Fry expression

Evolving plans

I have been doing a lot of reading. Too much probably, but what the hell. In and around my forays into Regency England, Albania, Italy, and Egypt, I have been Scheduling Our Life. This is a remarkably time-consuming activity recently.

Take today for example.

• Chloe is due at the theater at 11.
• MJ and Chelsea need to be picked up from the beach to accompany us to the performance.
• Aaron is arriving at our house at 1 to accompany us to the performance.
• The performance is at 2 and will last about 2 hours.
• Frank needs to be at the airport by 4:30-ish.
• MJ and Chelsea need to be back to the beach by 5 or so to give the dog his evening medications.
• Aaron needs to be gotten home at a reasonable hour.
• Chloe has a cast party at 7.

The solution to this involves two trips to Seattle, one express bus, and assistance from two other sets of parents. It also involves one last session for me, passing some time in Seattle while I wait for Chloe to finish having fun.

Quite a day. And our calendar for the next few weeks resembles it.

Recent news:

• Frank is still going to New Orleans but the sailing had to be postponed due to government paperwork delays. He'll go down again later in the summer (deeper in hurricane season).
• My start date had to be postponed due to company paperwork delays and is now July 7th.
• Harper is coming for the 4th of July!
• So are the Golds!
• So is Kitty!

It should be quite a party.

Friday fill-in

1. Birthdays are certainly better than the alternative. Birthdays at LIFE is Good are WONDERFUL!

2. Summer is my favorite season because there are more sunny days, more chances to play outside without shivering, and more smiles.

3. I feel my best when my family is near and uncertainty is at a minimum.

4. Whatever I have while out with Frank and/or one or both of my daughters is my favorite food!

5. First impressions are accurate often enough to make them worth heeding.

6. The best piece of advice I ever received was to start unschooling our kids. It's made all the difference.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching "Noises Off" with Chloe and Frank, tomorrow my plans include seeing MJ (who is away dogsitting), videotaping Chloe's final performance, and taking Frank to the airport, and Sunday, I want to laugh with Chloe and find all my Mariners paraphernalia for the game we're going to on Monday!

Thursday 13

Thirteen Reasons I'm Going Blue

1. I'll get my own office in the super snazzy new building we're moving into. Do I feel somewhat foolish that this is my #1 reason? Nah.

2. I recently had to pay $72 to renew my asthma medication prescriptions. As a blue badge, they'll be free.

3. Expanding on #2, the health insurance perks are amazing. Everything is covered.

4. The team I'm joining is the best I've ever worked for, a really likable and balanced group of people.

5. My direct managers are friendly, reasonable, and responsive.

6. The main perk of being a temp is the 100-day break. Since the girls are immersed in community and more reluctant to take off with Mom and Dad for long trips, and since the 100-day break has the downside of No Paychecks for Three Months, trading these in for paid vacations and year-round pay was mostly painless.

7. Likewise, I am trading overtime pay for comp time. I don't have to put in a 40-hour week each and every week in order to get full pay.

8. Every year after my 100-day break, I have to spend a chunk of time getting reacquainted with my job and reclaiming my projects from the people who filled in for me while I was away. Now I'll be able to be as possessive as I want to be.

9. The company claims to have a "work and life balance" path for employees these days. (We'll see.)

10. Access to reduced price software at the company store.

11. I'll be part of the In Crowd. ;-)

12. I interviewed for the job and got all invested in the idea.

13. They made me a flatteringly good offer.

The show goes on

Okay, you HAVE to come to Chloe's play. Their first performance last night was SO fun, and Chloe just sparkled!

More details:

• You don't have to be there early. The doors opened at 6:25 and everybody there got good seats.
• There is a parking lot right next to EMP that provides easy access. I think it's $8. There's also a big lot on the other side of 5th that is $6.
• From 5th, walk up the ramp north of EMP, turn left into the Fun Forest (before the Center House), and then watch for the "All's Well..." posters on the right that mark the entrance to the Center House Theatre.

Pictures coming soon!

By George

We've lost a great voice. Here's hoping he's taking a f***ing harp lesson.

The play's the thing

Please come to Chloe's play!

What: All's Well That Ends Well

Where: Seattle Center House Theatre (one level down from the food court)

How much: $8 suggested donation

When:

• Monday, June 23 -- 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 24 -- 6:30 p.m.*
• Saturday, June 28 -- 2:00 p.m.

Seats are first come, first served. I have no idea what demand will be like. The theater seats less than 200.

If you're interested in carpooling, let me know!

------------------
* For the second performance, note the date change from what was previously reported here.

Oops

I totally flaked out on my Komen Walk group. Sorry, guys! With the job change and all, I spaced and then procrastinated and then spaced some more. It was about midnight last night when the girls and I went, "Oh, crud, the walk is tomorrow!" We weren't sure until 7:30 this morning if we were even going.

So, it ended up being just MJ and me. It was a pretty nice morning, except that we were both really sleepy. zzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Doings Report

Some previously unreleased details:

2. Chloe accepts the role of Diana...
Diana is the role that Chloe originally auditioned for. The girl who got it had to drop out of the program, so Chloe has taken over. She has all her lines memorized and (if you'll pardon a mom moment) was the first one in the cast to go "off book."

Performances of "All's Well That Ends Well" will be Monday the 23rd at 6:30, Wednesday the 25th at 6:30, and Saturday the 28th at 2:00, with admission by to-be-determined suggested donation. I think the Seattle Center House Theatre seats about 180 people. Hope to see some of you there!

3. Stephanie visits...
We had a lovely week with Steph. Over the course of the week, we watched all of Firefly and Serenity; so nice to enjoy it with another loyal Browncoat. We also visited some friends, got our hair cut, shopped in both downtown Edmonds and downtown Seattle, and talked and talked and talked. Oh, yeah, and we ate. Steph made Sean's favorite pesto for us one night, and she introduced us to Trader Joe's orange chicken. Tasty!

She's back in Georgia now, where she says summer has definitely arrived. Funny how her definition of "summer" has changed over the last couple of years...

4. It momentarily stops raining...
It's been gray, gray, gray, gray, and gray, supposedly our crummiest spring since 1917 or some such. Until today, when we all got sunburned thanks to an icy breeze that deluded us into thinking the sun wasn't hot.

6. The spaghetti dinner is a stunning success
Due to some extra publicity, they had record numbers at the feast. MJ worked her tail off and was asleep by 7 p.m.

8. Frank makes plans to fly to Florida and sail across the Gulf again...
Frank will fly to New Orleans on the 28th, visit with Marty and the gang for a day or two, and then fly with Bob and Bob's son, Tim, to Ft. Lauderdale. They'll stock up, then sail around the Keys and beyond.

Everybody visualize good weather and nice wind so Frank can get home for our planned trip to British Columbia the second week of July!

10. MJ plans to dye cousin Megan's hair pink...
Mission accomplished. They combined red and pink, so the tips of Megan's hair are this vibrant magenta. Color me intrigued...

13. Ronnie accepts job offer...
I interviewed on Wednesday (actually a typically intense all-day interview loop). I thought I had tanked one of the interviews. I wanted to wind down, so when I got home, I dragged Steph off to Tampico, where Frank joined us after the rehearsal run. That was fun, then we returned home to a message from my recruiter, asking me to call him back that night. I snapped back to attention, let me tell ya. :-)

They made me a very good offer, and the job is with the wonderful team I've been working for these past few years. Losing my 100-day breaks pinches a bit, but there are compensations. For example, their medical/dental/vision insurance package is phenomenal. Plus, I'll get my own office in the snazzy new building we're moving to in July.

I should find out later today whether I'll go back to work on the 23rd or the 30th. It has to be on a Monday so I can attend New Employee Orientation. Not sure I need it after 17 years with the company, but it'll be interesting...

Drum circle north

My mom and my nieces stopped by yesterday. Chelsea spotted my drum and started cranking out rhythms with a natural flair that reminded us of her daddy in his younger days. After one particularly inspired riff, she cracked up laughing and gasped, "That made me so happy!"

Within minutes, we were all sitting there with drum, empty Kapla boxes, maracas, and triangle, making a joyful noise.

I might have found my local drum circle.

Friday fill-in

1. More traveling is high up on my bucket list.
2. My favorite humorous quote is "His brains are in terrible danger." It's from Firefly, of course.
3. Our fateful trip inspired me to start blogging.
4. Strawberries are best. Period.
5. I returned to work at (now defunct) Book Publishing Company in the last dream I remember having.
6. The most enjoyable time to go for a walk is dusk of a warm, sunny day.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to taking Lestat to get his stitches out, followed by a last evening visiting with Steph, tomorrow my plans include Kaylee's graduation party and maybe some work on my handbook pages for Live and Learn, and Sunday, I want to pamper Frank for Father's Day!

Take the Challenge

Thursday 13

Thirteen Bits of News 1. Dennis Kucinich files 35 articles of impeachment 2. Chloe accepts the role of Diana in "All's Well That Ends Well" 3. Stephanie visits the Maiers; revels ensue 4. It momentarily stops raining in Everett, WA 5. Zenmomma sees James (in person!) 6. The spaghetti dinner is a stunning success 7. Bob receives a good survey and prepares to buy a boat 8. Frank makes plans to fly to Florida and sail across the Gulf again (the crazy fool) 9. Outrageous U.S. C-section rates lead to a troubling rise in premature births 10. MJ plans to dye cousin Megan's hair pink (with Megan's consent, I assume) 11. Extreme (and tragic) weather patterns continue 12. Sean will be visiting the Maiers (and his mom) later today 13. Ronnie accepts job offer from Microsoft; strawberry margaritas aid salary negotiations

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Climate Changed

An interesting thing has happened over the last few months: our ecological charities have stopped arguing in their periodicals that climate change is happening and instead are beginning to explore what humans will need to do in order to live with it.

I received a link from Cherie to a blog that offers some explanation for this shift.

Cherie says:
This is my friend David Thoreson's blog. I first met David in 1992 when we sailed across the Antarctic Circle together aboard Cloud Nine. One night as we shared our night watch in freezing winds with icy waves crashing over us, he referred to me as "the date from hell", which I still don't let him forget. He has taken both his sailing and his photography to new heights, and used them not as an end in themselves, but as a means to a much greater purpose, which you'll see in his blog. Let's hope the world listens.

David's blog

Nebraska tornadoes

One of my three moms lives in Nebraska. Their town is one over from Kearney, which experienced some excitement last week. This stormchaser captured some awesome photos of the storm.

Are you ready for some spaghetti?

I can't believe it's time already, but the Sons of Italy Spaghetti Dinner is TOMORROW in Marysville. My mom has all the details and some great photos here.

MJ will be there all day. The rest of us (and Steph!) will go for dinner. If you are thinking of joining us, let us know what time works for you.

The problem with sidebars

To be really interesting, sidebars have to be maintained, shuffled around, updated, and so on. I've been neglecting mine lately. However, after LIFE is Good, I did update the Unschooler Blogs section with some new links. I also removed one link and it's been bugging me that (due to the nature of sidebar link lists) I offered no explanation for that.

One of my favorite unschooling voices belongs to Anne Ohman. She has mentored me through my unschooling journey, offering some key pieces of advice at critical moments. I love her and admire her tremendously. So, of course, I had a link to her blog, which I left even when she decided to stop blogging, because, hey, old Anne posts are better than no Anne posts.

Recently, though, Anne made her blog private, which means that some people clicking the link would face disappointment. Can't have that.

But my admiration for Anne continues unabated.

Friday fill-in

1. Idle hands are unlikely.
2. I love using my favorite Body Shop products in the shower. (Passion Fruit Body Scrub and Vitamin C Micro Refiner)
3. My favorite time of the day is whenever there's family conversation and laughter. And my reading time before sleep.
4. The last tea I drank was probably lemon flavored.
5. I like to visit the woods in the Summer. Warm trees. Yum!
6. My mother always said says potentially scandalous things in a whisper.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a clean house, tomorrow my plans include spaghetti dinner and spending some time with Stephanie, and Sunday, I want to do whatever Steph wants to do!

Gads, is it Thursday AGAIN?!

No TT this week. I don't wanna.

But here's a list anyway.

Some Reasons I'm in a Bad Mood

1. We said good-bye to Rodney the Rat today. It was pretty hard, but it was time. He had given up, even to the point of not bothering to glare at us when we attempted to care for him.

2. I'm transitioning. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but my job defined my days. Without it, I spend a lot of time waiting for my priorities to make themselves clear. Doesn't quite work that way in an unschooling flow. Well, it does, but I'm out of practice keeping busy between cues.

3. What with sick rats, conference colds, and life's pesky details (money, time, logistics), my days off thus far have not been idyllic. Set my expectations too high? Me? Never.

4. Uncertainty over the future. One of my job lines is more like a noodle. It's taken weeks to firm it up. It'll be at least another week before I'll know if it will pan (ha) out.

5. The aforementioned PMS. Grrrr.

---

Okay, here's a more cheerful list:

Some Reasons I'll Feel Better Soon

1. Mi familia fantastica.

2. Stephanie is coming.

3. The house will be cleaner by the end of tomorrow.

4. I have new books to hide in read.

5. One of these days, there will be sunshine. (I have to believe this.)

Pouty Mouthy Shrew

Hey, men - Could you excuse us for a minute? Come back tomorrow.

Hey, women - Got any ideas for improving my mood once a month? I don't know what's going on, but my usual day or two of crankiness is now lasting more like 10 days. I really hate it, and I'm sure it's not a barrel of monkeys for Frank and the girls.