Tuesday, March 26, 2013

my friday

My Friday starts today! Woot!

I  had a very busy day at work yesterday and today is going to be more of the same. We are trying to finish reading all the submissions and get them ready to go for the June issue of the magazine. Ugh. I had to read one yesterday on a cage washer. Fun stuff.

We are also having a meeting on the new communication department calendar. The second in command is trying to back door another department and allow us to do what they are supposed to be doing. Right now each department does its own marketing, emailing, etc and there is no coordination of effort. It irritates me to no end when folks don't work 'smart.'  He happens to agree and wants to change the approach that has existed for years. He wants us to become, once again, the communication-marketing department and have us  orchestrate what leaves the building whether it is in an envelope or in an email.

In other news, I have a library board meeting tonight to go over FY 2014's budget. This will be interesting as well. The library is starting to plan for expansion and has asked the Friends to give the Town 25K to help kickstart planning. The Town is also putting in 25K. The money will be used to begin the design process as well as fund public outreach efforts to build support for the expansion.

In other news, the lady who lead the literacy committee I served on last year for the town wide reading program has  lost her husband. He was diagnosed with cancer in January and he died on Sunday. I need to check the paper for his funeral arrangements.

Just a mixed bag. But, with having three days off from work, plus the weekend, I'm eager to get the day in front of me underway!

Happy Easter. I'll be back next week.

Monday, March 25, 2013

randomness abounds

Okay, here we go. I'm diving into this shortened work week. I am taking a few days off starting Wednesday and I can't wait!!

The basketball this weekend was so fun! IU about gave me a heart attack by barely beating Temple, but they won and that is all that matters. How about that Florida Gulf Coast team? First 15 seed to ever make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Wow.

Speaking of sports, our coed rec team won their home opener 3-0.  Two girls scored!! Abbey was one of them!! The ladies looked awesome and the boys on the other team just didn't quite know what had hit them. But the best part is what happened before the game. I guess the opposing team's coach made a comment to our coach that he noticed how many girls we had on our team and he was sorry about that as he only had 4 girls on his team. Our coach assured it that it would be just fine, our girls had played before.

LOLOLOLOL.  Wonder what that coach thought when one of our girls launched one from the top of the 18 and it curled neatly in under the post. Wonder what he thought when our girl crashed the goal and tapped one in right in front of his goalie. Way to go Abbey!! LOLOLOL.

I think the word may get out now that you don't want to mess with these girls and the boys on their team.

The oldest made it home and it is so nice to have her here. I think she is taking lunch to her sister today and visiting some teachers at the high school.

In other news, I have a library board meeting tomorrow night. I need to print the packet and read it.

Our school merger debacle is getting really crazy now. I actually wrote the board last night. Not that it will do a lot of good, but I was pretty steamed and needed to vent.  They are voting on two policy changes. One will allow the administration to transfer students across attendance zones. They were advised to freeze zones for 2 years to let the dust settle first before they started shuffling students around. The second is a real can of worms. They are voting to allow the district to confiscate money, materials etc from the booster clubs, PTAs,  buildings etc. Yep. So if a PTA does a fundraiser for their school, that money can be taken and put in the district's money pot. I'm not quite sure how that can be legal in regards to many of the booster clubs. The soccer boosters are a 501. 3 c.

Things are going to start to get very interesting. I think they may have just stirred the sleeping giant. I continue to hope that our state government will strike down the silly law that prevents municipal school districts in the state.

Or we may need to look at private schools for the boy. Already they haven't posted the summer work for the AP/Honors classes. Never been delayed this long before. If they are shuffling kids and taking money, the big teacher shuffle won't be far behind.

UGH.

Monday, here I come. Ready or not!


Thursday, March 21, 2013

birthdays

Today is my birthday! I've already had a call from my Mom and Dad. I also heard from my best friend. Facebook is lighting up with best wishes from folks around the country, family and friends alike.

Birthdays are fun. I've never understood why some folks dread them or don't want to share just how many they have celebrated. It is way better than the alternative, right?

And there is basketball on today. What could be better? Birthday treats and basketball games. Perfect!

Hubby is going to cook dinner for us tonight. Steak and all the fixings. I went out to lunch yesterday with my crew from work. One of them works a half day today, so we celebrated early. But, I bet we have coffee and donuts this morning. I heard them scheming yesterday!

So, it is all good. Turning 48 isn't too bad.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

bracketology

I love watching the Big Dance. Tournament time is probably my favorite sporting event 'season' of the year, except when my girls were playing soccer.

Our work environment is pretty laid back, but sometimes they just need a nudge to have a bit more fun at the office. So, I took it upon myself to print off 6 brackets and told the other 5 folks in our department (communications/IT) that they needed to pick their teams. It was ON!

Of course, the IT guy had to run the 'numbers' before he gave me his sheet. I just laughed and told him I went by pure gut instinct. A perfect illustration of why he programs computers and I post silly stuff on social media to promote our association.

I will have to update our sheets this morning when I get to work. And let everyone know how they are doing so far. This should make for a fun couple of weeks. My boss told us we should all put in $5 and the winner has to use the money to defray the cost of all of us going out to lunch.  They loved that idea. We do love to eat there!

Okay, off to check scores and see what is what. In other news, I talked with the oldest yesterday and she has quite the shopping list for us to procure while she is home. I guess the joys of sorority rush continue to impact my checkbook as she needs certain things for August that she currently doesn't own. Thank goodness it is all stuff that is pretty practical and very usable. No feather boas or crazy colors. Tan wedges. No prob. Black shorts. No prob. We can do this.

However, we will NOT be taking the younger daughter with us. She always manages to con me into buying stuff for her when we are shopping for her sister. I know, I know, I'm a push over. But, she always looks so darn cute...and she always puts up a good argument for why she has to have that dress, shirt, skirt, shoes, shorts, lipstick, etc....

Basketball and sorority rush. It is going to be an interesting spring break!


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

where to start

Yesterday was the first day of the last quarter of my second daughter's high school career.

I needed a moment to let that sink in. She is finishing high school. She will be off to college in just a few months.

I will be home alone with the boys.

Hubby and I built a fire on the patio and sat outside Sunday night talking about all the changes going on in our lives right now. It is pretty amazing. It sometimes takes my breath away. It makes me so happy and proud and then chokes me up a moment later.

He feels the same way. Everything is moving along at a very rapid pace for us and we are wishing we had a way to slow it all down.

He took a bit of time off to spend with the boy while I was in Texas and I'm taking a few days off when the oldest is home for her break.

Taking some vacation time does help, but the problem, if you can even call it that, is we are at that point in our lives when the nest is becoming empty. It is natural. It is good. It is how it should be.

And we are excited to start planning the next 10,15, 20 years in front of us and doing some things we want to do.

So, where to start? In the moment. Right now. Every day. Today is Tuesday. Let's go!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

home again, home again

Jiggity, jig!

OMG, is it wonderful to be back home. San Antonio is a neat city. The River Walk is pretty cool. The people are nice. The convention for the toxicologists was good. I met tons of nice people. Most were interesting. At last count, I chatted with attendees/vendors from 17 different countries. It was a very good experience.

I don't know how folks do that sort of thing for a job. I would not want to travel from convention to convention for a company and sit/stand in a booth all day chatting up visitors. I can only plaster the happy, smiling, friendly, vivacious, 'on' personality on my face for about 1.5 days. After that, I'm toast.

I'm pretty tired. We got home from the airport about 11:00. No extra time off today, I'm expected to be in at 7:30.

So, I need some food and more coffee.  Maybe next week I can recap some of the more interesting things I saw and did.

Happy Thursday.


Thursday, March 7, 2013

san antonio

I'm leaving Sunday to fly down to San Antonio to help staff a booth at a toxicology convention. And today is Thursday!! So. Much. To. Do.

First, I need to get the laundry caught up. Second, I need to really think about what to pack. I'd rather not check a bag, so if I can manage it, I will just take a carry on. Third, I need to take care of some random chores around the house before I leave.

Sounds pretty simple, and I think I can get it all done. Oh, I need to check the weather down there next week.

I won't be blogging next week until I get home. Don't want to try and type this on my phone and using the hotel computers just isn't something I like to do. I could check out a laptop from work and haul it with me, but that is just one more thing to carry. I like to travel light.

So, until I return from Texas.....have a good one, or two or more days!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

snow plows and daffodils

Up north in the land of our former home, they just got walloped with yet another winter storm. As of this morning they have a good nine inches of snow and more is falling. My sister in law sent my hubby a picture of three plows going down the road, basically side by side, to show the kids.  My kids, especially the boy, have forgotten what real winter is. The girls always talk about wanting to move back north, not so much for the weather, but to escape the 'red state' mentality. I'm sure they could adapt to northern winters, but I don't think it would be fun for them.

I would much rather look out my kitchen window at the daffodils blooming and wonder at the small but that has opened on my azalea bush.

That is what March is supposed to be.  I used to escape March in Indiana and head to Florida to visit my grandparents for spring break. I did that several times while I was in college and even after I graduated. I needed a week to warm up, see the sun, and remember that the cold, gray, snowiness that is March in Indiana will eventually give way to spring like temps and skies. It was always fun to see my grandparents and get pampered for a week too! Lots of good food to eat and a slower pace to enjoy.

Where we live now works well for me. We had snowflakes in the air all day on Saturday, but not one would stick. It looked wintry and festive, but I could look around and see forsythia blooming as well as daffodils.

It is Wednesday! This week is zipping by. I need to start thinking about what to pack for San Antonio next week.

Enjoy the day.







Tuesday, March 5, 2013

ready not ready

I'm not ready.

There, I've said it. Rather, I've typed it. I'm not ready for spring break this year. When we hit spring break that means we are entering the final quarter of the school year. I'm not ready for the 4th quarter and all the events it is going to bring.

Confirmation. Prom. Senior Awards Night. Baccalaureate. Two Graduations. Toss into that mix, moving the oldest back home from college.

Wow. This school year went by too quickly in oh so many ways. And while I feel very unprepared inside, I know that I must act prepared, and ready, and organized in order to get through the next 3 months.

Because in the end, there is nothing to be done about it. Like the overused quote says: Keep Calm and Carry On.




Monday, March 4, 2013

fan girl

My inner geek, fan girl, nerd was relishing in doing nothing except watching TV last night. It was fun just to hang out with my hubby, the daughter and her boyfriend and watch Once Upon a Time, Walking Dead, and then Vikings.

The daughter has been dating the same young man for 9 months now. With college approaching, they've already discussed 'breaking up' when it is time to head away to school. He is actually leaving earlier than that to go work on a farm for his Dad all summer. His Dad owns some sort of agri-business and has connections with a big farm down in the delta that needs summer laborers. The final quarter of high school begins when spring break ends. Hard to believe. Exciting stuff, but bittersweet as well.

Speaking of fan girls, one of my high school classmates has a daughter who seems to be the ultimate fan girl. This young lady uses her mom's pinterest board to pin the most interesting assortment of crafts, art, quotes, etc. She seems to adore Disney characters, but with a twist.

I'm not a big fan of Mondays, but I have one to slog through and it includes a meeting first thing today with two folks in my least favorite department. One of them is traveling with me to Texas next week. Ugh.

Off I go.