Sunday in the Village with the family

Saturday night just before falling asleep, my husband suggested we go into the city with the kids on Sunday.

Sunday morning he didn't remember the offer, but we went anyway. (I think he thought I was manipulating him... who me?)

It was a great idea and a great day.

We drove into the village - parked at the corner of 6th Avenue and Bleeker Street. On street parking that was easy to parallel park in and out of. What luck!

First: pizza. Cheap and yummy.

In the first store we entered (near NYU) we found a dress for my daughter for a "prom" at Hershey (fodder for another blog when I tell you what I think of this). It looked fabulous on her and she will meet her goal: having a dress that no one else will be wearing. We were all happy with her purchase.

It was cold, so we needed cocoa.... very easy to find in that neighborhood! More yummy!

We walked through Washington Square and ended up in NYU's bookstore. N was thrilled. He found lots of hard cover books about Greek Mythology, and wanted to buy a hard cover copy of the Iliad. (It was $35, so I said we'd see if we could borrow Grandpa's copy - then he found a more age-appropriate book on mythology, so we got that.  As a bonus, we found a 4th book has come out in a series that both C and I read when we were on vacation.

It got colder and we remembered that N needed boots and I couldn't find them in Bridgewater or online. (A specific kind). While C & I looked in girl-clothes shops, they found them. Only 2 sizes too big (no snow this season - he can wear them next year - I wouldn't have bought them that big, good thing Dad is nicer than Mom).

We braced the cold and I found the car. Everyone was so impressed.... didn't share that I had a plan on how to find the car - park somewhere easy to find to begin with. :-)

We came home, I made dinner that everyone liked, C and I watched the Grammy's for a bit (the boys were watching some zombie-show). (I love Adele - no nonsense, just singing!) But it was cold upstairs - so I feared the pilot light went out on the heater.... it had. But T discovered that our water heater is leaking. Guess we're going to be getting a new one this week.

So T and I browsed the laptop for cell phones (another incident Saturday - NOT MY FAULT has left me cell-less) and then T and I watched Lilyhammer. My new favorite show.

A really great day.  Love a relaxing and family-focused Sunday.

Postcard from Virginia?

Imagination's the limit

It's a clean slate, and I love it.

My Christmas present from T: an office. He took out the furniture, painted he walls light grey (which I picked because it represents silver). A white curtain that I bought from IKEA seven or eight years ago has finally found a destination, and only needs a rod. A new ceiling fan to keep me cool in the summer.

I've been using pinterest to gather my thoughts on the space's design. I find while in the stores I'm drawn to darker furniture, but when I look at images, I crave the lighter side. It would allow the colors to stand out. From yarn. From pictures. From books. From whatever I want.

One book I plan to buy specifically for this room: Virginia Woolf's  A Room of One's Own.  Now that I am married, have two kids and a big house, I realize that what I missing is a little piece of real estate that is for me. I share a room, and while the kitchen is mostly my domain, it is certainly shared space.

How will I fill this space? It's up to me. But I want a warm and welcoming environment. A place where *I* want to be. A working space for my multitasking, a creative spirit.

A room of my own.

No good deed....

You know the saying:

Last week I treated myself to flowers

No good deed goes unpunished. It's one of my favorites and I use it often.

But this week it's quite the opposite. I'm suffering from NOT doing my good deeds for myself and others. I haven't cooked anything since Friday. I haven't exercised in a week. Instead of helping my son, I berated him for not having his homework organized. I drove my Dad home (who treated me to a FANTASTIC MEAL at Charlie's) but I didn't actually help him. Normally I clean out the fridge or organize something. This time? Nada.

I guess I have done "one good deed". I offered to be part of a committee. It's been a huge time commitment - and I have missed at least 2 meetings. No good deed goes unpunished: instead of catching up on my favorite shows, I'm trying to rid a presentation of passive sentences.... Why did I offer to do this???? I don't know, I guess I'm just a link in a chain....




I could break that chain, have a glass of wine and knit for a while. Tomorrow is a new day to run, to cook, to help the kids. Last week's flowers are withering. But tomorrow is a new day... it's up to me how I allocate my resources.

Lecture Du Jour

At 86, giving a medical lecture sans notes

It's been a couple of years since my last time in a lecture. And I've been to a medical lecture before, but today I am wondering why not. It was very interesting to listen to a description of pathology, disease and cancer. And the lecturer, of course, was my Dad. He's been teaching the Radiology Technicians at the local hospital for about 25 years. I guess that he should know it pretty well, but at 86 he still has the ability to teach without notes, for two hours (with a 5 minute break). 

My father is an inspiration to many. At 86 he keeps in shape by walking and swimming laps, eating healthy and doing crossword puzzles. Actually he thoughtfully copied several in the library today for both of us. I'm not much of a crossword person - but as the NY Times crossword puzzle gets progressively harder, and today is Monday, I actually have a chance to solve some answers.

I have to admit that I've always been a little jealous of my Dad. He's known his whole life he wanted to be a physician. Just last week, when he was helping tutor our son, N said to him "Grandpa, if you weren't a doctor, you would have been a great teacher." Seeing him today I completely agree. Two have two professional talents is quite the feat. I'm still trying to find one that suits me.

My Dad has many faults. (Who doesn't?) But his gifts are many and he's been so fortunate to be in such good health, kept his stamina and his mental faculties in tact.

I'll be very lucky to walk in his footsteps. I just wish I'd followed him more professionally when I had the chance. 

inertia

My old sneaks - currently resting

Objects in motion tend to stay in motion.

This week I feel like an object at rest. My butt hasn't been in gear for anything. I should be running nearly daily to prepare for the Rutgers Half Marathon in April. It's a beautiful day - I should take advantage of the warm temps and the sun.

I should be doing more to build my business. There is incredibly much to do.

I sooooo should be doing about 5,000 other things.

I could even be doing something fun - planning our next vacation.

But somehow my computer is like a magnet this week. This morning I wasted several hours surfing the net. Looking and repinning images to Pinterest.

I'm wasting my precious time.

I never regret exercising, so why is so hard to begin? I slept relatively well. I need the fresh air. I've had breakfast and coffee and now I finished T's Lindt chocolate. All good reasons to hit the road.

Yesterday I went skiing. I had no problem getting myself ready. The only issue: I discovered T had no hat! Seriously? I knit hats constantly - at least 15 hats in the last few years. Yesterday I tried to play beat-the-clock in the car, knitting a hat for T before we got to the mountain. Alas, the curvy roads made me queasy. Even picking that simple project up doesn't entice me.

Objects in motion sometimes need a push. Mine's often a clock: I run about 10 minutes late to everything.

OK clock - do your thing. Body. Get into gear. As I look now, I see if I don't run I won't ever make it to where I need to be by 6-ish (again, the 10 minute rule applies).

Laptop, prepare for your turn to be well rested.

Time to go.

Closet cleaning

When I run I often listen to Eminem. I enjoy lots of his music, in spite of myself. But even better than music I love running with a friend, discussing our lives, our families, our town... Yesterday KK and I ran 5+ miles of scenic Bridgewater. After we split up I ran to "Cleaning out my Closet" and got inspired to tackle mine. Literally!

The finished product: A lot of red in my closet.... 

I came home and started to clean our bedroom. First I stripped the bed and put on my favorite sheets. Then I looked in my closet and said ENOUGH.

I pulled out everything on hangers and shelves. I made 3 piles: Keep, basement, donate. (Actually a forth "dunno" formed, but that got sorted).

It seemed never ending. I had so much crap in my closet - it was a haven for "dunno what to do with this, so let's just throw it here and forget about it".

Today I'm clearing out the stuffed bags and reassessing leftover items.

Keep


Basement


Donate

I need to do this with my life. A sort of Keep, Basement, Donate for all of my intangible stuff.

"Keep":
Building my business/my future
Important tasks/work/house
Positive relationships
Goals I want to achieve
Yarn that I plan to use this year (literally and figuratively)

"Basement":
Back burner items
Classes I would like to take, someday
Travel to exotic/expensive places
Yarn that I like but have no concrete plans for using in 2012

"Donate":
Efforts that aren't working or counterproductive
Volunteering overload
Difficult relationships, people who take advantage of me
"Yarn that I will never use" (a euphemism)

I am pleased with my post-cleaning closet. I wonder how it would look if I did the same with my life....

A week in Review

Tuesday and Wednesday I was consumed with thoughts of political power. How it gets attained and what politicians do once they have it.

A Soccer Mom's View of the Gov.

Tuesday morning Governor Christie took the stage for a Town Hall meeting at Bridgewater's JCC. I was (apparently) one of few Democrats in the audience. I went with an open mind. I didn't learn anything new (I left before the press conference where he made his statement about a gay marriage referendum instead of via legislation through the legislature).

Afterwards I drove a retired teacher home. She wanted me to put up one of the "I support teachers and staff" signs (see previous post). We talked about "soft persuasion and hard tactics". She felt that teachers wearing certain colors of clothes were the softest tactics out there. I told her I found them manipulative - since they aim to get to parents via kids. I said I felt it sends a subliminal message to kids that teachers don't want to be there (she disagreed). Anyway, I was thinking about it some more - only a very few especially close teachers supported me when I ran, and none of my teacher-friends put up a sign for me. Finally I think it makes parents like me feel like teachers don't see how much families in Bridgewater are supporting schools already, unless we have signs up.

In the evening, there were two other "acts of power". The President held his State of the Union Address. My son had to watch it for his Social Studies homework. The "most powerful person in the world" (well, after oil executives and Stephen Speilberg and Bill Gates... and) presented his vision for 2012... and launched his election stump. It wasn't his finest moment: I'm his target audience and I was bored after a few minutes.

And of course, the Board of Education was having a meeting where they discussed ending budget voting and moving BOE elections to November.  away the only real power that local communities have to respond to the direction a district is taking. Going to the podium sometimes feels useless because many of the members of the board of education seem to have pre-determined agendas. As voters we CAN yield some power by voting down budgets. For some, this is a anti-tax campaign. For others, it is a way of saying "we don't like the choices that our district is making". And that can mean many things which is why it IS better to state "I am voting no because..." if you do so. I'm not done thinking about this...

40th birthday gift? "When I get old I'll wear more purple?

Wednesday was politics of a different kind. A misunderstanding turned into a huge "thing". Which turned out to be a non-issue, but not before I spent a lot of time and heartache stressing out over nothing!

Thursday night I spent at a meeting discussing the district. Can't say more now, but I can say it was way too long and I have to rethink the amount of time and energy I am committing myself to before I volunteer for ANYTHING.

After a "challenging day at the office" on Thursday I spent Friday rethinking my new business. I have to sit down and make a plan that can work because the status quo isn't what I wanted.

Saturday: I ran 8.3 miles!!!!  Then I ate whatever I wanted without guilt. C got highlights in her hair (I caved) and N went to a party, but didn't have a good time. I'm not sure if it is a "thing" or not. He's never asked to leave a sleep-over before... very odd behavior for him. But I mustn't overthink this.... The best part of the day was sitting by the fire and relaxing for a couple of hours.

Today is Sunday. Instead of church or an impromptu coffee date with MR I slept on the sofa with Diego. Later I finished some knitted items. Three gifts. One of them my kids said was "too silly" to wear.

And now it is time to put the turkey in the oven. I should have done that 3 hours ago. Lazy days and Sundays....