Work has not been letting up at all since January. I feel like I’ve been on overdrive just trying to plow through work. Relentless and unforgiving. I made a huge boo-boo at work this past week, accidently forgot to turn my brain on, and it just drove me down. I slunked and slanked at work feeling mad at myself. The SO says it comes with the territory, live and learn and move on. Yes, I know, but right now I need to deal with repercussions and downfall. Then I can move on. We went to see Maria Bamford last night. That really helped take the edge off. Thanks Maria! You’re funny. Ha, ha!

I’ve got taxes yet to do and I brought some work home with me for the weekend, not because I feel guilty but because there is just so much crap that needs to get done I simply can’t get it all done in my allotted time at work.

I’m still bummed about being stupid. Ho hum…

(found these pictures in the cracks of our attic as we were remodeling it last year. We’ve found so much weird stuff in the walls and floors of our old house as we’ve ripped it apart. We have a little shrine of odd things in the built-in buffet)

How did she get a.) elected; b.) RE-elected? How?

I took the day off of work to hopefully clean, do yoga, go running and basically be productive (aka kid in day care, house to myself). No running, but at least I get to enjoy watching the snow dump down in buckets from my cozy home office. As I was cleaning I realized that we’re suppose to have our taxes in to our accountant by mid-March. It always comes down to this. We may even need to get a babysitter just to finish the dang thing. I hate taxes, but it’s all part of the rite of spring - taxes and transitional blizzards.

New blog I like: Stuff about Minneapolis. I have an eery feeling that I went to grade school with this guy for some reason.

things talked about this week:
tracy morgan set his fish tank on fire

thanks to garrison keillor, we all have a bloated sense of being above average

winter sucks

‘free’ is a magical word that puts a sparkle in your eye, much better than the word ‘cheap’

Friend 1: I’m so busy, I’ve been taking work home with me and I don’t like it.
Me: I know how it goes. I’ve been doing work at home on weekends just to keep up. It bites.
Friends 2: I’m so busy my head is spinning… pause So… anyone up for scrabble at the Chatterbox?
Everyone: Yes!

Conferences are so much work! (Actually, they do keep me on my toes, but every now and then I get to relax a little bit)

I went to see this guy talk Thursday night: Good at Doing Things: Montessori Education and Higher-order Cognitive Functions, Steven J. Hughes, PhD, LP, ABPdN is Director of Education and Research for The TOVA Company, and assistant professor of pediatrics and neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. I am absolutely convinced Montessori schooling is like the gifted program for any and all kids. He’s currently at work researching and documenting skills and achievements of kids in all socio-economic sets that were given a Montessori education and, hopefully, pushing towards a new public education format. It’s a huge task but after hearing what he had to say I’m completely convinced in the Montessori program. What a world this would be if all kids could be exposed to this type of environment in the public school system. It’s not a pipe dream, it’s not an unobtainable goal and it’s not too overwhelming to accomplish.

I’m in Denver right now conferencing.

Today is MLK Day and a day of service. Are you doing anything today? I just got done talking to about 65 teachers about learning tools and databases on my day off. Do you know what else today is? Do you? It’s the last day of a bad thing. The last day we have to see that monkey mug on tv spouting how he did a good job and America is better off than it was before monkey face came into office. It’s the last day of lies and irreverence for people (people with less than a mill. in their pocket). It’s the last day of indifference. Tomorrow we will all wake up and breath a different/new air. Good change takes a long time to come about so we’ve got work to do but at least we can all feel that it will finally be going in the right direction.

Oh yea, Happy Holidays. We haven’t sent out Christmas cards yet. People are going to be pissed. They’re on their way, just late.
In the meantime, enjoy this…
Words the kid can say:
nose
doll
door
ball
up
eye
hi
bye (or buy)
teeth
cup
booooobbbss (that’s blueberries, come on)
no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,NO

(apologies - the camera on my phone is useless)

So I get an IM from a friend on Friday asking if I want to go to the Dan Wilson concert at the Pantages Theater. Her friend had an extra ticket and thought of me. Why, yes.. yes, I would like that very much. Sweet! So she calls me Saturday afternoon, “oh by the way, the tickets are for front row seats!” How cool is that! I never get out anymore so this was extra special. On top of that I got a free parking spot a 1/2 block away from the theater on my first swing around. It was my night! The concert was great too! I was very tempted to yell out “Snow Day!” but I didn’t. He would have heard me but it wasn’t in the band’s line up anyway. One of these days, though. Maybe if I request it at each show I go to eventually he’ll play it… at the one I’m not at!

I’m back at work full time now. Since the beginning of November. It’s ok, so far. A little difficult, juggling all things. Some things have slipped by the wayside like dishes or making dinner or combing hair. I’m tired all the time. I’ve been sick for the last 10 days and then I catch pink eye from the kid. It’s going to be a long, gray winter. But it’ll be fun. It’ll be the kid’s first winter in Minnesota. There are still many firsts’ we get to experience like pink eye - together!

Work is very crazy. One of my colleagues took a new position while I was on leave and there has been more work to sift through than I can deal with. I want to be on top of it all but I feel like I’m failing. I guess that’s all part of being a parent with a job. At least I have a job. Can’t wait to shake this cold and pink eye.