I'm not much of a phone person. I used to be, but it seems to have evaporated like my ability to congugate Latin verbs. It's not quite as bad as going to the dentist(a whole other aversion), but it's rare. So, if you are lucky enough to get a phone call from me, be grateful and kind. I probably had to talk myself into it and then push myself to do it. I blame e-mail and the internet, but it is really me.
It's been a very cold day with actual flurries. We were all delighted. Everyone left the office to look at the snow. It didn't stick but still snow is so rare an event that it stops the normal routine. It's now very cold (23 degrees!) and we're finally digging out our winter clothes.
First, we want to wish our friends and family a very Happy New Year. 2008 is going to be a great year. I'm sure of it.
We had quiet holidays spending time with the kids and resting. We snuck in some work too. We caught up with a stuff in the house. Since Bob is self-employed he has lots of trouble slowing down.
Bob worked too much and we squabbled about it. The kids alternated between being very demanding or becoming zombies by television. We rented DVDs and tried to fit in some time outside when it wasn't raining. We limit them to 1/2 hour or less a day with more on the weekends. It's just not feasible on a very wet long winter break.
We did more cooking and eating than usual. We made some treats and some traditions. We made Latkes to instill the tradition even though neither of my kids like them. We made cookies and brownies--big surprise--they do like them. I made a few experimental journeys in the kitchen. Thanks to Cooks Illustrated, I learned how to make French Onion Soup from scratch and Almost No-Knead Bread. The soup was amazing and I will make it again. The bread was still too much fuss for me. Since bakeries with good bread abound, it is better to leave bread to the professionals.
We caught up on some reading and crafting. The kids did some painting with watercolors and of course I knit. I'm catching up on several projects and trying to resist starting new ones. Even so, I started a simple Aran vest for Owen. I'm nearly done with the back. And, Zoe is really enjoying the Harry Potter books. She is deep into book five.
Bob & I celebrated the anniversary of our marriage in style with two kids in tow at a local fish restaurant. No, it was not romantic, but at least we were together. We will have many more with just the two of us. Our kids will have their own agendas. For now it's the awesome foursome.
Of course there were some missing things, first we missed all of you. And, we wished for snow. Even though we desperately need the rain here, we were sad that it didn't snow.
Bob and I went to a concert last week. It was Elvis Costello and the NC Symphony. Now, Elvis is a blast from my past. He was very popular when I was in college. He toured and performed at UMASS. The big show was sold out. My boyfriend, at the time, and I managed to see him after his show. He played a set with his girlfriend, at the time, with the band The Pogues at the on-campus bar the Cage. In early 1993, I saw him on a snowy St. Patrick's Day concert at Boston Symphony Hall playing his collaboration with the Brodsky Quartet on The Juliet Letters. That was a wonderful night. Now, he's working with a full orchestra!
The concert was held at the Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary. It was an outdoor concert -- a beautiful night. His performance was strong. He emphasized his anti-war sentiments and love for America. He also seemed happier, talking about his happy marriage and infant twin sons. He joked and belted out some passionate oldies but goodies. He joked that he tries to imagine that we're all the hot young things we used to be when we first discovered him. It seems that the angry young man has grown up, just like the rest of us.
It was a late night for us. We didn't get home until midnight. I even had to wake up the sleeping babysitter--gulp! The very next morning I had to dash to the airport for a trip to Atlanta. I'm not sure why I had to go. I put in some face time with the boss and some VIP authors.
Now, back to the ususal work week...
At the beginning of every school year, I used to get excited and anxious to start new habits and to focus my energies. The fall used to be my favorite season. It's changed a bit since we moved to Chapel Hill where the spring is amazing. We never had much spring in Boston. I love crisp fall days with sunny blue skies and fresh cool air.
Even though I am no longer in school, I still try to re-start in the fall. I try to take on new challenges and start new projects.
This past month, I have been focusing on getting in shape. I joined a local gym. I signed up for a year membership! I've even been going to the gym. (Please don't faint!) And, a first, I met with a personal trainer. I'm learning how to use the machines and get on a program. I'm excited because I have never had the training and individual attention that I clearly need.
Wish me luck, and no injuries!
Tomorrow is both the first day of school for Zoe (third grade!) and our wedding anniversary (15 years!). Zoe is excited about school. We all went to school on "meet the teacher" night last week. I've heard good things about her teacher. The word on the street is good. We are breathing a sigh of relief. That will be a huge improvement over last year.
We spent the weekend getting better organized. We put away old toys. It's a huge uphill battle at our house. We have too much stuff and more shows up every day.
We went to Target and bought some cube shelves and canvas bins to hold the zillions of Lego's and train tracks. We picked out some new clothes and school supplies. We're ready for what we need, but we're not quite mentally ready. The temps are still in the high 90s. We're still in shorts and t-shits. We want to languish a bit more at least until after Labor Day.
Alas, we don't get to determine the school schedule. It's going to rough getting up at 6 AM again. We got off schedule in June, and have not been able to get back on track yet. It takes more discipline than I can muster. I think it has to do with not getting enough vacation time. We're worn out and just plain tired.
As the kids get older, it will get better. Middle school starts an hour later than elementary school. High school start an hour later than middle school. Until then, I will get up earlier and be better prepared. We have at least ten more years of this, so we have to make peace with it. But, I do reserve the right to complain about it.
My last post was my 100th post. I meant to mark the occasion but I couldn't come up with anything clever. Then a lot of time lapsed. And, now I'm ranting again.
The reasons are many, and typical. My doctor had me worried for three weeks about some blood work. I had some nasty, brutal dental work with more to come. I got stressed out from that and then got sick. I enrolled in yet another computer class (Dreamweaver). My new job is harder. The book club I joined is reading interesting books that I feel compelled to read.
My kids are being extra difficult. Owen is screaming all the time. He's waking up screaming about missing blankets and scary monsters in his room. Zoe is having trouble with school. She avoids and deliberately looses her homework every week.
I had to go on a stressful, freezing business trip to New York City. The average temp was 12 degrees with a terrible wind bring it to -12 degrees. Even though I'm from Boston, I can't remember ever being so cold. And, my return flight was a nightmare. The plane was broken, and we had to get off, wait, wait, wait and wait. Then rush to another airport and try to get home. That flight was full, and then delayed. Are you surprised to learn that I threw up on the plane, and in the parking garage, and again in my car? (Their barf bags do work surprisingly well.)
And, my husband is working too much, and traveling more. Oy vey!
Of course, the things that I drop are exercising, sleeping, blogging, and knitting...not necessarily in that order. Just all the things that I do to help me relax.
I've been busy and away. As a result, I haven't been blogging. I'm nearly recovered from the big demands over the past month including winter break from school, mad-dash holidays, end of year projects, travel and new job responsibilities.
I went to Canada to print a book. I flew up to Boston, where I spent two days with my family and friends. Then I went to a small town that is far outside of Montreal. Everything went very well. The salesman was great. (Thanks Joe!) The printer was terrific. We had a couple small things to address and the rest was fast and perfect. In fact, I received my bound books today. They look great.
In two days, I managed to see very little of Canada. A great deal of Canada was still closed for Christmas holidays. I walked around a nice town Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
It looked like a nice place to be when more of the shops and restaurants are open. We had some interesting meals. Poutine is a local favorite dish of French fries with brown gravy and cheese curds. It sticks to your ribs and doesn't let go. I had to give it a try. When in Rome,...it was good, but not great. I could definitely see the appeal of Poutine as an internal heat source. I prefered the classic French food we had at a couple other places.
The weather was freaky warm (here too). The Canadians were all upset that it wasn't cold enough. 27 degrees Farenheit (too lazy to do the conversion) was cold enough for me!
I missed my family. And, boy, did they miss me. I received very sad calls from Zoe telling me she loved me and she missed me. It certainly is nice to be wanted.
At this time of the year I do get a little homesick. I miss the traditions that I grew up with. They're simple things like the hustle-bustle of going shopping in "downtown" Boston, visiting Faneuil Hall, seeing the lights on the Boston Common, eating Chinese take-out with my family on Christmas, and just doing the same things you've done for years and years and years.
Project 351 gives me a chance to see some of the familiar sights. There are a lot of references to Boston on the internet to give me a taste of home.
And, luckily, next week I'm going to stop in Boston on my way to Canada for a business trip. I'll get to spend some time with friends and family. Even though it's only a couple days, it's nice to go home.
Yesterday was Kalil's birthday party. We had a wonderful time. The weather was amazing, and the party was perfect.
There was a Pokemon theme to the party. The kids all had a great time. I brought Owen who played beautifully with Kalil's baby sister.
After the party, we took Kalil home for a playdate. That gave his family some time to tidy up and hopefully kick back for a few minutes.
We hung up our Halloween decorations today. It's a bit early, but not too bad. Of course, I saw Xmas trees for sale at Lowes, so I don't feel too early.
It's been cool and rainy so it feels like fall. We are seeing the leaves change colors and start to fall.
I love the cool crisp days. You can enjoy the outdoors without dying from the heat.
We had a perfect trip to Cape Cod. One of my favorite beaches in the world is Old Silver Beach in Falmouth.
The Dot Com Family is planning a summer vacation. We're hitting the road to visit our friends and family in Boston.
Yes, we're planning to DRIVE. Yes, it's a little nuts, but we need to make some stops along the way. And, we figured we could save some money on the airline tickets and the rental car.
So far, we plan to go to the Cape for a couple days, see our friends in CT who own a comic book store. If you like comics or other cool stuff, you should visit Sarge's Comics. or http://www.sargescomics.com/
I'll try to post along the way. The adventure begins on Friday.
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