Thursday, January 29, 2015

it is January, right?

50.
I just checked. Yep. It is 50 outside.

My daffodils are out of the ground and ready to work on blooming. This is nuts. No wonder my eyes are itchy, my nose is stuffy, my head aches.

No rest from allergy season this year. But, I'm going to just take an allergy pill and keep on going. The tummy bug, and I'm convinced that is what it was, has left the building. I started feeling better yesterday afternoon and was able to eat a full dinner without feeling queasy.

Thursday!!! Ready for the weekend. The boys will be off to a tournament, so Duke and I will have a quiet Saturday. Looking forward to it.

Maybe I can finish the book I'm reading, or at least skim it until the end. Note to self: even if a Dan Brown book is free, don't download it. I'm slogging through "Inferno." Ugh. Hate to quit books when I'm half way finished, but I've been tempted.

Off I go!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

crud

I ended up leaving work a bit early yesterday as I was feeling really cruddy. This morning I'm not feeling quite as icky, so I will be heading off to work. Strange virus. Seems a lot of weird viral bugs going around of late.

Had the opportunity to chat with both girls yesterday. The oldest called as she was walking home from a lab and the other one emailed/texted off and on all day. Nice treat!!

Not much else to report or comment on this morning. Hoping the coffee wakes me up a bit and doesn't make my tummy any more queasy than it already is.

Off into Wednesday!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

blizzard envy

I heard some folks mention that they had what I would term blizzard envy. Yep. They wish that what the northeast is experiencing would magically appear in the mid-south. Oh for Mother Nature to create a winter wonderland, enforce a slowdown, enable us all to stay home for a bit and hunker down for several days.

Sounds okay, maybe. I don't really get blizzard envy. I guess growing up and experiencing two major blizzards where and entire city was shut down for a week cured me of that desire. Snowdays, yes, I do enjoy one every now and then. And for our area, just the hint of more than flakes in the air sends folks to the store to empty the shelves.

We usually get a snow day in February. Or at least, that is what has happened for the last several years.

So, let's go out and enjoy this 55 degree day and let the northeast have their blizzard. I'd rather take a walk in the sunshine on my lunch break than be trapped at home for days on end!

Monday, January 26, 2015

reading recap

Eh, it was just okay. Not the feeling you want to have after you plunk down $10 for an e-book. The library didn't have the title on order. I wanted to read the latest in this series. The other books have been great. This one, not so much.

Disappointed. Yep.

Too much head hopping. Too little plot development. Too many characters to juggle. A few clever moments, but over all, I was left knowing I would never spend that kind of money again on a title in this series. I will wait for the library to get their copy.

Lesson learned.

Off into Monday we go!

Thursday, January 22, 2015

lists

One of my goals this year is to work on some lists at work. More of a what do we have to do each month kind of list. We have so many different things going on now that we have committees assigned to us, that trying to keep track of it all is becoming a bit much.

The list will turn into an SOP, of sorts, for the department. We need one.

Fun stuff!

I don't mind making lists and they usually help me get things done. Yesterday I had five errands to run after work. Knocked them all out and got home earlier than I expected. It helped the library director wasn't in when I dropped off book donations. I'm sure we would have chatted for a while and I would have been delayed from that visit.

Well, no list for today. I think we are in good shape as we head into the later part of the week.

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

too much, too little

So the night before last, I overslept. Didn't have time to blog as I needed to get out for my morning walk. Last night I had a really difficult time sleeping. Yes, I'm awake on time, but I'm not really alert. The coffee is brewing. The laptop is on and humming. My brain is doing neither.

I splurged yesterday and downloaded the latest in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. I checked the library to see if they had "Burned" and I found nothing. I also checked for the latest Flavia book, again, zilch. UGH. Looks like I will be downloading Flavia as soon as I'm finished with Mac and Dani.

I really need to stop in the library and see what is going on. Two of the biggest books of the quarter and they weren't in the catalog. What. The. Heck.

Okay, enough complaining. Thank goodness for B&N gift cards, my Nook, and the need to read.

Off into Wednesday I go. I love a short week!!

Monday, January 19, 2015

Ttown fun

We spend the weekend in Ttown for the boy's Speech and Debate tournament and to see our oldest. Fabulous weekend. The weather was perfect. I had a great time judging 3 rounds (duo interp, HI, and poetry interp). Hubby was busy judging public forum debate and Lincoln-Douglas debate. The boy did well. While he didn't break in extemp, he did make it to the semi finals in Impromptu. This is a tough competition, so we were happy with his results. The team did have two finalists and took a second place prize in prose and a fourth place prize in original oratory.

After competition was over on Saturday, we met up with our girl, one of her good friends, and the other daughter's boyfriend for dinner. We went to the amazing little pub in the revitalized downtown district. Great local beers and amazing food. Best fish and chips I've had in a very long time. The cod was perfect and the fries to die for.

The rest of them had burgers. I had a taste of one and it was fantastic. Great meal, but even better company.

Came home yesterday and was so happy to see how happy the Duke was. Great dog sitter! Wish she didn't live in NYC for school!!

Off into the day we go!

Thursday, January 15, 2015

jimmy

When we first moved to our town, one of the first folks we met was Jimmy L. Hubby met him through the Leadership class and then I met him when I participated in that group. We both thought, wow, he really is welcoming to newcomers. He really knows how to represent the town. So nice! We learned over the course of 12 years that he really was just that nice, it seemed, all the time. Always with a smile, a warm greeting, a twinkle in his eye, a kind word, a big laugh.

Our town lost a wonderful servant when he died this week. He'd been ill for a while, but it is never easy to say goodbye.

We went to the visitation last night. The line to sign the book was 50 deep. The line to greet the family wound around the church. We were there for over an hour and saw so many other friends from the boards and volunteer groups we've served on through the years.

Not sure if a big turnout for a visitation and funeral is a comfort to a family or not, but it clearly shows that this man's life touched a lot of people. A lot of people.

Rest in peace, Jimmy and thanks for welcoming these two northerners and for never making us feel like we didn't belong!


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

clever

Saw a clever post the other day from a young lady who babysat my three once upon a time. She is an avid yoga devotee and I guess is being squeezed at the studio by all of the new year resolution types. She was hoping, for her sake, that their resolve has wavered and she can have room to do her sun salutations in comfort.

Closer to home, in a way, was the middle daughter's post that she had taken a trip to Westminster "abbae"......a clever play on words of the whole "bae" phenomena and her first name. Hope she took time to stand on Mr. Dicken's grave and wander around The Poet's Corner a bit.

I'm not feeling very clever, but I am determined to go for a stroll this morning. Need to get my sluggish blood moving and the lungs cleaned out and refilled with some fresh air. Wake up the gray matter.

Off into Wednesday I go....and as a bonus, I get to visit the salon for a haircut today!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

okay, let's go

No rain.
Temp at 32 and holding.
Okay, let's go.

Off to walk! I think it has been a week since we went on our morning stroll. Between the rain and below 20 temps, I held off. Not this morning! Looking forward to it.

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, January 12, 2015

not a word

I didn't even open my Nook case this weekend. We were too busy to read. Between household chores, a football party, and an NBA basketball game, the fam was out and about.

Today brings rain. What is it with Mondays and rain of late. UGH. It rained so hard last night it woke me up. UGH.

No walking this morning for me and Duke. Too gross outside. I hope it passes through before it is time to leave work today. I wanted to stop by Aldi and get some groceries this afternoon. I hate grocery shopping in the rain. Wet cardboard is nasty.

On the bright side, we actually talked with the Londoner yesterday!!!! I was so excited to hear her voice and to learn of what she is doing. Very, very cool.

Sounds like the team there is keeping them busy, getting them acquainted with the city, and they are off to a great start for their semester. She texted yesterday to ask for input on where to travel to for her 7 and 10 day breaks.

Glad at this moment that she wasn't interested in Paris.

Okay, off into the week I go! Monday, get ready. I'm recharged and ready for battle.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

downton time

On Sunday I taped the premiere of Downton. The kids were playing a game in the kitchen and I need to be able to hear every bit of dialogue. Don't want to miss any gems from Dame Maggie Smith! We watched the episode last night after we took the girly to the airport. She's on her way! Haven't heard from her yet, but she should be at Heathrow now.

Anyway, the episode was great. Going to be a good season at Downton Abbey.

My two Abbeys are now in the same country! lolz

Off we go into Thursday. The week is zipping by, a very good thing.

Cheers!

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

london bound

In a few hours we we drive our middle daughter to the airport and send her off to London. Wow. When she first earned a spot in this program, the departure date seemed so far away. It's here.

She's packed. She's ready.

The house is going to be really quiet tonight.




Tuesday, January 6, 2015

overslept

I stayed up later than usual to finish a book and I overslept. Not sure at this point if it was worth it. But, I did manage to get my walk in this morning and breakfast is cooling.

Off into Tuesday we go! Two head back to school today, and I hope the other one begins to pack.........

Monday, January 5, 2015

here we go

We are off to a start, of sorts. The kids are all home today. The boy starts school tomorrow. The oldest heads back to university tomorrow. The middle one heads to London on Wednesday.

Vacation was wonderful. I'm not looking forward to going to work today. Dreading the email.

Weather has turned cold. It is 25 right now. The Duke and I are still walking. No wind, so it shouldn't be too bad.

I need to set up my book record for 2015. I have already finished two for this year and am midway through a third. My writing goal is on track as well. Off to a good start!

Enjoy Monday.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

2015

Happy New Year!

I will turn 50 this year. I will write a page a day. I will read 52 books this year.

That's it, folks. My resolutions/goals/objectives for the next 365 days.

But for right now, I'm going to enjoy a quiet house filled with sleeping college students.....and a very large cup of coffee.

Cheers!!