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June 30, 2005
I spoke too soon (or, he's onto me)
Yesterday I posted about getting a peaceful shower followed by nearly a half hour of quiet time. I returned from my run this morning at 715 am to find a small blonde boy, 1 binky in mouth + 1 binky in hand, waiting expectantly at the back door.
Who knew evil could be so damn cute?
Posted by mryonker at 07:51 AM | Comments (2)
June 29, 2005
morning person
Who would've known that I'd be a *real* morning person? The heat has been oppressive again this week, and so I've been up at 600 am (early for me) to step out and run.
When I get back, everyone is still sleeping, so I get the bathroom all to myself and a quiet shower without the baby flushing the toilet or repeatedly yanking the curtain back. And I get about a half hour to mess around, reading blogs and emailing, etc.
And it's quiet. And cool. Oh heavenly.
We're gearing up for a couple things: first, the Dahlke family reunion coming up, whereby every single Dahlke, for the first time in over 10 years, will be in the same backyard to engage in bottle rocket fights and pyrotechnic splendor. People in my family take fireworks apart, combine and configure them, and MAKE NEW ONES. I am not making this up. Last year, a cousin of mine created "The Flamin' Turd" which was a (I believe) cardboard papertowel roll filled with black cats, those snake things, and probably several other various-sized smoke-belching, noisemaking (screaming mee mees*? pregnant cats*?) explosives.
The exitement is that you don't know what to expect. Will something catch on fire? Will someone's eye get impaled on an punk stick (last year, this was almost Jack)? Will the cops come and haul us all away (as fireworks are illegal in the state from which I hail)?
The excitement. I can't stand it.
Other summer happenings: Char travels down to stay with my mom for about 6 weeks. This will result in a 75% reduction in arguments, tantrums, and general house noise. I am not saying this to be mean, nor am I exaggerating. I promise. She is by far the loudest child in the house (except for when the J-Baby howls), and is the NOT THE CAUSE, but is party to nearly all the fights that occur.
And then: the Frank Family Reunion later in July, whereby many people will gather and attempt to out-do one another in any number of talents: singing/music, talking the loudest, and drinking. Mom already has had be burn and send out cds so that we can all sing barbershop.
I promise to offer commentary for each reunion, as the shenanigans will be highly, uh, comment-able.
*Actual names of fireworks.
Posted by mryonker at 08:51 AM | Comments (0)
June 27, 2005
he's probably some poor grad student, and this is part of his dissertation
Posted by mryonker at 09:03 AM | Comments (0)
June 23, 2005
a little renewal
You know how some people are just plain good for you? Like spending time with them is refreshing, renewing. Their smile sunny, their giggle slightly contagious. I had the chance to take a country drive today, sit in the sun for a spell, and leave with a back seat full of rhubarb.
Then, once home, I struggle to make pie. "Cut shortening into flour with butter knife" the recipe tells me. Wha? I pull out the red KitchenAid and throw it all into the bowl with the pastry paddle and a small prayer.
"Roll dough with a cloth-covered rolling pin." Wha? Oh, this is impossible. I throw the cloth ONTO the dough ball and roll. That works.
The first pie is a disaster. The bottom crust dough is lumpy, irregular, broken and re-pieced. I dump half the sugar-soaked rhubarb in and attempt to cover it with the top dough, which is equally ugly.
The second pie comes together much easier, and the results are near-admirable, for it being the second pie I've ever attempted in my entire life.
They both brown nicely in the oven, and I take the pretty-ish one to Deb. Deb, in turn, agrees to run with me this evening, even though I will have the jogger and Jack riding his bike along with us. [Having the boys along makes for a, well, less-than-stress-free run, what with Jack riding out in front of traffic and etc.] Deb is another one of those great people who are just plain good for me.
Posted by mryonker at 09:00 PM | Comments (1)
NIP
iBeth blogs her breastfeeding hero.
The J-baby is coming up on 20 months and still nurses. Infrequently, sure. Mostly at night. But also when he feels out-of-sorts, uncomfortable, or is in unfamiliar environs.
When strangers are around. He wants to nurse.
It is increasingly hard. He is a small boy, to be sure, though still very much a baby to me. And I'm inevitably trying to have a conversation with said "stranger" (who isn't a stranger to me, just to him), and he's in my lap posturing and digging and clawing at my shirt. It is obvious what he wants. And oh, if I put him down or attempt to distract him... !!hooooowwwwlll!! for sure.
I feel compelled to remind (or inform) people that the World Health Organization recommends nursing for two years. And not only for countries where food for children is hard to come by. It is most healthy for mom, too. (I'd find the link, but it's late.)
It's EASY to nurse a small baby in public. Easy. But a big baby, who pops off every couple gulps to survey the scene, or gets down to go get something to immediately come back and resume nursing: this is hard. Shirt up, shirt down, shirt up, shirt down. I've taken to holding my shirt and bra up with one hand so that when he pulls away, I pull down.
Ah, well. I probably only have a few months left anyway, so I should enjoy it while it lasts.
Posted by mryonker at 12:16 AM | Comments (2)
June 22, 2005
I (heart) Merlin and other nerds
43 Folders finds solid tactics for understanding (and beating) procrastination in a technique called the pull method.
The blurb Merlin offers jives (and I do mean jive, as in grooves with, not jibe, which might mean something similar, but when I say JIVE I mean it, I'm not being ignorant--I just save my jibes for sailing) with my position on fear feeding procrastination.
Another tidbit from dear friend (who does not blog yet, but will soon, I bet!) who offered her favorite productivity tactic: making short specific lists with VERY achievable, doable items. "Write two paragraphs for big project" is much closer to being crossed out (and more apt to be crossed out) than "BIG project" would be.
**In other news**
Brian is one class meeting away from finishing the initial foray back-to-school. It is an algebra class for which he studies too often, worries too much about, and has earned more than 100% on each test.
I haven't told him this, but he is the kind of student that would drive me batshit. He emails his prof after each class, with concerns about notes and whatnot. She (prof) finally began emailing him his test grades immediately after grading, because he would worry so.
D, dear running partner, whose husband is also back to school after time away, assures me that B will relax once he realizes that he *can* do this.
I think I'm just married to a nerd. Which is fine by me.
Posted by mryonker at 11:22 PM | Comments (2)
some pics from dance
:)
If you watch the slideshow, I tried to get Hannah at the apex of her Russian. My camera is so old and crappy, and my timing even worse, that I have to simply offer what will appear to be a cartoonish sequence of attempts.
And Josh, of course, with his screwdriver.
Posted by mryonker at 02:40 PM | Comments (0)
well isn't that special
a true dilly-dally:
After a meeting with a kind financial aid advisor, I completed my consolidation application today. It was less painful than I anticipated, except for trying to fill-in-the-blanks with a small boy hanging onto my elbow.
Don't ride a bike with yoga pants on. There's a reason biker pants have no flow-y hanging fabric.
A new discipline tactic has been instituted in the house: standing in the corner. Used today for the couple o' errants who wandered over to the neighbor's pool to "watch" (standing rule: no one allowed outside the yard). And as an aside: while I am grateful that said neighbors, when they installed the pool last week, filled it via water truck instead of emptying the well that we probably share, I really wish they hadn't installed it at all. My kids are apeshit wanting to go over there and swim, which I unequivocally WILL NOT allow.
If you are considering donating your oocytes: if you have been adopted and do not have access to both biological parents' medical info, you will be disqualified. [And when you go online to see if you can find the missing biological parent, you will find him, thank god he doesn't have an email address so you don't do anything stupid, and decide not to donate instead.]
And I offer for your viewing pleasure:
Doesn't he look like the Church Lady? "Well, isn't ThAt speshul."
Posted by mryonker at 12:28 PM | Comments (1)
June 21, 2005
progress ... slow, inching
I have undertaken a project that I never should have: to download and install Movable Type onto a server.
Yah. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I offer a helpful metaphor: For the last two days, I've been trying to prepare a gigantic meal for ______ (insert scary important person here: boss, president, etc) , a very important meal, and I am only given the recipes IN CHINESE.
Because, you know, I speak Chinese.
Just a little stressful. HOWEVER, I have emerged victorious. With a little help from cgb (who, by the way, has one a cool blog award--yeah, collin!!) and A LOT of help from the SureSupport people for ICDsoft, a blog is now existing where it didn't before.
And here now, is the J-baby, awake in the middle of the night for your interrupting pleasure. More later.
>>updated: one? You know, I meant, won. He won a cool award for his cool blog. Jeez.
Posted by mryonker at 11:04 PM | Comments (1)
June 18, 2005
swamp rat
A quick report back from the Swamp Rat Run:
I had six brownies run--and they all finished. Our training did most of them really well; they didn't run all out at the beginning like last year, and they were able to run-walk-run quite efficiently.
I ran the 10K after the one miler. It was a lonely race. I didn't have anyone to run with, and I didn't know any of the other runners, and I didn't have anyone waiting for me at the finish line. I anticipated this, though, so I brought along my trusty iPod (for which I still do not have an armband, but >sigh< ...). And so I offer a song-by-song (as I remember them, anyway) narrative:
The horn went off and I waited a while before I pressed play. I didn't want to get tripped up or trip anyone else at the beginning when everyone is still all clumped together. I found that the iPod (it's a mini) fit perfectly into the little change/key pocket that hangs inside the waistband of my running shorts, but I couldn't see the wheel to skip songs or adjust the volume, so I decided just to hold it.
Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" set my pace, and I turned it up. The rhythm wasn't quite right for pacing, but it's such fun song. Plus I like the title, you know, without the 've. The first (short) leg, an asphalt path from Oneida Shores Park to Lakeshore Rd, was all it took for the entire pack to get several hundred yards ahead of me.
Cheryl Lynn's "Got to be Real" took me to the first mile mark. Those who did not leave me in the dust at the start were steadily coming alongside and passing me. 10:54
311's "I'll Be Here Awhile" had me running triplets. It was too fast for me to pace, so I for every measure of the reggae couplets I took three steps.
And then in the middle, there were some crappy songs. Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" came on somewhere during the first half, and initially I thought it would calming and uplifting and encouraging, but by the end of the song I wanted to strangle him. *skip*
Counting Crows' "Marianne" after a few bars, *skip*
Sting's "Fill 'er Up" : *skip*
And some others, now I can't remember.
At the turnaround, Tears for Fears' "Woman in Chains" came on. I got some water and found that this song has the perfect rhythm for a steady, loping stride. And Oleta Adams! I have always loved this song, but she really is why. Sooo beautiful. [note to self] I need to buy "Get Here" from iTunes. [/note]
Split was 33:00. :)
After the water table I catch up to a young, mop-headed fellow. His hair bounces, and I wonder if it makes him tired. I follow him for a good while, 5 minutes maybe, and then he slows to a walk. I want to say, "C'mon, dude, you're my pacer. Don't stop!!" But instead I pass him as
Shania Twain's "She's Not Just a Pretty Face" comes on. A good, upbeat song, but like many other upbeat songs, the tempo isn't quite right and I attempt another triplet stride for a while, without much success.
10,000 Maniac's "Candy Everybody Wants" somewhere in there--
and
Alison Krauss's "I'll Fly Away" from _O Brother_--
and
Fiona Apple's "Get Gone."
At the one-mile-out guy said "54 minutes" and I thought, "WooHOO!" I'm almost done, I'm not anywhere near dead, and I will finish under 1:06 (I had figured if I could sustain an under-11 pace, I'd be proud of myself).
The last song, Indigo Girls' "Get Out the Map" was apropos, not only in theme but also in tempo; it was perfect for my short legs to push a little. It ended just as I was getting back into the park, and I tore the earbuds out and kicked it out as hard as I could. IT FELT GREAT!!
Unofficial time: 1:04 and change. They haven't posted yet, and I didn't hang out to hear them.
I got me a bagel and stretched and waited for my ride. And to think I was initially, slightly, disappointed to be alone. :)
Posted by mryonker at 12:13 PM | Comments (1)
June 17, 2005
one more thing...
There is a skunk in the basement. Allegedly. I allege this because the bathroom (where the basement door is) stinks to high heaven.
Though I haven't proven it to myself by actually opening the door to look.
Posted by mryonker at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)
know where I can pick up some, uh, larch?
Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to post tonight. I'm too busy. But, yet again, events in my life have taken a turn for the worry.Bach Flower Remedies says I should take one of the following:
White Chestnut - calms repetitive, worrying thoughts;
Larch - for people who fear and expect failure;
Agrimony - for people who worry in secret but hide from their fears by making a joke of things.
Unless my drinking any of the above flower essences will make a couple grand drop out of the sky and into my bank account, I can't imagine they'd work.
The good news: I've been offered a position as a Professional Writing Instructor (PWI) at SU for this fall, and that will nearly double our income (although, TWO bags of peanuts instead of one is, well, only TWO bags of peanuts).
The bad news. I have two more mortgages to make between now and when I start. I have a bazillion people to feed, electric bills, phone bills, and gas bills.
And I am so scared that I could cry. I am, in fact.
Posted by mryonker at 09:43 PM | Comments (3)
June 16, 2005
because this one is a little different
and because I won't have time to post for a couple days, as I have two banquets tomorrow (one for the pre-school and one for Girl Scouts) and the Swamp Rat Race on Saturday, I present another meme via A Delicate Boy...:
My uncle once: sang in a country rock band with my mom, and that's how she met my dad.
Never in my life: did I think I would drink coffee regularly. But that's what grad school does to ya.
When I was five: my parents divorced.
High school was: in Puerto Rico on a Navy base. Lots of very different people from all over the place. You had to learn Spanish so the locals wouldn't talk behind your back.
I will never forget: the day I met my husband. He was playing fooseball at a mutual friend's house and didn't give me a second look.
I once met: Octavia Butler, author of _Parable of the Sower_, a most excellent sci-fi book. She was incredibly soft spoken and lovely. We had lunch at a nice restaurant in Norfolk with a handful of other students from a seminar course.
Once at a bar: called Chicho's in Va Bch, I had several shots-n-a-draft, and learned that mixing liquor and beer is less-than-wise.
By noon I'm usually: starving, as I don't give myself enough time for a good breakfast.
Last night: I went to to Wal*Mart and bought 6 more pacifiers for my resident binky addict.
If only I had: never borrowed so much money for school, I wouldn't still have to be in it.
Next time I go to church: will probably be when Hannah asks to go, or when I visit my mom. Maybe Christmas Eve, as I am one of those foul people who only goes for the big services.
I have a confession to make: I wish I had more self-discipline.
When I turn my head left: I see a wall full of my children's artwork and awards.
When I turn my head right: I see the rest of my kitchen, with its ugly nasty dirty old metal cupboards.
You know when I'm lying when: I say I'm not disappointed.
Every day I think about: how I'm eating too much.
By this time next year: I will have finished my exams and will have begun on my dissertation.
I have a hard time understanding: how people don't see themselves in others; why compassion is such a rarity in our culture.
If I ever go back to school I'll: become a dental hygienist. Swear.
You know I like you when: I call you on the phone and know your number by heart.
If I won an award the first person I'd thank is: whoever helped the most.
My ideal breakfast is: pancakes and sausage.
A song I love, but do not have is: That one that goes: "I know you wanna leave me, but I refuse to let you go. If I had to beg and plead..."
If you visit my hometown, I suggest: staying out of the neighborhood I grew up in; you will probably get mugged.
Why won't anyone: pay off my student loans for me. Anyone? Anyone? Puhleeeze??
If you spend the night at my house: you will hear J-baby wake at 11:30 (anytime now) and again at 5:00am. You will hear the 5-year olds up at 6 shouting and riding their bikes or watching cartoons with the volume up like it's the middle of the day.
I'd stop my wedding for: nothing. The show must go on, dammit.
The world could do without: those few of us who can smile at slow and rude drivers.
I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: let any of my collegues at school see the "natural" state of my house.
Paper clips are more useful than: crappy can openers. I don't know. This was a hard one.
If I do anything well: it's dealing with discomfort. I can do the dentist, or have a baby, or have blood drawn anyday.
And by the way: I WILL NOT have any more babies, but I did just go to the dentist, and look ma, NO cavities. :)
The last time I was drunk: was a good while ago. Long enough that I don't really remember (see shot-n-a-draft line; that was 8 years ago). Though a little buzz goes a long way--hel-lo maragarita!!
Posted by mryonker at 11:42 PM | Comments (4)
a little wanna-be geek in me
Found this:favelets.
There is one that allows you to "view style sheets." Yay!
Ok, I might be so far behind that everybody else knows about this. But I was quite thrilled to find that I could look at others' sheets!!
The only quibble: these ones only work in IE, which I have abandoned for Safari. But I can swing both ways. :)
Posted by mryonker at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)
scheduling
More talk of daily planning and organizing:Elizabeth at Half-changed World, via Laura at 11D.
The best I can do is have a calendar hanging on the wall in the kitchen. When the kids bring home announcements about field trips (requiring specially-packed lunches and bathing suits, or whatever), when I've got a board meeting, when someone's got a doctor's or dentist's appointment, I just write it on the calendar.
You can imagine, with 4 kids + 3 adults in one house, what that poor calendar looks like.
It's probably the lowest tech thing I do. I have no palm pilot; when they became more ubiquitous I was getting my MA and had not the dinero to hop onto that particular bandwagon. Also, Laura and Elizabeth talk about linking up their schedules with spouses (and possibly others, co-workers), but I have no one to link up with, really.
Next fall when Brian is student-ing full-time, we might need something like this.
But I can only feel unworthy and unproductive in the face of color-coding and calendars printed daily. However, today, I have already hauled our recycling to the transfer station, been to the library to deposit books due, grocery shopped, had a cup of coffee with a good friend and done a little reading.
I get stuff done.
Posted by mryonker at 01:11 PM | Comments (0)
June 15, 2005
fear
Look. I know this about myself. But I should make it clear to you all, dear readers:
I am a procrastinatin' bitch.
I try to make excuses about not having time. Not having resources ($$ for sitter) to make the requisite time.
And actually, my excuses fly. But there's another reason I don't get stuff done expediently:
I spend a good deal of time worrying about whether I'll be able to do it or not. Or worrying that I'll eff it up. I am afraid. Frequently.
And then, of course, everytime I finally sit down to *do* whatever it is I'm expected to do, I'm always THRILLED TO PIECES with myself that I didn't crash and burn. This has proved to be a marked trend since I began my work here at SU.
As a writer, though, this procrastination shit just doesn't fly. I gots to find a remedy.
Posted by mryonker at 10:19 PM | Comments (5)
June 14, 2005
everyone else is doing [did] it
Pamalama over at Running Commentary was the straw that broke the camelblog's back. I cave and offer the meme that I've resisted for a good month now:
three physical things you like about yourself.
1) long fingers
2) clavicle
3) teeth
three physical things you don’t.
1) grandma arms
2) many stretched-out places from carrying and feeding three babies
3) perpetual under-eye circles
three things that scare you.
1) being in a car that runs off a bridge into water and having to get the kids out of car seats
2) being barefoot in murky water
3) debtor's jail
three of your everyday essentials.
1) sleep
2) a run, or a little yoga
3) food
three things you are wearing now.
1) running shorts
2) safety goggles (big, round, tortoiseshell glasses)
3) tank top
three of your favorite bands or musical artists.
1) Indigo Girls
2) Josh Groban
3) Counting Crows
three things you want [have] in a relationship.
1) honesty
2) kindness
3) shared goals
three physical things that turn you on.
1) forearms
2) hands
3) eyes
three of your favorite hobbies.
1) writing
2) reading recipe books (and eating experiments)
3) road races
three things you want to do really badly right now.
1) get a real job
2) pierce my nose
3) eat something
three careers you are considering.
1) instructional technology
2) tech writing
3) being the next Erma Bombeck
three places you want to go on vacation.
1) Alaska
2) Nepal/Tibet
3) Scandinavia
three things you want to do before you die.
1) Run a marathon in under 6 hours
2) Live off-grid, completely self-sufficiently
3) Finish this Phd
Posted by mryonker at 10:16 AM | Comments (2)
June 13, 2005
less ack-uh-dee, more mom
The heat is getting to me. Stinky-hot, I think, best describes the weather here this week, though Thursday it's supposed to be 68, and I look forward to that. Hannah asked me innocently this weekend: "Mom, why haven't you turned the air on??" I answered her: "We do not HAVE air, we live in CENTRAL New York." It's hotter here than it is in SE VA right now, where the bar is set for stinky-hot.
The dance recital was nice, though the a/c was broken in the auditorium so we all sweated and stuck to our vinyl auditorium seats. Jack danced his first ballet, and I think it will be his last (he was over it in March, but we pressed him to finish the year because the choreography was heavily dependent on there being one boy in the class). Hannah was in three numbers, and she ate it up, loved it as always, and did really well. Charlotte danced in the pre-ballet with Jack, and she was quite cute.
The bad news: the vid cam decided that after the very first number it needed its heads cleaned, and the rest of the two-and-a-half hours of video are trash. B tried changing tapes and turning the machine off between numbers, but no luck. I'm very sad. Because we had the vid cam, I didn't even bring the reg cam to take pics, so I have no record of the performance. I am bummed.
Once mom leaves in a few days, I'll be able to get some stuff done. But right now, I'm enjoying the excuse to not do much of anything.
Posted by mryonker at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
June 10, 2005
heartburn
Well. This past week has been...whew.
The run down might look like:
professional development mini-seminar on Tuesday, whereby I was snarked quite snarkily by an instructor who felt that because I'm a graduate student, I somehow have more pedagogical freedom in the classroom. The irony, of course (b/c it's my life; there is always irony) is that if all goes well, I'll be an instructor next fall.
hauling huge-mongous bags of plaster to the dump on Wednesday, where I hefted and slung the first twenty or so that I had packed (and had only half-filled). The first of the second twenty, that brother T had packed, weighed about 200 lbs and I nearly threw myself out of the bed of the pick-up trying to throw it into the transfer dumpster. A nice attendant came out and we hefted them together. I promptly went to the nearest gas station and bought him a six pack.
picked up a truckload of mulch on Thursday, and spent the afternoon spreading it around various bushes in the yard. This was a vain attempt at beautification; however, the ugly bald spots in the lawn, chewed bare by the plow this winter, mock me still. Also on Thursday: dance rehearsal, mudding and sanding drywall, and the arrival of B's parents. >sigh<
Today, board meeting for the pre-school, FINALLY got the garden in the ground (with a little help from Jack, who somehow planted three rows' worth of carrot seeds in half a row--even tried to find and move an already-planted carrot seed? good luck). The boys frolicked in the wading pool; we chased, caught and admired, and released a small frog; AND dress rehearsal for the dance recital, which praise all that is holy and terrific, is tomorrow and then I will bE FREE of the hell that is dance class detail.
We feasted at Ponderosa (hence the post title), and now I'm doing laundry and happy to sit. My mom gets in late tonight with my sister, Rose, and tomorrow will be a frenzy of tights and buns (the hair-do!!) and safety pins.
I'll report back.
Posted by mryonker at 10:00 PM | Comments (6)
June 06, 2005
plaster cigarette, Derek's magic, big toe misery, gelatinous ping-pong balls
Spent the weekend knocking out, sweeping, and bagging old plaster from the second floor. Now we're working on hanging drywall, which is onerous work.
We had all the windows open, fans going, and surgeon's masks. I still felt like with every breath I was sucking in lungsful of smokey plaster dust.
***
Derek has done something wonderful, magical, by compiling several writing technologies (he offers the links in his post).
His use of maps is spot on for what I had envisioned using time-space mapping for mom bloggers, though I had also imagined a third gestalt, a narrative layer. But he simply uses the blog entry for this, and I think it works amazingly. Kudos, dude. What I spent two semesters in the geography department for, he gets through a little futzing. Well, a lot futzing. But still. I have academic envy. :)
***
Last night I awoke partially to see an outline of the J-baby teetering at the top rail of his crib, attempting an escape. My body reacted before my mind could fully wake, and it leapt from the bed to grab him so he wouldn't fall. (Foolishly, since he is quite an accomplished escape artist now--he slides easily to the floor like a fireman. He wouldn't have even hurt himself.)
Because I was literally still half asleep, I'm not sure of the exact logistics of my leap. All I know is that instead of leaping to my feet, my feet got caught in the covers and I crashed into the side of the crib and landed on my right knee. The force of my body falling to the floor then yanked my feet from the entangled sheet and my feet SLAMmed on the floor.
My crash knocked J back down into the crib, and he began crying. I was crying because I thought I'd shattered my big toe joint. Brian went to get an ice pack and ended up stubbing a toe of his on something (a toy, I reckon) in the living room. We're all howling in pain and fear.
I got up this morning and could NOT SKIP OUR RUN. I'll explain why: my dearest friend Deb, the superstar whom I trailed for 26.2 miles and who keeps me running on a near-daily basis, had a job interview today. AND SO DID I. Because we both have been commiserating about our fates as jobless, penniless, welfare-receiving-and-foodstamp-getting teachers if neither of us is gainfully employed this fall, it was FATE that we were both called to interviews on the same day.
To skip the run would be to tempt fate.
So I hobbled out at 7 am this morning, thinking that it hadn't bruised that badly, I probably was not crippled. And we ran a meager 3 miles. While streching down by the river, we witnessed a large snapping turtle (or a box turtle? can't remember) digging a hole and laying her gelatinous ping-pong ball eggs.
Then, the toe didn't hurt too much.
OOOh. That was then. Now my toe looks like it's got a purple bunion growth the size of a walnut. I can't even get my foot into a shoe.
But our interviews went well, we think. (Except I said something stupid and giddy at the end of mine, like "This is the last time you'll see me in a skirt." Duh. I hope they forget I said that.)
Posted by mryonker at 09:15 PM | Comments (3)
June 02, 2005
brightsides and bread ties
Yes. The brightside.
Anyway: the brightside. Blogging really makes concrete the cycle of my moods, what I attribute to be the causes of those moods, and allows me to take myself a little less seriously.
For instance, I get to read and reflect on what I've been funky about in the past, and what has lifted my spirits, likewise.
I have a new approach to seeing events as they happen in my life: "would I blog this?" or "how will I blog this (how will I present it)?"
And though I've felt from the get-go (or "git-go" if you prefer) that my private, personal life inevitablely collides with all things in the public, I'm slowly learning, through this very public genre, that things certainly can, and do, stay private. For instance, there's a whole long drawn-out drama about my brother and niece living with us that I only gesture towards. There are days I am ready to put them out. There are days that are not so bad, where I don't mind them at all, and can see them hanging out indefinitely. And there are often times when their antics stress me out and I deliberately DO NOT blog, because, well, I'm not sure why.
The blog truly is a self-effacing mechanism. And not only in a public manner. Yes, you lay yourself bare (how bare, you decide) to a public, BUT more importantly, you lay yourself bare for your own self to discover and reflect on.
That said, some hodge podge:
We have a little skunk eating catfood off the back porch. We think it's a she because she is small, but we can't be sure.
Tomorrow night begins the insanity that is studio rehearsals before the dance recital next weekend. With 3 kids in 5 numbers (that's 8 costumes for me to keep track of!!) I am just a little anxious.
I've been wearing a bread tie around my little finger to remind myself not to yell and scream and to pick my battles and to generally be more calm. I think it's working--today I didn't wear it and the screaming hag came back for a few hours. I've got the kids in on it too. Hannah asks me: "Mom, where's your BREAD TIE??" when I start up. And when Hannah rages about something, I raise my pinkie at her. "Get a bread tie," I say when someone comes in to tattle.
Posted by mryonker at 10:40 PM | Comments (2)
June 01, 2005
an explanation
My silence has been the result of the following factors:
1. a funk from the middle of last week that rendered many post-beginnings and many head shakes and many red-light-outs
2. an unexpected trip to WV for the long weekend that kept me from the internet
3. a busy week beginning that has left my head spinning
Brian has officially started classes, and he is gone three nights a week. He is also still working, though every day I wonder whether the shop he's at has gone under yet (the boss is having financial trouble).
I am now officially looking for employment so that I can support us next fall when he goes back to school full time. (For those of you wondering--this was the project up my sleeve earlier last month.)
I haven't been running like I'd like to. Joshua is turning into a good little boy (he was soo pleasant during the drive to/from WV!! I was thrilled). I have sworn off late night snacks (and eating after 6 pm altogether). I am anxious for the two family reunions we'll attend this summer. I always spend family reunions wondering if everyone thinks I am the trashy cousin/niece who got married and pregnant too early and who now at 29 still doesn't have a "real" job. I'm praying that the upstairs remodel will be far enough along by next week that when my in-laws visit I won't still have my bed in the living room.
I've spent today cleaning out the refrigerator (it's what you do when your MIL is coming in less than 2 weeks). It was gross.
More spring cleaning this week. I should find some time to read something, too.
Posted by mryonker at 08:30 PM | Comments (3)