I know, I know for most of you football fans the football season started Sept. 3rd. For me it started this weekend with a road trip to Western Kentucky to see my beloved USF Bulls play.
College football is my all time absolute favorite sport. I like high school football too and the benefit to that is that the play action is often slower that college ball so I can grasp more of what's going on.
It's hard for me to get into going to high school football games here because I don't have a vested interest in the schools/teams. I guess for me the atmosphere, relationships, social and emotional ties to the team is as important as the game. Maybe more important than the game. I can't imagine not watching games during the season but I guess I don't have to spend my Friday nights at the field to have that seasonal experience.
Although there are times when I miss that tie to the games and wish to go home and see my high school team play or see one of the local high school games where I grew up. And I desperately miss going to Ray J. and seeing the Bulls play. It can be depressing and that's probably why I just don't have an interest in the games here. (Another Friday night and I ain't got no "team".)
Fortunately there are college games day plans for our viewing pleasure. Last weekend the Bulls were on ESPN Gameplan and we had purchased the game. As typical to the last few years, the first gameplan game of the season doesn't just automatically work. We can't just turn on the digital cable box and TV and tune in. For some reason the connector on the pole outside get water in it every year and then the pay channel don't work until the cable workers climb up the pole and fix it. We always check the channels out in the morning and then call the cable company when it doesn't work. So last weekend we called because the channels weren't coming in. Well they were so busy with problems that they never came out and we didn't get to see our first game of the season on TV.
Luckily the game was on ESPN 360 and we get that with our Internet and phone service. (NO switching to the cable Internet service now!) I have trouble watching the game on the computer although the quality was better this year than in previous years. So it was a less than satisfactory experience for me. Keeping focus on the bigger picture, the Bulls won. YEA!!
Now to the Good Stuff
This year the Bulls were playing reasonable close to our home. So we planned a road game. Yea, baby! Doug message boarded his Bull Game friends. We found a good crew of people who were headed to the road game. Two of the families that went are people that Doug became friends with on the Bull Board, met in person at the various games and events over the years, and bonded with. I've spent time with them as well and have developed a friendly affection for them. So we were excited to be planning a road trip where we would connect with them. Some of the others Doug had never met but converses with them on the Board. It would be fun to put faces and families with the conversations.
The game was all we talked about this past week. We needed a game plan. Would we tailgate? Where? How would we meet up with our friends? What time would we leave home? We had to get travel food and drinks. What stuff would we pack in the van to entertain us as we traveled? We also needed to set aside out Bull clothing and find our Bull accessories (earrings, hair bows, necklaces, wristbands, pompoms, etc.). As it turned out we forgot our Bull horn. I just remembered it as I was blogging. Since it was banned at Ray J. we just never took it to the games and it sits on our shelf collecting dust. It would have been a great tailgating accessory.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Are you in a teachable place?
This year's motivational theme at school and our school goal, revolves around this statement; "Are you on a teachable place?". Several years ago we had a motivational speaker, Kirk Weisler, come and talk to our faculty and staff. At our preplanning, this 09' school year, Kirk returned to speak about being in a teachable place. A phase his wife coined. The idea is that as we make mistakes, poor choices, feel the need to change, and/or face the task of needing to learn something new, are we then open to the feedback and learning required to make a change.
While I was in my teachable place a number of unusual things happened prior to the start of school. I have to preface this by saying that we have very little student turn over at our school. Since families have to apply and we take students from all over the area most stay til they finish 8th grade and then head to high school. This year, in part because of the economy, we were informed in August that a number of students would not be returning to our school. We are probably talking about eight to ten students across the K-8 school.
My class list had 18 students at preplanning on August 13th. I knew that we'd probably get two more students before classes began on Monday. During preplanning my teaching assistant and I were working on all the type of items that that kindergarten children need their name on. We were making name labels for two sets of cubbies, class lists for record keeping, nametags, leader lists, attendance cards, etc. Some of them we laminate so we have another step to complete before they are ready to be used in the classroom.
At lunch my assistant told me that I had been misspelling one child's name. His name ends with a "k" not a "c" which is the more traditional spelling. She tells me she knew the spelling because she check it in our school database, Skyward. I just looked at her. You know the look and said yes, so did I but obviously it didn't help. So off we go changing all the things that are misspelled. This is not just a simple task. For some of the items I use certain colors of card stock. Some have cute stickers or cute paper backgrounds. Rarely is anything just plain copy paper. These items many times are often in limited supply as I am using up leftovers from previous years.
We get young Mr. C corrected, laminated, and posted in the correct locations. Now I have fixed the typing error in our 11x14 class list that is mounted on construction paper and laminated. I've tossed out the hard copies of my record keeping spreadsheets and corrected the misspelling in the document and printed five copies of this new document. I want everything perfect as I embark on my new school year. I'm quite anal at this point.
Literally right as we finish, my lovely Dean of Students stops by to tell me that one of two of my newest additions is not going to attend school with us. So now I have names for a child who is not coming. I asked that if we get another child could he have the same name, thus saving us some work, paper, ink, and laminating film. My dean of students laughs.
On Friday afternoon as I get ready to walk out the door and head home. I make one last quick survey of the room hoping that I don't have to spend the weekend at school getting ready for Monday morning. As I glance at the bulletin board right by my classroom door I see all the puzzle pieces with our students names on their own puzzle piece. I'm reading off the names, picturing some of the kids in my head as I already know some of them. Thinking about who is related to siblings I've had in the past and then wham! I see the name of a student whose brother was in my class a couple of years ago. I know she does not use her given name but a nickname. I've been typing Lizzie. I knew that it was an "L nickname for Elizabeth. Her nickname is Libby and once again my assistant has been using the correct name and spelling. So once again all the name documents I worked on are wrong.
Over the weekend I get an e-mail from our secretary that my newest student, replacing the one that is not coming, is named Andre. So I decided to get his name things made and at the same time I can fix Lizzie/Libby. I'm still in my we can salvage the year and be perfect mode. Off I go to school to get my last 1/2 sheet of green cardstock, smiley face dice cuts, etc. and make more name labels. I run the ones that need laminating over to Kinkos and take care of that too. I return home and check my e-mail. My Dean of Students has e-mailed and says she doesn't know if I got the message or not but my new student is Andrew. I immediately e-mail her back and say you have got to be kidding. I received an e-mail yesterday that my new student was Andre and I have just finished redoing my third set of class documents. After my Dean of Students has that oh no moment she call the principal and secretary. Sure enough the child's name is Andrew not Andre. I tell the Dean I am fast moving from that teachable place.
School beings and all the children are as lovely as their names. unfortunately one is absent. No one has heard from the family as to why the child has not been coming to school. By Wednesday I call the Dean of Students and tell her about this child's absences. She goes off to contact the family and ends up leaving messages for them. They return her call and inform her that they were planning on withdrawing this students but hadn't done it yet. Now my class lists are wrong again and I have sets of name items for yet another student who isn't coming.
On Thursday of the first week of school my final class addition arrived. The child is lovely and we waited till Friday afternoon when we had her parents spelling of her name before we plastered her name all over the room. Sometimes it doesn't pay to be efficient.
While I was in my teachable place a number of unusual things happened prior to the start of school. I have to preface this by saying that we have very little student turn over at our school. Since families have to apply and we take students from all over the area most stay til they finish 8th grade and then head to high school. This year, in part because of the economy, we were informed in August that a number of students would not be returning to our school. We are probably talking about eight to ten students across the K-8 school.
My class list had 18 students at preplanning on August 13th. I knew that we'd probably get two more students before classes began on Monday. During preplanning my teaching assistant and I were working on all the type of items that that kindergarten children need their name on. We were making name labels for two sets of cubbies, class lists for record keeping, nametags, leader lists, attendance cards, etc. Some of them we laminate so we have another step to complete before they are ready to be used in the classroom.
At lunch my assistant told me that I had been misspelling one child's name. His name ends with a "k" not a "c" which is the more traditional spelling. She tells me she knew the spelling because she check it in our school database, Skyward. I just looked at her. You know the look and said yes, so did I but obviously it didn't help. So off we go changing all the things that are misspelled. This is not just a simple task. For some of the items I use certain colors of card stock. Some have cute stickers or cute paper backgrounds. Rarely is anything just plain copy paper. These items many times are often in limited supply as I am using up leftovers from previous years.
We get young Mr. C corrected, laminated, and posted in the correct locations. Now I have fixed the typing error in our 11x14 class list that is mounted on construction paper and laminated. I've tossed out the hard copies of my record keeping spreadsheets and corrected the misspelling in the document and printed five copies of this new document. I want everything perfect as I embark on my new school year. I'm quite anal at this point.
Literally right as we finish, my lovely Dean of Students stops by to tell me that one of two of my newest additions is not going to attend school with us. So now I have names for a child who is not coming. I asked that if we get another child could he have the same name, thus saving us some work, paper, ink, and laminating film. My dean of students laughs.
On Friday afternoon as I get ready to walk out the door and head home. I make one last quick survey of the room hoping that I don't have to spend the weekend at school getting ready for Monday morning. As I glance at the bulletin board right by my classroom door I see all the puzzle pieces with our students names on their own puzzle piece. I'm reading off the names, picturing some of the kids in my head as I already know some of them. Thinking about who is related to siblings I've had in the past and then wham! I see the name of a student whose brother was in my class a couple of years ago. I know she does not use her given name but a nickname. I've been typing Lizzie. I knew that it was an "L nickname for Elizabeth. Her nickname is Libby and once again my assistant has been using the correct name and spelling. So once again all the name documents I worked on are wrong.
Over the weekend I get an e-mail from our secretary that my newest student, replacing the one that is not coming, is named Andre. So I decided to get his name things made and at the same time I can fix Lizzie/Libby. I'm still in my we can salvage the year and be perfect mode. Off I go to school to get my last 1/2 sheet of green cardstock, smiley face dice cuts, etc. and make more name labels. I run the ones that need laminating over to Kinkos and take care of that too. I return home and check my e-mail. My Dean of Students has e-mailed and says she doesn't know if I got the message or not but my new student is Andrew. I immediately e-mail her back and say you have got to be kidding. I received an e-mail yesterday that my new student was Andre and I have just finished redoing my third set of class documents. After my Dean of Students has that oh no moment she call the principal and secretary. Sure enough the child's name is Andrew not Andre. I tell the Dean I am fast moving from that teachable place.
School beings and all the children are as lovely as their names. unfortunately one is absent. No one has heard from the family as to why the child has not been coming to school. By Wednesday I call the Dean of Students and tell her about this child's absences. She goes off to contact the family and ends up leaving messages for them. They return her call and inform her that they were planning on withdrawing this students but hadn't done it yet. Now my class lists are wrong again and I have sets of name items for yet another student who isn't coming.
On Thursday of the first week of school my final class addition arrived. The child is lovely and we waited till Friday afternoon when we had her parents spelling of her name before we plastered her name all over the room. Sometimes it doesn't pay to be efficient.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sewing Classes
Mimi and I spend the summer taking several different sewing classes at one of the local sewing stores here in town. I started with Sewing I and made a pillow. I learned a lot of sewing basics that I just never incorporated into my previous sewing skills. I also learned how to operate my new machine that Doug had given me for my birthday. I now know more about that machine than I ever knew about the one I've had for 20 years. I've also learned how to use the button hole foot, the button sewing foot, and an overcast foot.
My first class involved making a decorative pillow. It took three Monday night classes to make. The funny thing is that my physician was in the class too. She could administer drugs as our blood pressure rose. A few weeks later I took a quilt in a day class. I made a Christmas quilt. It took me more than a day and I got some ribbing about that at home. I have finished the quilt top and am having it quilted by an expert. This lady will add the batting and backing fabric using all over stitching that helps lock the batting and keep the quilt from losing it's shape.
Then Mimi took a beginning sewing for teens class. The "Sewing for Kids I" class was full and you need Sewing I to continue with other classes. Even though she was not a teen the ladies let her take the class. Prior to the class she helped me make her a blouse so she got some experience with using the sewing machine.
Mimi had the same teacher that I had for Sewing I and they made the same kind of pillow. The teacher claimed that Mimi's group were much quicker learners than my class. When we finished the classes we had enough material to make a second pillow each. We got another chance to practice. I could not get my buttonholer to make buttonholes, so I called Mimi over and luckily she remembered a crucial step that I was missing. Then later I helped her finish her pillow. She just lacked the confidence to do it on her own.
Then I took a Sewing II class where we made pajama bottoms and Mimi took a Kids Can Sew II, making a pillowcase, coat hanger cover, and a stocking that will be for a soldiers overseas. In Mimi's last class the instructor has decided to try and offer a class for kids in the evening in the fall where they can make a peasant skirt. This because Mimi while waiting to be picked up was thumbing through the pattern books picking out outfits to make. She really wants to make the peasant skirt. We bought a pattern, but with school starting I'm not sure when we'll get it made. I'm going to start a Halloween quilt and we're back into dance performances with costume making an repairs.
The pillow making started Mimi off on the I want my room painted chant. That's another blog.
My first class involved making a decorative pillow. It took three Monday night classes to make. The funny thing is that my physician was in the class too. She could administer drugs as our blood pressure rose. A few weeks later I took a quilt in a day class. I made a Christmas quilt. It took me more than a day and I got some ribbing about that at home. I have finished the quilt top and am having it quilted by an expert. This lady will add the batting and backing fabric using all over stitching that helps lock the batting and keep the quilt from losing it's shape.
Then Mimi took a beginning sewing for teens class. The "Sewing for Kids I" class was full and you need Sewing I to continue with other classes. Even though she was not a teen the ladies let her take the class. Prior to the class she helped me make her a blouse so she got some experience with using the sewing machine.
Mimi had the same teacher that I had for Sewing I and they made the same kind of pillow. The teacher claimed that Mimi's group were much quicker learners than my class. When we finished the classes we had enough material to make a second pillow each. We got another chance to practice. I could not get my buttonholer to make buttonholes, so I called Mimi over and luckily she remembered a crucial step that I was missing. Then later I helped her finish her pillow. She just lacked the confidence to do it on her own.
Then I took a Sewing II class where we made pajama bottoms and Mimi took a Kids Can Sew II, making a pillowcase, coat hanger cover, and a stocking that will be for a soldiers overseas. In Mimi's last class the instructor has decided to try and offer a class for kids in the evening in the fall where they can make a peasant skirt. This because Mimi while waiting to be picked up was thumbing through the pattern books picking out outfits to make. She really wants to make the peasant skirt. We bought a pattern, but with school starting I'm not sure when we'll get it made. I'm going to start a Halloween quilt and we're back into dance performances with costume making an repairs.
The pillow making started Mimi off on the I want my room painted chant. That's another blog.
Graduation Party
As most of you know, my oldest, Dugger, graduated from high school on May 30th. Graduation was the day after final exams and one day after my school ended. It was a hurried but exciting day for us. We decided to have a graduation party in July as a graduation heading off to college party. It would afford us a little more time to get organized and allow for Dugger to go to his friend's parties without those parties conflicting.
We rented the local pool for an after hours party and July should provide hot weather and generate interest in cooling off. When the date arrived it came with a week of record low temperatures and overcast weather. Doug wore his sweatshirt the whole time. The great thing was that the pool was heated and felt great. We still managed to have fun and celebrate Dugger's accomplishment. Dugger had a couple of friends that he's had since we moved here, his sixth grade year, come to the party. Even though they went to different high schools they've stayed in touch.
The other two kids invited a few friends to keep them company and celebrate too.
Now Dugger is getting ready for his first semester of college. He is registered, has his college t-shirt, and id. We have ordered books. Now he needs a pert-time job.
Here is one last photo. This is a favorite of mine that was taken at one of the numerous senior event the last month of school.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Bonding with Burn Notice
A couple of weeks back when I pulled out my scrapbook materials I had been in Dugger's room and noticed that the second album I bought him for his Costa Rica pictures has never been filled and the photos were spilling onto the floor of his room. I was encouraging him to "bond" with me over scrapbooking. He could fill his album at the kitchen table while I worked on my album.
When I scrapbook, I like to watch/listen to the T.V. as I work. We have a small T.V. on the kitchen counter and I pull it forward and turn it towards the table as it typically faces the sink and stove area. I was willing to put the T.V. aside and bond with Dugger, but I couldn't wait forever. Over the Fourth of July Weekend, while I was working on my album, I was watching my favorite channel HGTV. Dugger came up from the basement to tell me he was watching a T.V. series marathon and that I might like the show. It's called Burn Notice and is in it's second season.
My T.V. series luck is that I find a new show that I love and it get's canceled during the first season. This always happens. Last year I came across a show one night about vampires and liked it. It was right at my kitchen clean up time so I would miss portions of it picking up kids or getting kids off to bed, etc. The next week I tuned back in and watch it. The third week I can't find it and can't remember the name. I look for it again the fourth week and still can't find it. I begin a google search with bit's of the title and find the show online and it had been canceled. Anyway back to bonding.
So, Dugger heads back to the basement and I get up and change the channel of the T.V. think yeah, yeah, like I'm going to like this show but my channel is reruns anyway. This Burn Notice show is about an ex-spy who's been dumped from the spy business (CIA, FBI who knows). Supposedly when they get kicked out they are given this "burn notice" and sort of abandoned by the organization. This ex-spy is now an edgy do gooder privater investigator. Personally it reminds me of Magnum P.I. There are a lot of similar character elements. If you watch it let me know what you think.
I'm upstairs watching the show. Dugger is in the basement watching the show. We are probably no more than 30 feet from each other. When I tune out and miss parts I just yell down to him to catch me up in the commercials. He occasionally comes up and makes conversation about what's happening in the show. About three shows into the marathon Doug comes into the kitchen and wants to know why I'm watching this dumb show. I say I'm bonding with Dugger. Then I explain how Dugger got me to watch the show and he downstairs watching the same show. I yell down a question about the show to Dugger and he yells up an answer and I say, "See!" to Doug.
Now Dugger let's me know each week when the show is about to come on so I can watch the new episodes. He also keeps me informed about a new doctor show on the same channel that I expressed an interest in. I'll take my "bonds" wherever I can get them.
When I scrapbook, I like to watch/listen to the T.V. as I work. We have a small T.V. on the kitchen counter and I pull it forward and turn it towards the table as it typically faces the sink and stove area. I was willing to put the T.V. aside and bond with Dugger, but I couldn't wait forever. Over the Fourth of July Weekend, while I was working on my album, I was watching my favorite channel HGTV. Dugger came up from the basement to tell me he was watching a T.V. series marathon and that I might like the show. It's called Burn Notice and is in it's second season.
My T.V. series luck is that I find a new show that I love and it get's canceled during the first season. This always happens. Last year I came across a show one night about vampires and liked it. It was right at my kitchen clean up time so I would miss portions of it picking up kids or getting kids off to bed, etc. The next week I tuned back in and watch it. The third week I can't find it and can't remember the name. I look for it again the fourth week and still can't find it. I begin a google search with bit's of the title and find the show online and it had been canceled. Anyway back to bonding.
So, Dugger heads back to the basement and I get up and change the channel of the T.V. think yeah, yeah, like I'm going to like this show but my channel is reruns anyway. This Burn Notice show is about an ex-spy who's been dumped from the spy business (CIA, FBI who knows). Supposedly when they get kicked out they are given this "burn notice" and sort of abandoned by the organization. This ex-spy is now an edgy do gooder privater investigator. Personally it reminds me of Magnum P.I. There are a lot of similar character elements. If you watch it let me know what you think.
I'm upstairs watching the show. Dugger is in the basement watching the show. We are probably no more than 30 feet from each other. When I tune out and miss parts I just yell down to him to catch me up in the commercials. He occasionally comes up and makes conversation about what's happening in the show. About three shows into the marathon Doug comes into the kitchen and wants to know why I'm watching this dumb show. I say I'm bonding with Dugger. Then I explain how Dugger got me to watch the show and he downstairs watching the same show. I yell down a question about the show to Dugger and he yells up an answer and I say, "See!" to Doug.
Now Dugger let's me know each week when the show is about to come on so I can watch the new episodes. He also keeps me informed about a new doctor show on the same channel that I expressed an interest in. I'll take my "bonds" wherever I can get them.
Some Finished Projects
I have finished some items off my summer list. Over the Fourth of July weekend, I finished the wedding photo album that I had been working on. We had a rainy and chilly Fourth of July Day so we just stayed home and laid around. It worked out well as project finishing day.
Doug was scheduled for surgery on Tuesday the 7th, so he encouraged me to choose painting the kitchen ceiling as my next project. My scrapbooking stuff was off the table and placed back in the basement, sewing projects were at a stand still, and the boys had already taken our family photos off the kitchen wall and placed them in the basement. It was a good time to begin this project and I should be able to finish it later in the day Tuesday while Doug was resting at home after the surgery.
The kitchen naturally divides into two sections, so it made sense to paint it that way and move the big furniture pieces to each side of the room. I covered the china cabinet with a tarp and left it where it was, moved the recycle bins and garbage can outside, moved the dining chairs and baker's rack to T-Man's room, and moved the table to the cooking area. Next I dusted the ceiling and swept the floor. I placed painters tape along the edge of the walls and then taped up a 24" wide layer of butcher paper against the walls to try and keep any paint splatter off the walls. Finally, I taped down plastic tarps to the floor to keep paint off our nice tiles.
I was ready to start painting. Surprise! The paint I bought last year, maybe even two years ago (since our floor is over a year old), had begun to harden. It had the consistency of hardening plaster. Now I had to go to the paint store and buy some new paint.
I had a lot of concerns that the paint would not hide the wall paint that had gotten on the ceiling and dried or the age marks left by the old light fixtures. That first coat of paint is often uneven and doesn't give a good indication of how the finished product will look. I was hot, sweaty, sore and unhappy with the ceiling when I finished that first coat.
Monday I had a meeting at school so I didn't get to apply the second coat until the late afternoon. As I was getting close to finishing T-man called and needed to be picked up from work at the zoo. Doug had left with Angelique so I needed to close things up and go get T-Man. When I returned it was hard to tell where I had left off and what needed to be finished. I did the best I could. Doug pointed out a few spots that need paint and I finished up. I took down the cover I had over the light fixture and turned on the lights. I still didn't like the ceiling. The paint seemed streaky. Anyway I cleaned up the area, taking off tarps, removing tape and paper, and returning furniture.
By that time I was too tired to begin set-up for the other side of the kitchen. That would have to wait until after Doug's surgery. Several days later I repeated the steps on the other side of the kitchen. This area was smaller (I kept telling myself that.)and didn't require moving furniture, just covering appliances. I started painting early in the day and was able to do a second coat in the evening. I touched up areas in the larger section and was finished. The ceiling looks tremendously better than it did before (I keep telling myself that!) and I am satisfied with the results.
That's two more projects off my list!!
Doug was scheduled for surgery on Tuesday the 7th, so he encouraged me to choose painting the kitchen ceiling as my next project. My scrapbooking stuff was off the table and placed back in the basement, sewing projects were at a stand still, and the boys had already taken our family photos off the kitchen wall and placed them in the basement. It was a good time to begin this project and I should be able to finish it later in the day Tuesday while Doug was resting at home after the surgery.
The kitchen naturally divides into two sections, so it made sense to paint it that way and move the big furniture pieces to each side of the room. I covered the china cabinet with a tarp and left it where it was, moved the recycle bins and garbage can outside, moved the dining chairs and baker's rack to T-Man's room, and moved the table to the cooking area. Next I dusted the ceiling and swept the floor. I placed painters tape along the edge of the walls and then taped up a 24" wide layer of butcher paper against the walls to try and keep any paint splatter off the walls. Finally, I taped down plastic tarps to the floor to keep paint off our nice tiles.
I was ready to start painting. Surprise! The paint I bought last year, maybe even two years ago (since our floor is over a year old), had begun to harden. It had the consistency of hardening plaster. Now I had to go to the paint store and buy some new paint.
I had a lot of concerns that the paint would not hide the wall paint that had gotten on the ceiling and dried or the age marks left by the old light fixtures. That first coat of paint is often uneven and doesn't give a good indication of how the finished product will look. I was hot, sweaty, sore and unhappy with the ceiling when I finished that first coat.
Monday I had a meeting at school so I didn't get to apply the second coat until the late afternoon. As I was getting close to finishing T-man called and needed to be picked up from work at the zoo. Doug had left with Angelique so I needed to close things up and go get T-Man. When I returned it was hard to tell where I had left off and what needed to be finished. I did the best I could. Doug pointed out a few spots that need paint and I finished up. I took down the cover I had over the light fixture and turned on the lights. I still didn't like the ceiling. The paint seemed streaky. Anyway I cleaned up the area, taking off tarps, removing tape and paper, and returning furniture.
By that time I was too tired to begin set-up for the other side of the kitchen. That would have to wait until after Doug's surgery. Several days later I repeated the steps on the other side of the kitchen. This area was smaller (I kept telling myself that.)and didn't require moving furniture, just covering appliances. I started painting early in the day and was able to do a second coat in the evening. I touched up areas in the larger section and was finished. The ceiling looks tremendously better than it did before (I keep telling myself that!) and I am satisfied with the results.
That's two more projects off my list!!
Friday, July 3, 2009
From Tuesday to Tuesday
Beginning with June 15, Mimi has had at least one swim meet per week. Last Tuesday, June 23rd, we had a meet at our home pool (the pool right by our house). The temperature was 91° and it was humid. Doug was a lane timer and I was the Mimi supervisor. Just sitting in the folding chair somewhat in the shade, I was dripping in sweat. I felt like I was melting. These meets are at least four hours long when you factor in arrival time and warm-up prior to the start of the actual competition.
A storm came up as we hit the half-way point in the meet. The clouds rolled in, then we heard bits of rumbling in the distance, the meet continued. Then we heard loud claps of thunder and experienced some rain, the swimmers continued to swim that event. Then there was a loud claps of thunder,heavy rain, and lightening was sighted. The meet was immediately halted. The rule is to wait 20 minutes from the last bolt of lightening before returning to the pool. As the 20 minutes came to a close there was another streak of lightening. At this point the meet was over. Since we had passed the half-way point of the events for the meet a team winner can be named and the meet does not have to be finished at a later date or forfeited.
This Tuesday we had another swim meet, again at our home pool. Doug urged me to take a sweatshirt because he felt like after dark it would get cool. I was excited to grab a sweatshirt because my new high-school sweatshirt had just arrived. Doug made a special logo design of T-man's high school. You know how picky he is about his school T-shirt designs. When T-man's didn't have what he wanted, he made his own.
Anyway we head to the pool. Doug again was a timer and I was a supervisor. I can't time, because it requires eye/ear-hand coordination. When Doug is not the timer I do other things for the team such as ribbon writing/labeling, ribbon filing, hospitality, or time sheet runner and then he is the Mimi supervisor.
I was sitting in my chair reading a book. Mimi completed her warm-up in the pool and put on her sweats. I decided that it was a bit chilly and but on my sweatshirt. I wore my sweatshirt the entire meet from 5:00 pm till 9:15 pm. I even drew my hands up in my sleeves. I made a trip to the van to get a sweatshirt from my blizzard supplies for Mimi to wear over her sweatshirt (it was an XXL). Yes, I have a travel bag with blizzard supply items. In the summer I call it my hurricane supplies. In case we get stranded in our car during a hurricane (ha, ha).
Within a week's time we experienced extreme temperatures. Today is the first day this week that we have used the A/C.
A storm came up as we hit the half-way point in the meet. The clouds rolled in, then we heard bits of rumbling in the distance, the meet continued. Then we heard loud claps of thunder and experienced some rain, the swimmers continued to swim that event. Then there was a loud claps of thunder,heavy rain, and lightening was sighted. The meet was immediately halted. The rule is to wait 20 minutes from the last bolt of lightening before returning to the pool. As the 20 minutes came to a close there was another streak of lightening. At this point the meet was over. Since we had passed the half-way point of the events for the meet a team winner can be named and the meet does not have to be finished at a later date or forfeited.
This Tuesday we had another swim meet, again at our home pool. Doug urged me to take a sweatshirt because he felt like after dark it would get cool. I was excited to grab a sweatshirt because my new high-school sweatshirt had just arrived. Doug made a special logo design of T-man's high school. You know how picky he is about his school T-shirt designs. When T-man's didn't have what he wanted, he made his own.
Anyway we head to the pool. Doug again was a timer and I was a supervisor. I can't time, because it requires eye/ear-hand coordination. When Doug is not the timer I do other things for the team such as ribbon writing/labeling, ribbon filing, hospitality, or time sheet runner and then he is the Mimi supervisor.
I was sitting in my chair reading a book. Mimi completed her warm-up in the pool and put on her sweats. I decided that it was a bit chilly and but on my sweatshirt. I wore my sweatshirt the entire meet from 5:00 pm till 9:15 pm. I even drew my hands up in my sleeves. I made a trip to the van to get a sweatshirt from my blizzard supplies for Mimi to wear over her sweatshirt (it was an XXL). Yes, I have a travel bag with blizzard supply items. In the summer I call it my hurricane supplies. In case we get stranded in our car during a hurricane (ha, ha).
Within a week's time we experienced extreme temperatures. Today is the first day this week that we have used the A/C.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
