "No more reading-- get outside and play," only to breathe a sigh of relief, plop yourself down and begin reading your own treasure?
* Do you make your daughter's book overdue because you found it and can't put it down?
* Do you pick your elliptical trainer/ treadmill literature based on the length of the articles?
* Can you find something worthwhile to read even in "Dayspa" magazine if nothing else is available?
* Do you act shocked when your daughter says she's read HP7 more than 4 times, but silently admit that you've read the DaVinci Code at least that many times and let's not get into the number of times Anne has cracked that slate in your world?
* In any home you enter do you immediately find the bookshelf and start checking off the books you've read and make a list in your head of the ones you want to read?
* Do you secretly Hope that your Sister In Law will offer to loan you the new Dan Brown book that she has in her shelf that you found in the first ten minutes in her home last week?
* Do you ask every stranger in the gym what they're reading?
* Do you have 40 minute conversations with other moms that include words like "Percy Jackson", horcrux, and alethiometer?
* Do you run the book fair at your school despite that fact that you've got a newborn at home?
* Do you think Bella, Edward, Jacob and Stephanie are just a l.i.t.t.l.e. overrated and wish the young women in your life knew hero's and heroines like Ender, Elizabeth Bennett, umfundisi, etc.
* Do you have a hard time organizing your bookshelf because they are overflowing?
* Do you think alone time at the library is akin to heaven on earth?
If you can answer yes to any one of these questions, you are likely in need of some serious therapy.
Oh, Wait! maybe there's a book for that :)
Are they yours?
* Were you twice as attracted to the young man you eventually married because you were impressed with the size of his bookcase and paperback collection?
* Do you cry at the end of Anne of the Island because Anne and Gilbert are finally together and all is right with the universe Even though you've known it was inevitable since she cracked that slate on his head and this is the 10th time you've read it?
* Do you walk around in a funk for 2 days after finishing a book not because it's sad, but because it's over?
* Do your books all have chocolate stains on the pages?
* When you go to D.I.(salvation army-esque place) do you spend more time in books than in any other section and do you squeal with joy when you find Cry, The Beloved Country, Cold Sassy Tree, and a college Algebra Textbook all in the same trip:?
* Do you have books in boxes, on shelves, by your bed, between the seats of your car, on the back of the toilet, and on the treadmill all at the same time?
* Can you read 4 different books simultaneously?
* Are you constantly saying to your kids-- "No more reading-- get outside and play," only to breathe a sigh of relief, plop yourself down and begin reading your own treasure?
* Do you make your daughter's book overdue because you found it and can't put it down?
* Do you pick your elliptical trainer/ treadmill literature based on the length of the articles?
* Can you find something worthwhile to read even in "Dayspa" magazine if nothing else is available?
* Do you act shocked when your daughter says she's read HP7 more than 4 times, but silently admit that you've read the DaVinci Code at least that many times and let's not get into the number of times Anne has cracked that slate in your world?
* In any home you enter do you immediately find the bookshelf and start checking off the books you've read and make a list in your head of the ones you want to read?
* Do you secretly Hope that your Sister In Law will offer to loan you the new Dan Brown book that she has in her shelf that you found in the first ten minutes in her home last week?
* Do you ask every stranger in the gym what they're reading?
* Do you have 40 minute conversations with other moms that include words like "Percy Jackson", horcrux, and alethiometer?
* Do you run the book fair at your school despite that fact that you've got a newborn at home?
* Do you think Bella, Edward, Jacob and Stephanie are just a l.i.t.t.l.e. overrated and wish the young women in your life knew hero's and heroines like Ender, Elizabeth Bennett, umfundisi, etc.
* Do you have a hard time organizing your bookshelf because they are overflowing?
* Do you think alone time at the library is akin to heaven on earth?
If you can answer yes to any one of these questions, you are likely in need of some serious therapy.
Oh, Wait! maybe there's a book for that :)
GLIMPSES OF THE NEW NORMAL
Rob is sitting on the rug in front of the fireplace trying to find a seat pack for his bike. (Rug and fireplace are new)
I can shower without kids coming in to use the bathroom (cause my bathroom isn't the only working toilet in the house)
I have no idea what the downstairs looks like :) (Cause I haven't been down there-- no need to.)
Someone's coming over with my mom for lunch tomorrow and I'm pretty sure I can clean it up in 15 minutes. (cause everything's still in the garage)
We just watched a "Voyager" episode on the projector. It was less work than using the TV. (B/c Honey pie hooked it all up)
I can open all my doors and they all have screens.
Yea for being done. Now. . . What. to. talk. about? Literature, perhaps.
I can shower without kids coming in to use the bathroom (cause my bathroom isn't the only working toilet in the house)
I have no idea what the downstairs looks like :) (Cause I haven't been down there-- no need to.)
Someone's coming over with my mom for lunch tomorrow and I'm pretty sure I can clean it up in 15 minutes. (cause everything's still in the garage)
We just watched a "Voyager" episode on the projector. It was less work than using the TV. (B/c Honey pie hooked it all up)
I can open all my doors and they all have screens.
Yea for being done. Now. . . What. to. talk. about? Literature, perhaps.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Too many Closets. . . Too much stuff
The last four years have been years of accumulation-- of building materials for our house, of books -- to feed my addiction, clothing-- to keep up with my many sizes (read: Post baby, cool weight loss, marathon running, pregnancy(again !) and full circle back to post baby) and children, and toys/games/educational materials(yet another addiction).
This habit of accumulation has put me in a funny position. I now have closets. I now have dressers. I finally have room for all this stuff. But I don't want to bring it back in my house. I love looking at the empty closets and dresser drawers. I do not want to fill them up. I want to shed.
Living in this chaos has taught me that all I really need is my books and probably my fabric/hobby stuff. The rest of it I don't need or want around. We took all of our toys/games/puzzles and put them in one room. I would like very much to have the entire world come to this room for the greatest garage sale ever. I don't need it and I don't want it.
Part of my problem is that I am a sucker for a great deal-- Buy used and save the difference I like to say, but the truth is I buy used and then buy some more used. I bring so much stuff home from the DI that is really cool, but most of it I don't "love", I just like that it's so cheap. and I'm stuck with a lot of stuff that's cheap that I don't want to fill my closets with. I need little, I have too much. I'd like to break this habit.
I spent some time this weekend in a home that is always neat, orderly, and meticulous. There is, in this house, great attention to detail. Items bought are quality and nothing is bought that is not cherished and well maintained. The occupants of this house (and all former occupants and frequent visitors of this house) know the procedures and systems that reside therein. Order, here, is the norm. When I visit this home I feel a spirit of peace and order that I crave. Conversely, in my home CHAOS is the norm.
To care for and maintain that which I have that is of value,
To keep my environment uncluttered and neat
To shed 30% of my current wardrobe
To use the food in my freezer before acquiring new.
To shed 50% of the items in the playroom and storage room.
To create systems and schedules that maintain the desired order.
To collapse in a heap at the end of the day, but to be satisfied with the order around me.
THE NEW NORMAL OF ORDER AND ORGANIZATION BEGINS . . . Tomorrow.
This habit of accumulation has put me in a funny position. I now have closets. I now have dressers. I finally have room for all this stuff. But I don't want to bring it back in my house. I love looking at the empty closets and dresser drawers. I do not want to fill them up. I want to shed.
Living in this chaos has taught me that all I really need is my books and probably my fabric/hobby stuff. The rest of it I don't need or want around. We took all of our toys/games/puzzles and put them in one room. I would like very much to have the entire world come to this room for the greatest garage sale ever. I don't need it and I don't want it.
Part of my problem is that I am a sucker for a great deal-- Buy used and save the difference I like to say, but the truth is I buy used and then buy some more used. I bring so much stuff home from the DI that is really cool, but most of it I don't "love", I just like that it's so cheap. and I'm stuck with a lot of stuff that's cheap that I don't want to fill my closets with. I need little, I have too much. I'd like to break this habit.
I spent some time this weekend in a home that is always neat, orderly, and meticulous. There is, in this house, great attention to detail. Items bought are quality and nothing is bought that is not cherished and well maintained. The occupants of this house (and all former occupants and frequent visitors of this house) know the procedures and systems that reside therein. Order, here, is the norm. When I visit this home I feel a spirit of peace and order that I crave. Conversely, in my home CHAOS is the norm.
This ought not so to be.
To that end:I RESOLVE:
To sell or give away things of worth that I don't need or want anymore.To care for and maintain that which I have that is of value,
To keep my environment uncluttered and neat
To shed 30% of my current wardrobe
To use the food in my freezer before acquiring new.
To shed 50% of the items in the playroom and storage room.
To create systems and schedules that maintain the desired order.
To collapse in a heap at the end of the day, but to be satisfied with the order around me.
THE NEW NORMAL OF ORDER AND ORGANIZATION BEGINS . . . Tomorrow.
Friday, October 09, 2009
TO DO
Pack for SL
Calm Fussy Baby
Vacuum
Calm Fussy Baby
Sweep Bathrooms
Calm Fussy Baby
Empty Bathroom Garbages
Calm Fussy Baby
One last load of laundry
Calm Fussy Baby
Shower
Calm Fussy Baby
Hair
Calm Fussy Baby
Dust office
Calm Fussy Baby
Wipe counters
Calm Fussy Baby
Drive to SL
Calm Fussy Baby
Get anything done? Not on your life.
Calm Fussy Baby
Vacuum
Calm Fussy Baby
Sweep Bathrooms
Calm Fussy Baby
Empty Bathroom Garbages
Calm Fussy Baby
One last load of laundry
Calm Fussy Baby
Shower
Calm Fussy Baby
Hair
Calm Fussy Baby
Dust office
Calm Fussy Baby
Wipe counters
Calm Fussy Baby
Drive to SL
Calm Fussy Baby
Get anything done? Not on your life.
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