Adventuring to Chili

After attending the Memorial Day Parade in Webster, honestly just because Josh was walking with the "make a difference" winners, we headed out to Chili for the day. We started at Black Creek Park looking for a cache. Unfortunately Matthew could not get a good GPS signal and we failed to find the cache after about an hour of walking/searching. We knew we were close, but with no more clues we failed to find it. :( There were in fact tons of good hiding places, dead trees and such, but also many obstacles to comfort...prickly bushes, mosquitoes, animal droppings...but we just didn't want to spend more time w/o knowing how close we were. And anyway we were headed to Adrienne's for a Memorial Day picnic. I admit I was a little apprehensive, unsure of how well we would fit in only knowing a few other guests. The discomfort was mostly for my husband, but he did just fine (just give him a frisbee and some kids to play it with). I guess I just need to get him out more. And then there's the polar opposite... Joshua, the party animal. He seems to be able to handle any social situation with aplomb. I think maybe the rest of us could take lessons from him. I just wonder sometimes where he came from...genetically speaking. But in fact we really all had a great time.

Family Time

The five of us went on a family outing this morning. We finally made it to Highland Park to see (and smell) the lilacs while they were still in bloom. Also the gorgeous azaleas and rhododendrons. I love spring at Highland Park! We also did some geocaching...the fun sport of finding hidden caches by using latitude and longitude coordinates and your GPS. Luckily Matthew acquired the GPS and had gotten coordinates of a few caches in Highland. It was kind of fun...and certainly could become addicting (or maybe that's just me...I get attracted to stuff too easily). It was nice to be together since we haven't had much time together in the last year, and just to be relaxed and having fun. We had 5 cameras with us, so I guess we took some pictures too. :)

Surfing webcams

Came across an old bookmark in my "Fun stuff" folder and thought I'd check it out. Here are a couple of cool pages I found...along with lots of dead links unfortunately.
First is Old Faithful, (I was there a long time ago). Another cool site is The Azorean Whale Watching Base . I even found Fenway Park. Which I assume my Red Sox fan friends have already seen. How about a pool in Holland? You might have to read Dutch to know what's happening...And to be fair I should put a link to my favorite site in the spring, Kodak's birdcam, where the baby falcons are growing before our very eyes. And my favorite summer site Cedar Point! Enough fun for now...

Graduation

I feel like I owe it to my few regular readers to say something about the past weekend's events, but it all still feels unreal. I am numb either from the unreality of it all or (more likely) sheer mental exhaustion.

Actually the graduation was great. It was a little too chilly (like, I should have packed my winter jacket, or at least worn corduroy), but the sun was shining enough to cause sunburn on Steve's forehead. And although there were vast hordes of people there, things were orderly and well organized. I watched my son walk across the stage and receive his college diploma with a real feeling of pride and love and a touch of disbelief (not that he did it, but that it happened so fast). Because I was focused on getting a photograph of this event, I did not have time to get all teary-eyed and such. (No, that happened the day before while I picked out a graduation card...and then while I wrote mushy Mom words inside it). There was a nice reception afterward where the food was terrific (I think WPI has the best college food service I've ever tasted), including the fabulous cookies...and bottled water and soda, no sissy punch. And the campus was pretty, so we dragged Matthew around in his cap and gown and took lots of pictures.

There are lots of other things I could tell about...sleeping in the dorm (which actually was very nice and inexpensive and convenient)...The Japanese restaurant where they put on a show while they cooked your food in front of you...Cell phone madness...Packing the car with Matthew's stuff, but leaving him behind to go geocaching with his housemates...Living with a houseful of guests Sunday night (how it is possible to feel claustrophobic in your own bedroom)...and having to jump back into life today. But you'll have to ask, or wait, for details...my brain is too tired to go on. Proud, and relieved, but tired.

Good things & Bad things

1. The piano recital went well
2. The country project is done
3. Directions are emailed to everyone for Worcester
4. Steve will go pick up Elizabeth Wednesday & she'll be home!
   
5. I got a little bit of cleaning accomplished today
   

1. Graduation is still days away and I'm already a zombie
2. I don't feel like working this week, but I won't call in sick
3. Early morning tomorrow because I have to take Josh to school with "project stuff" in tow
4. I don't know why I feel so nervous
5. I still have to clean the bathroom
   

The attack of Caribbean boy

Josh has this wonderful, fun, project for school in which he has to create his own country. It is called Lukandria and is an island in the Caribbean. Part of the project involves creating a native dish, so we have been eating plenty of Jamaican style food (that I did not have to cook), including some delicious banana fritters. Unfortunately there are also about a million other things he needs to do: maps, culture, artifacts, flag, a long report and class presentation. And for some reason I am totally stressed about this, while he seems oblivious. Okay, maybe not. He is showing many stress related symptoms, as am I, lack of sleep, or inappropriate sleep, overemotionalism (i.e. tears), body aches and headaches. Perhaps he is pulling all that from me. I am too stressed for words. Its not just this project, but a variety of stuff going on... I am also inexplicably depressed. And since there are too many things going on in my brain I have shut it down. But my body is still freaking out. Well, that's all mon.

My bathtub causes temporal distortion

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit I've been watching a lot of Star Trek lately. But why else is it that whenever I get in the shower or bath I lose time...sometimes lots of it? Could it be the warm soothing water, or the wonderful scented body wash (raspberry) and shampoo (strawberry)? Or could it be because it is so quiet and relaxing? Or is there really a temporal disturbance in my bathroom? Long range scanners....

Frustration

I don't know what I expected, but I left today's reference meeting feeling frustrated. I guess the whole issue of moving the printer without consulting anyone else on staff has me more bothered than I thought. Even if there were problems, why make such a rash decision? Think it through. Anyhow I don't feel any satisfaction from having 3/4 of the staff in agreement when it doesn't change anything. And no apology, or good explanation was given. It just hurts morale a little bit. Now we just "wait for the new software". Which, in my experience, is a 50/50 chance of being worse, and a 100% chance of being way later than I wanted it. And again the clerks get off easy because of the way the idiots designed the building without enough data ports. Duh. Would it have hurt to consult the people who are experienced in using a library? That's an old frustration to dig up, but I've got the shovel out ;) and that issue comes up so often its ridiculous. Anyway, I hope it doesn't take all the joy out of working at the library, cause there are too many good points to let the petty political stuff get in the way. At least I've got allies...And someone to rant to!

Happy Birthday Matthew!

Here I am celebrating another "child's" birthday without having him around to know it. Well, okay, its not like I'm having a party, but once again trying to figure how 22 years have gone by since I have became a mother. Seems like just yesterday that I spent my first Mother's Day in labor. Actually, it doesn't seem like yesterday, but, 22 years?! You know how they say you become your mother? Well, I'm not sure that's true, but I guess I find myself understanding (way after the fact) what my mother went through as one after another her kids became adults. (Well, most of us did anyway...I'm not sure some of my brothers are actually there yet, or ever will be.) And this year he is the same age I was when I gave birth to him. Did I realize then I was just a baby myself? I guess that puts into perspective the recurring feeling that I really have to let my kids be adults. (Or at least the adult I thought I was). And they are good ones...But, I'm babbling. In fact I now realize I have had this same rant several times in the last few weeks, and I suppose I'll keep obsessing as we approach graduation next week, and the job that will eventually move him away from home for good. Just slap me if I bother you, okay?

Too tired to say much

I have a large void where my thoughts should be, so I can't come up with anything to blog about...and yet I feel I must. I stayed up too late, after 2 a.m., finishing the latest Nevada Barr book Hard Truth. I knew I should go to sleep, my eyes were burning, I knew the protagonist would live (it is a series...) but she was in peril and I was compelled to keep turning pages. I was awakened shortly after 6 a.m. by my bird friend (see yesterday's post), and got out of bed at 6:30 to get ready for mass. So, yeah, despite the afternoon snooze while Josh and Steve prepared dinner, I'm still pretty tired. That and trying hard not to think about all the stuff I have to do, have promised others, am behind on, am worried about... takes a lot of energy. Guess I'll go read another book or watch Monk; no brain power needed.

Bird Brain

We awoke this morning to a tapping on the window. Now maybe this wouldn't be that unusual except that the bedroom is on the 2nd floor. Anyway, I first look at the clock to realize that it is only 6:25 and here it is Saturday, my only chance to sleep in. I'm still tired, there is no alarm...but there is a bird pecking at the bedroom window. I try to ignore it, but now I'm slightly awake and my bladder knows it, so I go to the bathroom. I come back to the bedroom, and there is that bird, again pecking at the window. So I put a magazine up there in hopes the will scare it away or something. Get back in bed with the crossword puzzle...since I'm awake and don't want to be, I figure I'll try what I usually do to go to sleep. So I doze off, and there is a small crash, followed by the pecking again, arghh, now at the other window. A bit later there is Steve, going to the bathroom, and then coming back to move the screens in the windows to the top, hoping to eliminate the perch the bird is using. But our intrepid bird-brained friend now is perched on the bottom of the sill, pecking merrily away. I cover my "good" ear and try to drift back to sleep for a little while...It is Saturday after all. I even briefly consider getting dressed to go sleep on the couch (which usually works well anyway.) But instead I do stay in bed lulled to sleep despite the tapping.
What does he see? Himself in the window? A door to the inside? Some attractive other bird (he thinks)? Next step, after breakfast etc. was to try Chase Pitkin for some kind of scary window decal to discourage our little chickadee. Maybe a falcon or something. But unfortunately they had nothing like that. We thought that we could just get him a calendar so at least on Saturdays he could leave us alone. We shall see what tomorrow morning brings.

Old friends

The thing about a good friend is that you can sit down with her after weeks, months, or even years, and pick up the conversation right where you left off. I'm so glad Anne and Mike came to visit us in Webster. It was wonderful to see them! And I really enjoyed having lunch with Anne and Adrienne, cause you know its important to keep those ties, across the miles as well as the years. Thanks for coming, Anne.

Encouragement

It happened again today. In conversation with folks after my adult programmers meeting I met several more people who went to library school "later in life" (meaning not fresh from college). Everyone recommends it as a great experience and a wonderful thing to do. (But of course no one ever comes into the library just to say "Library school sucked. Don't do it.") I have also had several conversations lately with Linda, who was just accepted into the MLS program at UB. I only wish I could quiet the fear inside me long enough to hear whether this is the Holy Spirit's way of encouraging me forward.

Ugh

Open one eye. Yup its light out. Twist around to see the clock. 5:25. Why am I awake? Ooh too hot. Hot flash? Husband heat? Must throw off blanket and poke out toes. Ah better. Hips ache. Head is stuffy and dizzy. Should I get up? No. Must go back to sleep. Uhoh now what? Look at clock. 6:45. Steve's dressing, I didn't hear the alarm, or him getting up. Comatose, that's why. Must get up. Oh no. I don't hear him anymore. There's the clink of breakfast bowls. I fell asleep again. Ack, its 7:01! Must get up and pack lunches. Slowly, let the dizzy pass. Make sure the legs are somewhat steady. Shake off the achiness. Stand up. Walk. Welcome(?) to morning.

My brother just called...

I will be the first to admit that I am terrible at keeping in touch with my far flung family and friends. I will also admit that I did not used to be bad at it...and while I hate to make excuses, the fibromyalgia syndrome sure doesn't help. I think that's when the decline began. Anyway, my brother called. My first thought was that something bad had happened to my parents, but luckily that was not the case. In fact it was just a touching base on everyone's "events". Four graduations, 2 high school, two college. And Jerry was just getting in touch to share dates and plans (as if we had any) so we knew what was going on. Its hard that New York keeps kids in school 2-3 weeks longer than Ohio, so we have to scramble to be there for a party in June. But perhaps we'll have to take a bye and have another party there whenever we do make it. Its too hard to coordinate all those logistics too.