observations from my first day of school

 1. Much less chaos than I expected. But now I remember that the last time I was in that school it was 7-12 and now it's Middle School so grades 5-8.

2. Much easier to find a parking spot.

3. Everyone seems friendlier and happier.

4. Even the lunchroom seems easier to navigate.

5. Kids are of smaller stature but still avoid eye contact.

6. I was able to pick out my students. Hee hee.

7. Air conditioning sucks. Those rooms are steamy. The first thing the teacher reminded students of was deodorant. Haha!

8. I need a morning snack.

9. I made it through mostly unscathed.

fiddling around

 I'm at my big computer (as opposed to my laptop, my phone, my iPad) and I'm fiddling around trying to remember how to access pictures, download pictures, transfer pictures...it goes on and on. I think a person has too many ways to input information now. Seriously. I took a picture with my phone a few minutes ago and I wanted to put it here but alas, it must be traveling to the cloud. It has not appeared.

I did come across a picture I took of some salmon tacos I ordered at a restaurant recently. I had them several times before and they were delicious, with big chunks of grilled salmon. This order, however, looked and tasted more like canned salmon. I am not opposed to canned salmon in some circumstances when my palate is prepared for it, but not in this circumstance. It was disappointing and unpalatable. I had to delete the picture.

I made banana bread this morning which warmed the kitchen nicely and made the whole house smell wonderful. It reminded me that I still don't know how to set the timer on the damn oven.

I meant for the picture to be horizontal but I don't feel like taking the time to sort that out. I have paperwork to do for my para job. So much of it that they should pay me to do it. I passed my state and federal criminal background checks which shouldn't be (and wasn't) a surprise, but still seems cause for gladness. Paperwork is all done via electronics these days so I'm sure it will be a struggle. I picked a hell of a time to quit day drinking. Haha!

end of summer and light

 I can't quite get the hang of blog posting after such a long time of being vegetative here. I used to write daily and now it's only occasionally. I'm determined to get back in the habit. I'm already spooked by the shortening days...I woke up at 4 this morning and instead of light creeping out from the east by 5, it's more like 6:30. It's also pitch dark by 8:30 and I cannot figure out why that surprises me every damn year.

One thing that will encourage my blog writing is my daylight thing. I sit in front of it while I write for a while every morning and it seems to help. I take Vitamin D and all of that and I try to get outside some every day. Last year I was foiled by the broken ankle. Barring any bullshit like that, this year should be better.

I read about the neurological impact of COVID this morning. There's a good article in the Washington Post, if you're inclined to read it. How long covid reshapes the brain — and how we might treat it. The good news is that it doesn't seem to be progressive or permanent. 

I start my new job as a paraprofessional at the middle school on Wednesday. I'll be working in a resource room and in a 7-8 grade English classroom. I have arranged for Regis to come by and take my first day of school picture and I have new crayons...a box of 64 with a sharpener. Funny thing...Tiffany will be working in that building, Elliot attends there, and that's where Easton goes to preschool. I'll be able to pick him up after school (11 am) some days. I'm excited!

Our granddaughter, Natalie, turns 5 today so we're attending her birthday party. Pictures will be taken! Sullivan turns five in October and for three months, all of the littles will be 5 until January when Easton turns six. Hayden is 18 and has left the nest. Ella is 16 and starting her junior year, Alex and Elliot are in 8th grade and they're 12. Zoey is 11 and in 6th grade. I have trouble with all the numbers, believe me. If this information is all accurate, it's a miracle.

That's all the news for today.

Old dog, now tricks redux

 I haven't written on my blog regularly for a long time. I've decided that I am going to make it something I do routinely because I will forget how. I made a radical change to the appearance just now. I'm not sure I'll like it but here goes. It's not sky diving, but it's something.

Random photos so I remember how to add them. Everything is different. Except that Woodrow still wakes up at 4 am and checks his bowl so he doesn't starve.

 

 

More news to report. Moose freaks out when a person or a squirrel passes through the yard.  In the last week, we have this disaster.

Three pots, one plants, dirt everywhere. Dammit.

There have been happier things, too.

A return to our potlucks! So nice to gather after such a long time. Below is Easton. He and Elliot came over one afternoon to paint and hang out in the porch.

 

 

 Now some writing.

I think this laptop is for someone who is faster than me. Like a lot of things in life right now. Regis and I talked about going to Mankato to see The Wizard of Oz on the big screen but when it came down to it, we were too lazy. I have my whatever is going on and Regis has been working at 6am. I guess that's enough for our lazy old asses.

I started this post on Sunday and here it is two days later and I haven't published it yet. Zoey has been here a few times for volleyball camp at GAC, the neighbor girls have come to play with the dollhouse, and I've taken the dogs to the park. That's the extent of the excitement.

 Signing off for now. Hope to be here more regularly.

change of season

 As sometimes happens, we’re going from winter to summer in a short amount of time. It was 40° and damp last week and today it’s going to be 85° and humid. I can already feel the pressure in my head. 

It’s not all bad. Hostas are popping out of the ground. Orioles are back. Tiny leaves have appeared on the apple tree. But I like a little smoother transition. There should be more than a week between parkas and sandals. 

I’ve been craving healthy food. Yesterday I bought my third container of leafy greens in a week. Usually when I buy one, it sits in the fridge until it looks like pond scum. Last night for dinner, we had big salads with roasted tomatoes, micro greens, red onions, pumpkin seeds, and homemade dressing. 

I planted some kitchen herbs about a month ago. They came in a little box…envelopes of parsley, basil, cilantro, and dill. They’re up now and I snip off a few to add to my salads. So tasty. 

The new dog park is open which makes it more palatable to visit there. It’s windier but you can’t have everything.

I can hear the damn wind blowing already. This year has been a record breaker for wind and cloudy days. Oh joy. My two favorite weather events. 

I’d like to go out and work in my garden but the wind is a deterrent. I haven’t even visited a garden center yet. 

Off to the dog park so I can consider going to yoga at 10:00. 

where the sun don't shine

We have survived winter, as Minnesotans are wont to do and now we are enduring the coldest, windiest, shittiest spring of the past hundred years. I looked at the forecast and there is no sun predicted for two weeks. This unfortunate turn of events is impinging on my ability to enjoy spring. I wore sandals one time and nearly froze my toes. Yesterday I wore a parka to the dog park. It's inhumane.

I have had some issues again with sleeping. I was so sleepy when I got home from work yesterday that I took a two hour nap. I was sleeping so hard (again) that when Regis woke me, I barely knew where I was. Of course, I wasn't ready to go to bed at my normal bedtime and stayed up watching Bridgerton. Nothing against it if it's your thing but I thought it was like a romance novel for television. I watched two and a half episodes and that's enough.

I'm calling my doctor today and requesting a change in dosage of the medication that I think is causing the sleep issues.

I am trying to learn to make a Julia Child French Omelet. The biggest trick is learning how to shake the pan in order to get it to flip over on itself. I haven't mastered that part yet.

I'm also working on some ukulele chords and songs. My friend, Ed, knows 100 songs. I told him I know five chords and I  don't even know those reliably.

I am making a list of projects I want to work on and possibly finish this spring.

1. Finish Sandi's Mary Oliver needlework project.
2. Finish Zoey's needlework project.
3. Make Matthew's preacher gnome.
4. Fix three things with resin glue (garden thing, River Rock mug, and Stephanie's mug)
5. Clean shutters
6. Paint patio table
7. Paint patio swing
8. Paint grill
9. Paint bird seed aluminum can
10. Paint little library
11. Make Zelda's garden stones
    

That's about enough.

Carry on, friends and family.

Happy Friday.

Saturday already

 I took a trip to visit mom on Tuesday. Of course, it's so late into the spring that a guy shouldn't have to worry about road conditions and I didn't. I did, however, worry about my drowsiness on the road. I stopped once to eat a couple tacos then I had to stop in the next town to take a short nap. It was so gloomy, the sky was gray, the landscape was gray, and it was misty raining...did not make for an energizing mood.

We had a nice visit. A couple of mom's friends came for dinner on Wednesday evening. We talked about dogs, cats, insects, gardening, health, books, movies...it was very entertaining and energizing. Mom and her friends make me look forward to getting older.

I came back Thursday afternoon. I picked up Tiffany and Elliot for a spaghetti fundraiser in Mankato at 5. Good time and so nice to be able to gather in public again. The next day I found out that two of my brothers have COVID. Thankfully they are vaccinated and are not so far suffering any terrible effects.

I am looking forward to a relaxing day even though I have things to do. I made quite a mess when I came back from my trip...clothes all over and no unpacking yet. I'm going to practice my ukulele, do some laundry, make a corned beef, listen to a podcast on dopamine, and take a nap. Haha! Always a nap.

I'm really careful about the news I watch (rarely watch it) or read. The last years since Trump was elected were hard to bear witness to. I watched so much news that I did myself harm and I don't want to go back to that. I started reading a HCR column today about MTG and had to stop. It triggers horrible feelings of helplessness and doom. Here's a picture of the sky peeking through the spring clouds in case you need to cleanse your mind.

 That's it. Happy Saturday.