Home Is

B. arrived home!  The hug is always stellar but it's starting to be surpassed by the immediate JOY! Chloe exhibits.  I spent Saturday morning piddling around and kept saying to her 'B. is coming home!'.  She went completely bonkers when he arrived - with a smile so wide!  Doggy smiles are the best thing ever - well...next to the hug.  The hug was stellar.

Sadly, he confirmed pretty early in his stay that he won't be home for Christmas this year.  His unit is going out on maneuvers in January so there is no leave or closure days for Christmas.  Hopefully, he'll get some leave time in November.  Sure hope so.

So we're going to have a really nice Sunday dinner this weekend - surf & turf!  I splurged (only because there was a 55% off sale) and ordered six fresh Maine lobster tails to go with prime rib! We'll celebrate him being home!

He announced (also pretty quickly into his visit) that the new couch is not good.  He said 'this is my dislike face' with a huge frown.  But he's adapting 'cuz he was actually horizontal on it when I got home this evening post board meeting.

There were fires in Lake County that blew smoke into our area.  I ordered a refill of my inhaler on Saturday - mainly 'cuz I was tidying up and found the box and said 'hey, there's a refill'...so I ordered it.  The recording said I could pick it up after noon the next day.  I hung up the phone and within a minute, it rang again and it was the pharmacy saying the prescription was filled and ready to be picked up.  I guess the poor air quality has everyone on high alert.

I thought I was doing OK post Saturday's sore throat and headache - but I walked into the freshly mopped bathroom at work today and couldn't breathe.  I could not inhale without coughing - something about the cleaner on the damp floors was really triggering my throat reaction.  I didn't have the inhaler with me and had a slight moment of panic - but put toilet paper over my nose and mouth and was fine as soon as I stepped out into the fresh air.  Whew!  Scary.

H. is officially attending college (again) and he (so far) is loving it!!  It's still early but he seems excited - so that's neat to watch.  Hoping he retains that motivation and love of learning....fingers crossed.

Tomorrow is the last day I have this week with no meetings - Thursday and Friday are booked and include traveling to meetings.  I will work this weekend for sure!

It's after 9 and I really need to get to bed.  I can barely get up in the mornings and I am trying to go in early.  Trying.  Always trying.

Things I Should Be Doing Yet....

I'd rather spend time enjoying the butterflies, hummingbirds and assorted birds fluttering around the backyard.  So fun to watch the creatures our new plants and feeders are attracting and I'd love to just sit here all day.  I just might.

I awoke with a major headache - the kind where eating feels like a scary thought.  J. keeps gently nudging 'take something'...but it's been a long time since I've had a headache of this magnitude and I have no idea where the 'stuff' I need to take is.  Better get to finding it though or it's going to be a day of me ending up curled up in bed or sitting near the toilet.  I don't get migraines often these days which is lovely....and one of the reasons I think I don't get them is 'cuz I nip any possible headache in the bud with Tylenol.  This one is not going to respond to Tylenol.  I can tell.

B. arrives home this afternoon!!  It feels a little like preparing for a typhoon to be upon us any minute.  All his boundless energy and the joy he has at looking forward to three full weeks of no work and time with family and friends.  I'm excited too - love having him home - but my energy is a little less amped up since I will be trudging through work days that are long...and getting longer.

H. is officially enrolled and starts classes at Los Medanos College on Monday.  He is shopping for a new laptop tomorrow - Costco has good deals and we've had really good luck with the HP's and Dell's we've purchased from there over the years.

J. and I are sketching out calendars for the upcoming month - we have a ton of 'stuff' happening in late August and September that have weekends committed - sort of feels strange to have a 'social life'. Birthday party for a friend, family wedding in Sacramento, trip to Phoenix wedged in as well.  Busy month ahead and then we can look forward to the great unwinding in Cancun in October!

I sort of regret booking that trip 'cuz I'm in the mood to head to Paris again and would have rather gone there in October (sort of).  But how lucky are we to have options like that?  And I will adore the time at the beach....absolutely my ultimate wind-down, restful vacation without a doubt.

OK - just took some generic Excedrin that I scrounged out of the cabinet - so hope that helps the headache abate.  Time to get dressed - I've got a couple errands to run and may go ahead and stop into work for a bit.

First Days

It's officially the 2015-16 school year.  Tomorrow, kids will be back on the buses and in their classrooms.  Our district is buzzing with activities.  This morning, we hold our official welcome back breakfast for staff and then they head out to their sites to do final prep for tomorrow.  Most have been in their classes quite a bit already and there's excitement and anticipation in the air.  Lots of changes this year - 2/3 of our site leadership are all new to their positions so it will be a busy year of first year learnings and mistakes.

It's going to be a great year - we've had so many positive admin activities in the past couple months and the changes that are being started this year are exciting...and scary.  I LOVE the energy and commitment that's been happening - it feels so great to feel like we're moving in an aligned direction...but the dis-ease it creates is hard for me.  Anything new takes time and energy and patience.  Just have to keep reminding myself of that - over and over and over.

I've been having freaky, bizarre dreams nightly that have me glad to be awake.  Up today at 4AM which is a good hour ahead of when I needed to be - and here it is 5:30 and it's time to get moving. So much to do this week for year-end.  And board prep.  Yikes - just remembered there's a board meeting next week -

I did work a little bit on Saturday and rewarded myself with a trip to Jackson yesterday - lost so it wasn't as fun as my last trip...but oh well.  You don't always win...that's why it's called gambling.

H. is enrolling in Los Medanos College in Pittsburg - about an hour commute.  He is going to work on a certificate and/or degree in Process Technology which would qualify him for work in a variety of industries including food, energy and oil.  He seems excited about the prospect and is gearing up because he starts school next week.  He may eventually look for a room to rent closer to campus but for now, he will commute.  It's always cheaper to live at home.

I'm excited that he's starting the program and a bit nervous for him - and us.  The classes are a lot of physics and chemistry and while I passed both in my academic career, physics was close to impossible for me.  It's just too conceptual and I'm a black and white in the box kind of person.  But H. loves Science so I'm hoping this will really spark him.  He needs a spark.

I'd better get going....still have toe tending to do and need to add some eye makeup to my routine since it's a big event.  :-)

Have a great Monday!

Morning Goo

I decided to bake something for the first Cabinet meeting of the new school year.  The pastry rose well in the proofing box; however, getting it out of the box and onto the baking sheet was a gooey mess.  I goofed last night and left the frozen version on the cardboard 'tray' to rise - and getting it off the cardboard tray to bake required flipping it over - and then flipping it back again.  It's a 'ring' so the zing is in the presentation - I think it lost a little in the process but it will still taste good.  I'm up quasi early to head to the bagel cafe across town to also get some bagels.  String cheese, yogurt, fruit, pastry, bagels and nuts will get us through our five hour agenda.  Yikes!  Long meeting but it will be productive.

Two thirds of our site admins are brand new this year and that's going to be an interesting process.  I remind myself daily that the time being spent on assisting and training will pay itself back over the course of the years these new folks are with us - and just hope I'm doing an OK job at it.  It's hard to present complex things in a succinct, abbreviated manner 'cuz they only need the basics - but the basics are complex in themselves.

Our district is way 'ahead' on year-end (a county office person mentioned that to me last week - that she'd noticed we were trucking along on the long list of things that need doing for year-end) - but I'm not letting that acknowledgement slow me down much 'cuz there's still an absolute ton of stuff to do and they are all very time consuming.

Tomorrow, we head to the oncologist for the latest scan results.  Since the scans were requested to confirm H.'s status before he moves to Houston - and he's not moving to Houston anymore - it feels awkward but we will go.  I feel less compelled to accompany the guys given the lessened urgency of my need to 'be sure' - but will go 'cuz I've already arranged my schedule around not being there tomorrow afternoon.

J. is trying to get H. to attend an information meeting at a community college in Pittsburg for a pipeline technology program.  It's hard to create motivation and interest when there is none and the jump start that we hoped Houston would be needs to be created here and now, somehow.

My assistant is winging her way to Ohio today for her dad's induction into the NFL Hall of Fame - we are taping the events on Saturday and hope to glimpse her and her family - and see her Dad.  Exciting thing to be a part of the event even vicariously.  She was a nervous wreck yesterday with a long list of things to do - her son starts school on Monday (different district) and as of yesterday, she had no info on the school year from that district.  So she took an unplanned afternoon off to take care of getting his school year nailed down before they leave on the trip.

Better go check the pastry.  And get a second cup of coffee.  And get dressed and going so I can get the day started in my office.  Being 'around' (in a meeting in a building down the way) is not the same as being in my office and every break will be a mad dash back to my building to see what's left on my chair that needs immediate attention.  Keeping things moving so my team can keep things moving is a key skill to have on busy days like our current weeks have been -

Sanctuary

Morning is always my favorite time of day - and more so these days as I watch the blue jays enjoy the peanuts in the feeder and the hummingbirds feasting on the nectar in their feeder.  The jays scold each other as they vie for getting to the tray of peanuts.  I think I need to look for another peanut feeder that has a sturdier, larger 'landing zone' - though it doesn't stop them, the current 'tray' is pretty small for them and it swings madly.  It's fun to watch them.  They've also been hopping along the fence by our office window and we stare at each other through the window briefly.  I love having the family of jays 'living' here...and am happy to help ensure they are well fed and happy.

A bunch of our new plants are already blooming, too - so we have butterflies and hummingbirds enjoying the flowers, too...it's a neat sight to see.

I had a really fun evening in Jackson on Thursday - started out boring and sort of 'why do I do this' but then I won $300 in free play and things greatly improved from there.  Turned $100 of the freeplay into $1000 and came home well ahead.  Yes, it's a lot more fun if/when you win.

I will be working a bit this weekend - not enough to count as 'days' but enough to get control over my desk; sketch out a lot of 'what's next' in the year-end process and get caught up on a lot of reading.  J. is going to head down to Tulare and spend the night at his brother's house and they will play golf down there on Monday.

H. is not moving to Houston, we think - it's just not going to work out.  His friend is about to move out on his own so H. doesn't feel 'ok' about moving in with the dad - he is mainly admitting that he wants to spend time with his friend vs. any strong feelings of 'Houston is where it's at'.  (Good thing 'cuz Houston is the hottest, most humid place on the planet - well, not really but it's hot and sticky a lot there).

So we nudge him to try to get him to commit to a certificate program of some kind - a training program to provide skills that make him hire-able in industries that hire full time with benefits vs. the jobs he's had.  He's on week three with no hours from the supermarket restocking job - and I (personally) think he's essentially been 'fired' but they just don't tell him that.  They allude to future hours and then those don't happen.  Over and over.

I've got a shopping list that will require a semi-fast quick to Target.  Maybe groceries too...really want to get back to planning meals and buying what we need weekly.  (Lately, I make lists and J. shops - but then I forget what we have so I never remember what to suggest for dinners).

Time for the weekend to commence.  Bills paid. Breakfast consumed (thanks to hubby for fixing it). Shower, get dressed and get out and going.

Heat

It's hot here.  So hot.  It starts out mild but by mid-afternoon, the walks to the restroom are just stifling.

Survived my first day back - plowed through my in box; voicemails; emails; signing stuff.  And started on year-end which made me feel really accomplished until everything I touched became a 'oh, and then there's this and that and this and more of that' - stickies all over the place and a to-do list growing.

My boss said via email cheerily around 9AM 'I'll be over shortly to say hi in person and we can catch up'...and 4PM is when he finally made his way over.  We did catch up and laughed ourselves silly over some things that went on during my absence...and laughed even harder when he said 'I think I said I'd be over sometime this morning and here I am hours and hours later'.

I soaked my toes after dinner and the warm water felt SO GOOD - they were pretty sore after a day in shoes.  I figured out how to add more padding so will do that today and will probably also take off my shoes when I'm just sitting at my desk.

Tonight, I'm heading to Livermore to have dinner with my dear friend J. at Simply Fondue so all day today, I will be dreaming of melted cheese, melted chocolate and blackberry lemon drop martinis.  :-) Makes me happy just thinking about it - and then you throw in time with one of the sweetest people on the planet and Holy Cow! - it's going to be such a nice evening.

I gave my team my schedule this week and one of them chuckled and said 'welcome back 'cuz you're out of the office this week' - pretty much!  Interview committee this afternoon, an all day admin retreat tomorrow (we are retreating to the board room - but oh well - it's still going to be fun); leaving early Thursday to attend an event that day in a place that requires driving; and a CBO meeting Friday morning. Yikes! That's a lot of 'away' time.

OK - time to get moving.  I need to get up even earlier to give myself 'toe time'.....getting them bandaged up and ready for the day adds about 10 minutes to my routine.  I'll be glad when they are healed and won't require all the special attention....

Vacation Twilight

Winding down a nice Sunday at home as I face the reality of going back to work tomorrow.  Slept in until 9AM this morning (!!) - woke up at 7:30 but just went right back to sleep and the next thing I knew, it was mid-morning!

Thought of possibly going to Jackson but skipped it.  Have plenty to do here.  I've done really major things like consolidating the two very little left honey containers into the one semi-full one.  Same with old shampoo bottles, etc. .  Emptied two partially full water bottles that have been on the lazy- susan on the kitchen table for FOREVER - used them in the garden.  I am considering writing to Home Depot and suggesting the produce a two or two and a half gallon bucket with lid as well - we rinsed dried beans yesterday and I wished I had a smaller bucket than the five gallon size we use in the showers.  Plenty of other things we do that having a small holding bucket in the kitchen would come in handy for.  And they could do a commercial in California showing all the ways you can gather and conserve water.  It's amazing how much we've wasted without thinking - can't do that anymore.

Soaked my toes - they were slightly sore last night post shoes - couldn't wear my crazy Croc-like sandals to Mary Poppins.  OH!  Mary Poppins!  It was spectacular.  Put on by a student production group, YES Company.  Wasn't sure what to expect but was completely blown away by the show.  It was a completely professional quality production - and it was three full hours of non-stop action.  Much different from the Disney movie version and the program notes explained so much of the history that I didn't know.  Now, I'm very interested in the Saving Mr. Banks movie starring Tom Hanks - 'cuz I am curious about how the movie ended up being made.  No dancing penguins in the stage version.  It was just stellar and I'm so glad we went.

Made a pot of black beans yesterday and resisted the urge to double the recipe - so we had dinner last night, lunch today and maybe lunch for me tomorrow - with no massive amount of leftovers to deal with.

My cousin confirmed that she is approaching her last week of summer vacation and the JOLT I felt at the realization that MY summer is almost over hit me like a ton of bricks.  I've got three books I'm to have read by the start of school (now three weeks away) and still have mountains of year-end stuff to also take care of.  I know it will all get done and am psyching myself up for early mornings and late evenings with high hopes of avoiding too many weekends if at all possible.

Looking forward to B. being here in three weeks (for three weeks!) and the trip to Phoenix coming up over Labor Day weekend.  Did a little menu planning with my cousin via Facebook chat this morning.

Our yard is becoming a bird, butterfly and hummingbird haven and it's so great to watch things start blooming.  We've seen at least one house working on killing off their grass (tarp secured over the entire yard) and I'm thinking of doing the same.  The plants we've purchased are blooming so beautifully and dealing with the limited water so much better than our half-dead-barely-surviving lawn.  I'm trying to budget for a plant order every month and little by little, the beds around the grass will be filled with blooming, drought-resistant plants that attract all kinds of pretty butterflies and birds.  We've got peanuts and suet cakes in the bird feeders and we put out a new hummingbird feeder today.  I'm ordering another one of those and maybe another hanging bird watering unit.

It's been a fun break and sleeping in for ten days has been the best thing ever.  Tomorrow's alarm will be hard to take but it's OK.  Playa del Carmen in October is the next trip after Phoenix and I can't wait for that break.  Then Thanksgiving week off, Christmas vacation - the breaks roll together and soon, we'll be planning for another summer off.  Time goes so quickly -