Monday evening RBOC

Yay! Random bullets!!

• I really need to write this abstract (due tomorrow!) for a regional conference that will be just-up-the-road in late April, but I can't seem to get my act together. I was at work all day (7:15-5:00) and just toasted some pecans for cookies I'm going to make (instead of writing the abstract). H was lovely enough to cook dinner tonight (and wash dishes), so I actually have the energy to make cookies.
• The last few weeks, I've made cookies on the weekend which lasted most of the week, but the brownies I made on Friday(?) are already gone. We've been eating at home and homemade a lot more recently. It's good because it's healthier, saves us money, and makes it easier for me as I get serious about eating vegan. That was my resolution this year- 20 years ago it was to be vegetarian, and I've finally decided to take the next step. I've wanted to do it for years and ate mostly vegan when D couldn't eat dairy (she was lactose intolerant or we thought she was for a few years), but when she started eating it again last year- I did too. And I gained about 10 pounds. I need to lose some weight and want to make a permanent change to my eating habits- because if it's temporary it won't last. For me, removing eggs and dairy eliminates a lot of temptations and foods I should avoid anyway. 3 weeks and counting and I don't miss a thing!
• Teaching two classes is better than teaching three- even when one is at 8am!
• I stayed away from FB today- not for any particular reason- just that I often feel like I waste hours over there (because I do)- just compulsively loading the page for no reason. And nobody has noticed! I've gotten no notifications since I didn't comment or post- it feels so freeing...

Okay, off to make the cookies before I get too tired! I promise I have some ideas for substantive posts in the near future...

Feeling out of whack

We have had a very strange winter around here- no measurable snowfall yet and much of December was in the 40s and 50s. I don't love the frigid weather- or shoveling snow- but it makes me confused about what month it really is. We got our first "wintry mix" last night, which means everything has a thin layer of ice over it this morning. Thankfully, I don't have to drive anywhere until later today.

December and Christmas were also strange for me because H was out of the country for a research trip for almost 4 weeks- he left the first day of finals and didn't get home until the Friday before classes started. D and I stayed here because we didn't want to spend the money to go to my mom's or grandma's (after our international trip in the summer we're feeling pretty strapped). My sister-in-law was supposed to spend the holiday with us, but she ended up heading to Very Distant Country at the last minute (she comes home today, actually).

I'm getting into the swing of the semester but next week will my first week with labs and a full schedule- plus a PhD oral exam, dentist appointment, and other things. I'm hoping to have a relaxing weekend, although I should really do some house cleaning. The mood has not struck me- I'll blame it on the weather.

Because I can't bitch about this on FB...

Ugh! My relatives continue to hurt my feelings from afar. You may recall this incident from over the summer. Well, visiting my brother was fine and I always feel close to them when we visit (which is not often). We sent them a package of gifts for Christmas and got one from them (I always feel like they send too much, really) and I called and texted my brother on Christmas. No response. Nothing. I thought I had confirmed that their package arrived, but now I'm wondering. My mom told me they misplaced one of her boxes and just found it the day after Christmas. I'm sure I'm taking this too personally, but why are we exchanging gifts if nobody can even call or email or text or FB message? I also got a card from my stepmom in the mail yesterday (who I did unfriend on FB and refused her attempts to refriend). I opened it to see if she wrote anything other than just a signature and then tossed it. (She did say something like "I hope you are doing well"). I also discovered that my brother's family exchanges gifts (or at least sends to) my (half)sister's family (again, FB revealed this to me). I have sent a couple packages to my sister (who is in the Air Force and stationed abroad) and feel that they were barely acknowledged, so I have stopped. I just keep putting myself out there to be hurt and am sick of it! I have taken all of them out of my news feed, because I feel like I am kicked in the gut just by reading updates on FB. Did I mention I have PMS?

In other news, we had a nice low-key Christmas at home this year- my sister-in-law came over and we had tasty food. She and I also drank a bottle of expensive (in my book, anyway) port over the two days and watched seven episodes of Nurse Jackie (she had borrowed it from a friend). I am hooked now, but don't get Showtime any more! I'll have to wait for NetFlix DVDs.

We have almost two weeks until classes start again, but I am feeling stressed. I have a LOT of class prep to do, but no motivation to do it this week. All this family crap isn't helping either. I have been getting deep tissue massage for some neck pain the last couple of weeks and love it- I feel great right afterward (even though it hurts) and my neck is much improved. I go back next Monday for another session.

Why oh why can't winter break be long enough to do holidays AND prep for next semester?? Sigh.

Less than two weeks left!

Next week is our last week of classes at Small College Town U, which puts finals week uncomfortably close to Christmas. My last exam is Friday of that week (the 17th!) and grades are due the 21st. Ick. I finally figured out a few years ago that putting up the Christmas decorations over Thanksgiving weekend is the best plan for me- otherwise I'm in the middle of end-of-semester grading nightmare. Now I just have to figure out how to get all my shopping in and ship everything out west to my extended family.

In other new, just like October 30th, we spent some time in the ER on November 30th. This time, D was dehydrated from a stomach virus. The same thing happened to her when she got sick with stomach viruses in kindergarten and first grade. She hasn't had one since and I figured since she's bigger now she'd be okay, but I was wrong. They gave her two bags of IV fluids and some Zofran (and gave us a Rx for more) and she's been improving ever since. She still didn't really eat yesterday, but today seems better and hopefully she can go back to school tomorrow.

That's about all that's been going on. We've had a light dusting of snow (pretty early for us) and may get a couple inches on Saturday- is it weird that I'm kind of excited?

The countdown begins...

Two weeks until classes start. Which means that this is my last week of no work obligations (although I do have a service-related meeting in Capitol City this week). I'm glad that I got that paper submitted before our vacation, but now I have syllabi to update, readings to update, classes to plan, and a short proposal to write. I've also been thinking that another quick vacation trip would be nice, but that's probably not realistic at this point. I had also thought a weekend trip over Labor Day would be nice (since it is also my 40th birthday), but then I realized that most places will be booked up and crowded, so I guess we'll just stay here. See? I was trying to write about work and went off about vacation. You can see where my brain is these days.

D has a day camp this week, so I can't use her as an excuse to goof off, but I am just not excited about getting back to semester-work. And I'm still on this vacation sleeping schedule. I got up at about 7:15 today and that was a huge accomplishment. And I'll be teaching at 9:00 three days a week.* H has been killing himself with an NSF proposal, so he's been burning the 3AM oil working on that the past week or so. I hope they get funded!

I also have another distraction- I got a new phone. It's supposed to be for my birthday, but we ordered it early and it came the next day, so I've been spending all of my time playing with it and setting it up. It's great fun, but hopefully can be a good productivity tool too since it integrates with my calendar and everything. Or that's what I keep telling myself, anyway.

So, this feels like my typical August so far. Lamenting the end of summer, trying to get back in a work groove, another birthday looming on the horizon. Life is going along just fine over here. I think I may have another New Year's Resolutions post brewing soon... Or maybe I'll just re-use last year's!

*Unless the class is canceled due to low enrollment, which is entirely possible at this point.

Resisting Temptation

I have recently found a new addiction: Harry Potter. I had never read any of the books and had seen the first movie years ago, but wasn't terribly impressed. I recently decided to give the books a try, though. I was with D at our local library and looking around while she picked out some books. They have the whole series, so I checked out the first one and read it over the next week. The following week, I checked out the second book. I think that one took about a week, as well. I had to wait a bit for the third one, since it was checked out. It took me a bit longer to read that one since it was longer the first two, but I immediately checked out the next one after that. I read the fourth, fifth, and sixth books, and am now reading the last one. I had to force myself to put it away last night so that I could get some sleep and get up to exercise this morning (I stayed up until 1:00 a few nights ago finishing the sixth book).

This brings me to today. I am working at home, but have nothing especially urgent that I have to finish today. That book is sitting in my bedroom, but I am going to try to resist the urge, because if I start reading it, my morning will be gone! I thought a list might help keep me focused and then I can read a little this afternoon if I get things done:

• Teaching- I have a few random things that need grading and some minor class prep to do.
• Research- I need to do some more statistical analysis for the Big Conference next month. I made a lot of progress last week (spring break), but have plenty left to do.
• Advising- I need to read a student's qualifying exam.

I think that's it. I'm going to set up a schedule for myself so that I can work and then take a reading break later on.

Quick check in

It's the first week day of Spring Break and I am *gasp* going into the office! D never has the same break as us, so we usually use it as a working break. I need to get some research done for upcoming Big Conference (that I missed the last two years), and of course there is some grading and teaching prep. H and I plan to see at least one movie this week (during the day since we don't currently have a babysitter).

The good news is that my kitty is on the mend! It turns that her thyroid is out of whack. Like off the charts hyperthyroid that actually makes cats eat less and act lethargic. She started meds on Saturday and already seems like her normal self (other than still being too skinny). She's eating like crazy now (they gave her an appetite stimulant at the vet to get her going) and I'm thrilled that she won't be leaving us so soon.

OK- D is already dressed, so I'm off to make coffee.

Burn out

OK, I am so glad it's Friday and that I only have one more week until spring break. I am not going anywhere (D doesn't have hers until April), but a week off from teaching sounds completely heavenly right now. I haven't had the energy to write any posts of substance lately, but have a few things I might want to write about later, like kids bringing cell phones to school, teaching issues, and struggling with research. Not tonight.

Work-at-home Thursday

Did I mention how much I've been enjoying having some non-teaching days this semester? I can't believe what a difference it makes to not have to go teach a class (or two) every day of the week. I can actually get my mind to focus on other things (like research!). I can work at home without having to go into campus. I live really close to work, so it's not the distance, but rather the mindset. I taught a morning class every day last semester, so I never had a weekday to be at home and regroup. I had time after class to come home and do things, but I find that mornings are more productive for me, so the day was mostly a loss. I also don't have to come up with FIVE suitable teaching outfits every week, either. That was a real stretch for me. I mean, I could have easily worn the same five outfits every week, but I like to mix it up and dressing up every day was hard for me. I LOVE my days at home in sweats in my home office.

Today, I have some teaching prep to do, I need to read over some P&T files, and want to get some research work done- I need a more specific plan for that, though. If I just say I will work on research, I'll just go in a million directions and not get much done. My wonderful RA is trying to sort out her thesis topic right now and it's tied in with our project, so it's all connected. I'm really enjoying working with her- I wish I had more grant money to fund her for next year, too (she'll switch to a TA).

I also get to spend some time playing with my NEW MacBook Pro! I replaced my old* one with money I had from a workshop and the grant. I can't believe how much faster 4GB of RAM is- and I can add more! I just got it yesterday and am loving how fast it is. I can run a Windows XP AND a Linux virtual machine at the same time! And nothing is slow. BTW, if anyone has experience with Linux, I'd love to hear how you use it. I just installed it and haven't had much time to play around it.

D will be home this morning (at least), because they have a delay due to ice, so my morning may not be as productive as usual... Have a great Thursday, everyone!

*I bought the old one in late 2007 after getting word about tenure. It's underpowered for what I want to do with it.

Two weeks in

So much for getting back to blogging more regularly. Things have been hectic as I anticipated with my 5-day-a-week teaching schedule, but I have been pretty organized and kept on top of All Things Teaching. Research has taken a back burner, as usual, but I have an awesome new research assistant this year, so I feel good about the prospects of accomplishing something on that front this year. Here are some highlights (or lowlights) of the first two weeks:

• Attendance has been surprisingly good in my Big Freshman Course. I haven't been taking attendance, but the room seems pretty full so far. This surprises me, because I am not keeping track of who shows up for the first time AND my lectures are posted on Blackboard. Whether this holds for the whole semester, we shall see.
• Small College Town U changed class times this fall and it seems to have reduced traffic (both people and cars) and parking issues on campus. It's been a little confusing adjusting to 9:05 and 11:15, but I'm enjoying the way that things seem less crowded between classes. I think that schedules are more staggered now, so that that it's not EVERYONE out of class between 9:50 and 10:00 on MWF. We had some construction finish up, so more parking is available, but I think the schedule change has also helped.
• I turned 39 last week. It was anticlimactic in many ways, which is fine- I don't really make a big things about birthdays and H is particularly low key, too. I had to teach that day, but went out for lunch with friends. I ended up cooking dinner, because I didn't want to go out again- especially since H and I had a date night planned for Friday night. Unfortunately, date night had be cancelled (see next bullet). H bought me a new mp3 player to replace my ancient Creative Zen Micro from many years ago, and my mom sent tea, and a vegan soul food cookbook. I can't wait to make something from it! I love the idea of celebrating more, but H isn't much of a planner, so I have to do everything myself. At least I got to blow out candles at lunch that day (on a brownie).
• I guess it's only fitting that the official end of summer involved a trip to the ER, like the beginning of summer did, but I sure don't enjoy it when D gets injured. This time, she fell off of some playground equipment at school and hurt her knee. The ER people x-rayed it (nothing broken) and told us it was a contusion- she would be on crutches for two or three days. Well, she fell on Friday and it's Monday. Almost 72 hours since the fall and she still can't put any weight on her leg. I am going to call the orthopedist tomorrow to have her checked again. In the mean time, she has already missed a day and half of school in the first two weeks (one day for a cold, the half day when she fell). I really hate for her to miss any more! This injury also means that she can't go up and down the stairs of our house without help, she can't shower, or carry anything herself. She certainly won't be riding the bus to and from school for a while, either.

So, that's how things are going. We've been stuck at home all weekend, but I haven't gotten a lot of work done, since it's hard to concentrate. I hope D will be up and around soon!!

Recipe for a tired, grumpy, day...

• stay up until 1:30 for no good reason*
  
• wake up at 6:00 for no good reason, then not be able to fall back to sleep**
• add a dash of PMS

*I was actually busy with cooking, baking, laundry, a LUSH bath, and critical TV watching, but didn't mean to stay up so late.

**I did doze off again, but don't think I slept more than another 45 minutes.

Getting in gear(!)

I'm just waiting for something to chill in the fridge (some chickpea patties that I'll be frying up), so I thought I'd check in. Guess what? I did actual work! I finished that paper review and have even been doing some class prep for this fall (and classes don't start for another four weeks!) My summer intern leaves at the end of this week, so I will have all of her work to dig through and think about after she leaves. Unfortunately, the results are not what we were hoping for, but we still had lots of p-values less than 0.05. It just means an earlier approach still appears to be a better idea.

By the way, is anyone else watching Hung on HBO? I love it. And True Blood was super disturbing that night. Yikes!!

Gloomy 4th of July

I don't mind, actually. We have no plans, so it isn't spoiling anything for us to get rained on today. I do feel bad for people who were planning to attend the outdoor music and fireworks event in Major City, though. Bummer.

We are just hanging out at home, spending a VERY lazy Saturday. H went for a run on the treadmill, but I have been sidelined by a foot problem. I think I must have injured myself at Relay for Life. In hindsight, I probably need new running shoes- I only walk in them, but I've had them for over three years now. It might have been the combination of the heat wearing me out quicker, my old shoes, and a concrete surface that did me in. I'm wondering if I could have a stress fracture, although it's not very painful. I kept waiting after the weekend to resume my usual treadmill walking, but after walking around the zoo on Wednesday, my right foot was really sore (I never made it to the treadmill). It hurts if I pull my third toe up, but not the others and it was sore yesterday after doing some shopping. It just seems like any kind of fracture would be more painful than this, but who know. Whatever is wrong, it's not great timing since we are headed to Adopted Home State next week for our family visit/anniversary trip and H and I planned to do some hiking on our side trip without D. I'm sure I can do some walking, but I don't want to overdo it and make it worse.

In other news, I am somewhat out of my funk, but still feeling like I am just doing too much thinking about life in general. About decisions and my age and time running out for certain things. I'm having a constant internal struggle that causes my mindset to shift almost daily (or hourly!) I don't know why I am driving myself crazy like this, but I can't help it. Ugh. I am looking forward to getting out of town for a while and having a change of scenery. I am also looking forward to celebrating ten years of marriage to H this month. Our side trip from my mom's will be only our second trip without D ever- and the first trip without her was to a conference! If you know me on Facebook, watch for pictures in the next few weeks.

More of the same

I have been feeling depressed the last couple of days*, but can't really blog about it. Don't worry- nothing has happened- I'm just feeling low. I don't think anyone can tell I'm depressed, though. I am usually pretty cheery around other people, but when I'm home and just thinking, I feel sad. Hopefully, this weekend's Relay for Life will put things into perspective. Although, I always feel like I am being a selfish loser when I get depressed, because I really have no right to feel this way. I'm tired of taking D to doctor's appointments and just want her to be better. The physical therapy at home is just torture, because her arm hurts and she whimpers through every single exercise. It's really hard to get her to understand that building muscle is hard and is going to hurt. She's in good spirits the rest of the time, though.

Anyway- just checking in to fill your day with sunshine. Hopefully, I'll be out of this funk soon.

*I would love to go crawl back into bed and just cry this morning, but everyone is home and I have get ready for a meeting at school.

Not a great day.

This post title applies on two levels: 1) father's day is always a reminder that my father is not a nice person and felt it necessary to "disown" me for marrying someone with dark skin, and 2) today (and this weekend) has been pretty crappy. 

H got home on Friday afternoon, which was very nice for all of us. We took him to dinner at a favorite restaurant and he went to bed before D. Then a thunderstorm knocked out our electricity for about 12 hours (before 2am to after noon Saturday). It was a bit warm with no fans or A/C, but not too bad- just more of an annoyance than anything else. I took D to the ER today, because her elbow looked bad. The wound has healed over, but she bumped it pretty hard yesterday and a big blister formed over it. The doctor drained it and took a sample to culture. She also prescribed TWO antibiotics- one 'regular' one and another in case she has MRSA. We have to wash it a couple times a day and keep it covered. And follow up with our regular doctor this week. The ER visit was not quick of course, but at least I don't feel like an overly paranoid parent (although I'd rather that nothing was wrong with her!). She starts physical therapy tomorrow to get her arm strengthened AND we have to get in to see the orthodontist because the wire came off on one side. 

So, nothing serious, thankfully, but I am more than a little worried about the elbow infection. It has closed up! Weeks ago! I don't understand how it could have gotten infected. Ugh. I realize there are worse things that could happen, but this elbow saga has been going for more than a month now. And I have PMS. And I'm ready for D to be healthy again. I am ready for this summer to take a different course. We go on vacation in a couple of weeks, so hopefully that will be a nice change of scenery. 

I am trying to get back into exercising, which has been good AND I am doing Relay for Life next weekend. I am trying to get geared up for that- I've never even been, so I am looking forward to it. D was going to come for part of it, but now she can't be out in the sun (one of the antibiotics) and we may just have to skip that... I'm off for a LUSH bath now and maybe a beer.

Five days.

That's how long H has been away so far and we are getting along just fine. Of course, there are still almost three weeks until he is home, so we'll see if my cheery attitude lasts! D is doing better, although her teeth are a bit sore now since she just had her braces adjusted (and bands added to the back molars) on Thursday. I have stopped giving her any ibuprofen, because it was making me nervous that she had been taking it so much. She seems fine, though- it's so hard to know with her because she tends to be very dramatic about being sick or injured. I have to just kind of watch her when she's not thinking about it and see how she does- like on Thursday, I kept her home from a field trip and she had her sling off and was using her left arm to do some sewing projects. And this morning, she ate some shredded wheat (I offered to make oatmeal), so clearly her teeth aren't that sore. She did wake up during the night, but instead of giving her meds, I just let her sleep in my bed (I knew that would comfort her). I just hope she doesn't decide to do that every night!

H had a rough first couple of days back in Very Distant Country. The steripen he bought to take with him is not working properly, so he got sick. They had car problems and are trying to sort out transportation now. Hopefully things will go more smoothly, but I still worry about him. I found a great calling deal that's even cheaper than the Skype-type program H usually uses- plus it's like a calling card, so you just use your phone instead of the computer and headset. It looks like I am able to call for about 3 cents a minute- which is CHEAP!

Work-wise, things are not starting out in a promising way. I have some obligations that are keeping me working (proposal, summer intern), but I haven't done anything else. To be fair, H just left Monday and my student just arrived, so we don't really get started until next week. That proposal that I am helping with is due Tuesday, so after that, I can focus on what the student will be doing and what I should be doing myself. I did manage to clean out and organize my office at work- I want to do the same here at home, but so far that hasn't happened. I feel like my days are very chopped up with having to drive D to and from school (and walk in with her so she doesn't have to carry her backpack). Taking her to the bus stop and just watching for her to get home was much easier! They have another field trip on Tuesday, so I have to go with her or keep her home again. Some friends were going to go do something nice for a friend that morning, so I can't go- unless I keep her home again and just take her with me. Ugh. Why do they cram in so many field trips at the end of the year like this? I'm just glad she is almost done- I do not care for her teacher at all this year and won't be sad to leave her behind.*

*She has been mean to D when her braces hurt and when dealing with her arm in a sling- nice, huh?

Quick update

D seems to be in less pain today- I'm starting to think that she was overusing her arm and that's why it was hurting so much. I've reduced her dosage of ibuprofen and am giving it every 8 hours instead of every six. I woke her up at 1:00AM to take more and that allowed her to sleep in today. I'm keeping her home from a field trip tomorrow, but I'm feeling better that her arm is actually healing. 

I didn't manage to accomplish a whole lot today- even with the extra sleep. I ran into a colleague at work this morning who I hadn't seen in a while (& his wife was recently diagnosed with cancer), then had a meeting at noon. I didn't get out of there until 1:30, grabbed some lunch, then had to pick up D at 3:00. At least I don't have to take her anywhere tomorrow, so hopefully work will get done! Oh yeah- she is getting her braces adjusted (& bands put on the molars) tomorrow. I guess she'll need pain meds for that... 

Exhaustion

I had really forgotten what sleep-deprivation feels like and really don't enjoy reliving the days of frequently interrupted sleep.* D wakes up every morning when the ibuprofen from the night before has worn off- today it was 5:30 (and I had stayed up past midnight). She seems fine when she is on it, but as soon as it wears off- watch out! We followed up with an orthopedist last Wednesday, who decided that D does not have a chip fracture. He had concerns about her elbow, but didn't give a specific name to her injury. He did want her elbow to be kept immobilized for at least two weeks. They didn't do a full cast, because we have to change her bandages every couple of days. Instead, she has a hard splint with a sling. The last couple of days her pain seems worse, so I called the doctor and am waiting to hear back. I also don't like giving all that ibuprofen every day. The ER doc gave us tylenol with codeine, but it didn't seem to help much, so we've stuck with ibuprofen for now.

H left for Very Distant Country yesterday. I cried at the airport- I couldn't help it. He's been gone for 24 hours and should have arrived about an hour ago- I'm waiting for a call from my mother-in-law to hear that they are all together. 

I went into campus this morning for a meeting, then came home at lunch time and planned to do some things here afterward. Well, I've been far too sleepy to accomplish anything. I tried napping, but my sister-in-law called to see if I had heard from H. It will be time to go pick up D in a little while- I am not letting her ride the bus for the rest of the year, because it's too hard for her to carry her backpack. She will also be missing some walking field trips this week and next. I had signed her up for some week-long summer science camp things, but will likely end up taking her out, since it's hard for her to do anything without her left arm (she's left-handed). I am going to wait until our next doctor visit to decide for sure.

So, I am exhausted today, missing my husband, and worrying about my daughter's arm. At least it's summer. Yippee.

*I know I won't get any sympathy from all the moms of little ones out there!

Spring 2009 is HISTORY!

Ugh. I don't know if I've ever been so glad to say goodbye a class (since Spring 2007, anyway). I had some real a--holes in my big freshmen course and I'm just glad they are gone. I finished grading Sunday morning, but spent ALL DAY yesterday helping H finish his. His TA had left town early for a family issue, and he had a late exam, so was in bad shape. I graded term papers and was dismayed to see that they were just as bad as my first-year student papers. It actually made me kind of depressed and feeling like it's a waste to assign papers in lower level classes. He also had several cases of plagiarism- worse than I've had in my class, too. Neither of us are teaching this summer, so at least we get a break from THAT kind of work for a while.

This summer should be interesting: I am advising a summer research student (she'll arrive in two weeks), and H is going to Very Distant Country for almost four weeks. D is still in school (until June 10th), so we'll be here just the two of us during that time. He hasn't been home in five years, but the trip is both personal and work-related. He'll be back here just in time for Father's Day. In July, we are taking a 10-day trip to Adopted Home State. We will leave D at my mom's for part of the trip, and take a vacation to Lovely Coastal City to celebrate our 10th anniversary. The only trip we've taken without D was a conference trip near my mom's (we didn't have a honeymoon), so it will be a different kind of trip for us. 

Otherwise, I have a list of research-related things that I need to do this summer. I always start out with good intentions, but end up fizzling out once D is out of school. I will do my best to be productive for the next four weeks, but it will be challenging with H getting ready for that trip.

Preparing for grading jail

It's finals week here at Small College Town U and I'm giving my only in-class exam today. I have a pile of grading to do and have not had a lot of motivation to dig in so far. On Saturday, I was gone ALL DAY with D's Brownie troop on a trip to Capitol City's Fun Museum. Yesterday, I was mostly recovering from that and finalizing today's exam. I have various meetings this week for student committees, proposals, etc. and need to clean the house, because we are having an appraisal done on Thursday (for re-financing), then a meeting in Capitol City on Friday. I have a lot I want (need) to accomplish this summer and know that once D is out of school, I am pretty useless, so these next several weeks really need to be productive. I have managed to volunteer for some fun things and advising a summer research student, so I REALLY need to discipline myself. I also want to start exercising again, because that has fallen by the wayside and that's never a good thing. I'll probably try to start blogging some to-do lists to keep me motivated!