Misleading

The sidebar poll about my plans for the weekend was perhaps a bit misleading, in that I myself had no firm plan for the weekend, and thus no firm idea of what was first on the plan. I had lofty thoughts about going home from work Friday and knitting while I caught up on some tv, but it didn't turn out that way. I did catch up on some tv (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), but I didn't knit while I watched.

I turned in fairly early Friday (11ish?) and virtuously went into the office for a while on Saturday am. I made up for it by napping in the afternoon. Anyway, I did manage to sleep, take out the trash, watch a little tv, run the dishwasher, and do some Seminary reading, though not any Seminary lesson-planning.

Perhaps the next weekend-plans-poll should be designed to let you tell me what should be first on my list.

Something's Wrong

I know my 50+ readers will laugh at me, but I'm starting to feel old. Reasons and examples:

I was wide awake by 4:04 am this morning and decided to get up and come to the office, with the vague idea of cleaning my desk. On a Saturday.

My baby brother will be 30 years old in a few short months.

Gray hair.

I don't remember what it's like to be 16.

A Change

As life and blogging both enter a period of limited variety and activity, I decided to take down the Currently Enjoying and Library Item Count sidebars. Neither item has changed in weeks.

I'm still listening to Nineteen Minutes in the car when I think about pulling it out, and Rough Stone Rolling is still sitting on the floor by the side of my bed. And while the library item count fluctuates from time to time, most of the items are work-related books sitting on the floor of my office because I'm not ready to admit I'll never read them and should return them to the stacks.

I don't eat much of interest anymore either, other than your garden variety junkfood, so there's no sense in reviving the Currently Eating sidebar.

I'm open to suggestions, but for now, what you see is what you get.

Short Commercial

I [heart] Miracle Whip!

Here for the Duration, or, Woe is Me

Monday I'm teaching three instruction classes between 9am and 12:45, and then I am on the desk from 6 to 9pm. (We won't discuss that fact that it's 6:40 in the middle of my 3-10pm Sunday night shift and I have nothing planned for tomorrow's seminary lesson, but I thought I'd would mention it in the interest of disclosure.)

I had planned to take a "split-day" Monday and go home between 12:45 and 5:45. After last night's trip to Costco, however, I think I'll try spending my split-day in the office. That way, I save the hour of driving back and forth, save electricity by not running the A/C at home, and if I plan carefully, I will have access to adequate food and drink. Because let's face it, if I go home, what will I do? The plan would be to work on seminary and eat and maybe nap for a bit, but the reality is that I would nap and maybe eat and probably not work on seminary at all.

At the office, however, I can work on my seminary lesson just as well as at home, and thanks to Costco, I can even nap in my office in relative comfort. Hey, if it worked for George, why can't it work for me?

Sleep Deprivation Curbs Creativity

Has it really been nine days since I posted, and a throw-away post at that? I'm afraid this is another throw-away, but I'm doing what I can.

I had a wonderful time playing with Allie and Jack in Austin last weekend, and I'll post a picture or two in a bit. I was back at work on Tuesday, and when my friend Amy asked me to hand her something within my reach, I nearly replied "hand me that paper, please?" before I caught myself. After spending time with a two year old, that kind of response is nearly automatic. Actually, Allie is very good about being polite, and Jen could tell you all the reasons to not verbally encourage a child to say "please" or "thank you," but I still do it.

The picture I wish I had taken was of Jack crawling on the floor with a pair of my black socks in his mouth. I guess any mother can attest that it's not the fancy, glittery toys that attract, it's the mundane things like a bottle of water, a pair of socks, two plastic cups...

Little Debbies? I Don't Think So!

Check out this super way to cut down on cost and time at the grocery store.

Imminently on the Horizon

Should "on" in this post title be capitalized or not? I can't make my brain tell me the correct answer.

I came back from Savannah Saturday night, and the week is now winging its way swiftly toward Friday's trip to Texas. I'm not crazy about flying, not out of fear so much as inconvenience* and being such a slow packer. But I'm actually looking forward to the opportunity it will give me to knit and listen to my mp3 player (may I say "iPod" even if that's not what I own? It's easier--like "kleenex" or "xerox").

I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Allie and Baby Jack and my mother. And my brother and sister-in-law, of course. And a piece of cake. Hmm--what Texas resident(s) of the family are missing from that list?



*Yes, I do realize that flying is less inconvenient than driving--I'm just a natural complainer.

Falling Short

To be perfectly honest, I'm not having the best time in Savannah (not the worst time either, so I'll survive). Here's a picture I took this afternoon. I wish I had more pictures to show, but I always feel so stupid walking around with my camera like a tourist (even though I am one), that I usually don't take too many pictures (and I'm not a very good photographer anyway, so you're not missing much). I wish I could tell you what church is in the picture, but I can't, since I didn't bother to find out. Guess the precise, detail-oriented librarian part of my brain had shut down by then.

Out of the Frying Pan

I told a few of you that I was released from teaching adult Sunday School two weeks ago. Well, it appears that starting next Monday at 6:15 am, I'll be teaching seminary*. Yes, you read correctly. Seminary.

Considering the huge struggle it was to drag myself out of bed and to work by 8:45 this morning, I think I have a big challenge ahead. My parents, when not feeling sorry for me, should feel a slight tinge of satisfaction remembering the 4 years of dragging me out of bed to attend seminary and knowing that it is now coming back to haunt me.

*Seminary is a Latter-day Saint program of weekday religious instruction for youth ages 14-18. Here, the class meets Mon-Fri, 6:15 to 7:15 am. This year's course of study is the Old Testament. In parts of the country with large LDS populations (Utah, Arizona, etc.), students can take seminary as an elective during the school day and are taught by full-time Church Education System instructors. In other places in the United States and around the world, the instructors are volunteers and Seminary class is held before school.


Photo: Chicago Daily News, Inc., photographer. (ca. 1917). Naval reservist, sleeping in a hammock, on the Commodore, a training ship. Chicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0067875. Courtesy of the Chicago Historical Society. Available from Library of Congress American Memory http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/
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