Deadlines and HEAT

Its happened again. The Town Times deadline sneaks up on me and makes me realize I need to get my fall programming together. And I have managed to pull together quite a bit of it in the last week. Its just the nuts and bolts of cleaning it up to submit the PR. Then the fun part of putting together a brochure and posters etc. No wonder I overwhelm myself. I guess I need to just take small steps. At least I'm mostly ready for this first deadline.
I am slowly also working my way through putting my bedroom in order the way I want it (and need it to be). Of course this means getting the junk out of the living room too, as I sort it back into place. And toss, recycle, donate or whatever I need to do. It is slow going, but I am soooo tired lately and so HOT. It promises to be a nasty week weatherwise, so it may be a good opportunity to lock myself in the bedroom with the AC on. As ever, the spirit is willing (mostly), but the flesh is weak (very).

Is there a 12 step program for this?

My name is Mary Ann and I'm a packrat.

The good news is that the new bed is here and installed and wonderful!
And the bed room is clean (mostly). Certainly better than its been in a long time.
The bad news is that the living room is full of stuff removed from aforementioned bed room. Lots of old clothes, books (surprise), magazines, dust bunnies. Well, we've released the dust bunnies to the wilderness of the vacuumland. I still have the task of sorting and discarding/donating all of that stuff, and putting away what I really want to keep. And really have room for.
Unfortunately I'm also left with major guilt for having let it accumulate like this to begin with. Maybe when I get rested up (in the new bed) and have the disposal task accomplished, I'll feel better.

But anyway, its very cool to have a new bed.

What's new...

Last week the research began on a new TV, and on Friday we went out and bought a one. HD and 34". Maybe more than we need for the little TV we watch, but the old one just wasn't working. And now we have wide screen for DVDs, which we do watch frequently. We had to buy it Friday night so by Saturday we could rewatch Pirates of the Caribbean. And we had to rewatch Pirates so we could go see the new one on Sunday. It was a good way to stay cool for 3 hours, and we enjoyed the movie too. We also went to see the Taming of the Shrew live at Highland Bowl, and that was fun. Here it is Thursday already and this week has been busy too. As we await the call from the Bed Room that our new waterbed has arrived I make plans for cleaning up and organizing my own bedroom, but have yet to take any action. Maybe if I didn't work, or eat, or sleep, (or blog?), I could find the time and energy. I know once I get started it will be fun. Why is it those first few steps are the hardest? Maybe I should at least wear a bandana today so that I can claim to be "cleaning house" like a (nameless) friend of mine. Will it work?

VBS

Here it is, Friday of VBS week already. The week always flies by because I am so busy. But also I am exhausted. I haven't slept very well because I worry. Or at least I think too much and then have trouble falling back asleep...which is why I've been up before 6 the last few days. It just makes 10 pm seem very far away. (Not that I actually go to sleep at 10 pm anyway. I just imagine that I will, when instead I will actually still want to read or do something else, but not actually sleep). Things have gone very well with the crafts. But I'm pretty sure from my energy level, and aches and pains, that I am getting too old for this. The planning and prep is one thing, but the execution is another. (Funny choice of words there...) But I still haven't learned to say no, I guess because I still enjoy it. Crazy? You bet. (Almost as crazy as making maracas with 160 kids. Pass the ibuprofen, please.)

How I spent my summer vacation

Got back this weekend from visiting family in Toledo, staying with friends in Ft. Wayne and doing "tourist stuff" in Indianapolis. We visited the Indianapolis Speedway, which really is huge, despite whatever you might think from seeing it on TV. And we went to the Children's Museum, which was pretty neat. My FAVORITE thing was a really fabulous Dale Chihualy glass ceiling. Wow. I could have stayed there for hours...Or moved it right to my living room. We also went to the zoo. The Indy Zoo has delusions of grandeur. Too much $ for too little zoo. There was lots of hype for the dolphin show, but it was a great disappointment. They did have an awesome dolphin viewing room, where you are under the dolphin tank surrounded by water. I planned to move that to my house too! There also is a really neat butterfly conservatory in the gardens next to the zoo (separate admission of course), but I wouldn't mind having the butterflies at my house either. (News flash: We are getting one in Rochester at the Strong Museum.) The nicest part of the Indy trip was seeing Kim after a year and half. It was wonderful to find out she is the kind of friend that you can pick up a conversation right where you left off, even after months apart. I realize again how much I miss having her here, but am so glad that all is going well in her life these days. PS to Kim: I had many, many of those homesick days when I moved to Rochester. I'm so glad your folks are trying to fill the gap. Mine did too, and I really appreciated it.

I'm outta here

Leaving town again for a week in the heartland of America...well not quite, but it is Indiana. I have the usual butterflies of anxiety at getting all the packing and chores done, but since there's no real time deadline I don't even understand that whole travel anxiety thing. I am disappointed to be missing fun stuff here, like painting parties and picnics, but alas, its a 4th of July tradition to go away. Maybe next year we'll make our Hoosier friends come here. Also traditional is that they have scheduled Vacation Bible School the week we get back. So I will have to face 150 smiling (I hope) kids that morning and do crafts! I am mostly, sorta, prepared, at least for Monday's craft, so I'm trying not to sweat that one either. But blogging might have to be put lower on the priority list (again). Sorry.
Have a great week and enjoy the fireworks. I will.

A mother's life for me

Its been a weird week on the mother front. For the first time ever I gave my kid the car keys and got dropped off at work. And left my kids with the car all day. Should I be happy, carefree, or worried? Maybe a healthy combination of the two. But its a little letting go that I'm proud I could do. (I forget what a control freak I can be sometimes. Or maybe I really need them to be dependent even as I'm complaining they should "Do it themselves".) Then there was the bizarre feeling of watching my daughter do the job I used to do/still do, working with patrons at the library. Smiling and happy. It tugs at the heart, and even the tearducts. (Yowza, hormones in action.) But also makes me so very happy and proud. Yeah, okay so I can't take all the credit...but for the good stuff I want to.

Customary asbestos infestation

I get some interesting spam these days. Lots of it. I never even open them, but some of the subject lines just make me laugh out loud. I mean, what are they trying to sell? Or do? I just don't get it. I mean even if I wanted to buy ephedra, or hoodia, or even pharmaceuticals, why would I buy it from some stranger online who can't spell? But it would be kind of fun to write some of that stuff...Even I can string together bizarre words as long as it doesn't have to mean anything. The junk mail I do read, because they are very creative, are those letters from African people who want your bank account number. "Please help, my husband/brother/uncle died in an automobile accident/perished in a mysterious plane crash/was poisoned, and I need you to help me get his money out of the country. But don't tell anyone..."

Maybe I should move further north

Did I ever mention how much I hate hot weather?

A new obsession

Its scary, but I've found something new to be obsessed about: altered books. (Google it). Thanks to a coworker, I now can't wait to get started recreating a discarded book into a work of art. I'm gathering some cool bits and pieces of art supplies and chomping at the bit to get started. Its even helping me get through my VBS craft planning and prep, as I keep coming across little "finds" that will be perfect for my altered book, while at the same time actually getting everything sorted and in order for VBS week. That little kick makes me happy and keeps me going. I know, I know, I already have too many hobbies and not enough time to do them all justice; but this looks like too much fun to pass up.

I have to go to work today...

...but I am so not into it. Probably because I stayed up way too late last night, reading, what else. I knew I was tired, almost falling asleep, when I sat down at 10 with Twilight, but I ended up having to finish it. There is something about my body chemistry or brain wiring or something that makes me become addicted to whatever fun thing it is I'm doing (reading, solitaire, crossword puzzle, knitting) to the point that I won't even give up to sleep. I am addictive about food too, I usually don't stop till I'm too full, but my mouth always seems to want more anyway. (Of course I eat too fast, and distractedly, so that doesn't help either). If only I could get addicted to work...(Sure I'll help you find anime at 8:58 pm. I don't want to quit working tonight anyway...)

Snoozing again

She looks so peaceful, asleep on the couch. I just wonder how she does it. And why she didn't do it as a baby. ;-) And I admit I'm a little jealous, because when I try to snooze on the couch someone always needs to wake me. For that matter even when I try to sleep in my own bed that happens. I guess I just wasn't cut out for sleeping. But a gal can dream can't she?

Wasting another Friday

Its fun when I have a day I don't have to go to work. I always have big plans to "get something done", but often I just end up frittering away the day with little stuff. Like computer stuff, or reading, or even crossword puzzles. I have it in my mind today that I want to go to AC Moore and look at craft stuff. Even though it is all the way across town. I suspect that I can entice my fellow non-working family members to go with me. There is stuff in the advert that I would like for prizes at work, and for VBS, and scarily enough, just for me for fun (like more yarn...uhoh). So I guess we are off to do that, although the weather is threatening.
In other news I got my van back, good as new; Actually even better, since all the dings in the hatch are gone. Now I'm just paranoid about getting hit again. But at least things turned out okay. I also hope to pursue the new waterbed this weekend, as we finally have a Saturday with nothing on the calendar. There is the issue of cleaning the bedroom, but forcing the issue may be a good thing. I've been really lazy around here lately, but I know I'll feel better once its done. So there's my goal in writing. Lotsa luck.

Excuses, excuses

Its time for the regularly scheduled blog about why I haven't blogged. And I really can't explain it. Sure I've had time. But I just haven't felt like it. I also haven't sent any letters, email, cards or friendly notes. I've given no gifts, nor called friends just for fun. I haven't even *gasp* been faithfully reading the blogs I normally do. In short, I'm just not very sociable right now. I guess it could be burnout from the many obligations I've taken on the last few months. But it could also be my usual nemesis of depression. I just don't feel like blogging when I'm depressed. (I'm forcing myself to write this now, because Josh - who himself only blogs once a month - complained that I haven't been blogging) . I don't really have a reason to be down, its just a general stresslike malaise. Maybe its the fact that I haven't been exercising regularly (that gets in to the vicious cycle thing..too tired..exercise..too tired to exercise...), or sleeping enough. Or the dent in the van. Or the fact that Dumbledore is still dead. Your guess is as good as mine. I'll try to do something exciting today to blog about tomorrow. :)

We're off to see the Wizard...

It was a wonderful Wizard of Oz! Everything came together. The kids were great, I had lots of wonderful help, the costumes held up and it seemed a rousing success. Because you want to see...here are some pictures: http://s50.photobucket.com/albums/f344/mskwik/play/
Thanks Matthew!

Sacrifices

Blogging
Email
IM
Spider solitaire
Reading books, or newspapers
Watching Buffy (or anything else)
Knitting
Sleeping
Exercise
Work
Eating

All the things I've missed doing the last several weeks due to play costume commitments.
All the things I would also miss if I went back to school, or tried to write a book.
Hmmmmm.

And the winner is...

My favorite conversation at tonight's dress rehearsal:
Student: Where's my costume?
Me: Who are you?
I had never seen her at practice, nor did anyone tell me she was in the show...I'm still sewing.

My favorite response to a costume tonight: The look on the Tinman's face after we spray painted his Nikes silver. Priceless.

And I found out that an ice pack really does help cure a headache fast.

Happy Birthday Matthew!

I have been so busy lately that this birthday thing kind of snuck up on me. I didn't even remember to buy the ingredients for a cheesecake (the traditional favorite cake) so I guess it will be Pineapple Upside down cake. I think that will save lots of time...no frosting needed. And since he mentioned it in passing last week I even have the ingredients. Actually its been 4 years since Matthew's been home for his birthday, so I guess its the first time I have had to worry about cake and dinner and stuff in a while. And I'm still up to my eyeballs in Munchkins, so it will still be a rather short-on-the-extras celebration. The real problem is that I have no idea for presents. And he is not giving me any clues. Suggestions anyone?

Wow its Wednesday already...

Didn't I just blog 5 minutes ago? And its May now too. Uh oh. Time warp. I guess I have been immersed in costuming for the last few days. The deadline looms, and I'm starting to feel the pressure. I did show stuff to the kids yesterday and they (mostly) liked the costumes. There were a few of the kids I wanted to smack (they were mistreating all my hard work!) and a few of the girls that were so sweet and helpful I wanted to keep them! IT doesn't help that we have a Marriage Prep session Saturday, the CROP walk Sunday, 2 AARP sessions this week at work and, oh yeah, a sign class on Saturday to set up for. And the 3 hour evening rehearsal I better sit through tonight to see what other costumes I'm missing. (Did I mention the flying monkeys? No one else did either!) But I'm still determined that I'm having fun!

I forgot how much fun sewing can be

I am up to my eyeballs in Munchkins. At least in Munchkin costumes. I am having a lot of fun with wild colors and patterns. And making them look nice and round with hula hoops (and I may try swim rings as well, since I've run out of hula hoops). But I am much encouraged by how fast it is going (the show is less than 2 weeks away) and by how really cute the costumes are. I put on the Munchkin Mayor's costume (all purple and yellow and big) and Steve thought I looked like HR Pufnstuf, which wasn't really true (ok, well, sort of) but it was really scary that he remembered HR Pufnstuf by name.