Friday, December 17, 2021

The day is not off to a good start. My coffee maker wouldn't work and I thought it might be the wall plug so I pushed the test button. Now the GFI plug is stuck in test mode. So I have to replace the wall plug AND the coffee maker. AND I NEED COFFEE!

Other than that we need to go to Mike's Cape house to get his winter clothing today, then I need to make some cookies and wrap a few presents. Tomorrow we are supposed to pick Mike's son up in Boston then drive to central Massachusetts to his daughter's home to celebrate Christmas with his family. It is supposed to snow which makes me nervous with my little convertible. I like the effect of snow but not driving in it.

Time to get motivated. Have a safe and healthy Friday!

Hit the "Danger Will Robinson" weight this morning! I know it's carb swelling and there's probably a pound of fluid in the skin around my knee. The steroid cream seems to have helped calm the itching. I'm hoping the swelling reduces soon, too. It's not comfortable.

Last day of school before winter break. At my school it was business as usual, though a few teachers were nervous and a small handful were mad with our admin for not addressing the threat of violence with the staff here.

School has been delightful today: Outdoor holiday sing with the whole school followed by my annual third grade winter poetry recital and sharing of non fiction reports done on Google Slides (the first non parent involved report type project these kids have done). That was followed by a reception of cookies and milk. At 10:20 they went out to play. They are currently drawing gingerbread houses with the weekly art teacher. Then we'll go to lunch and go home! Whoo hooooooo!

I am happy to have two weeks to regroup, work on personal organization, and grab a little sleep.

As for clutter. I would be okay if the clutter was contained. However, whenever an area gets too cluttered, a new space is appropriated. That is not okay with me. Part of it is his refusal to throw things away that will not be used again or have no purpose - e.g. ripped throw pillows, old bed linens, Christmas cards, wine glasses from his sister's 50th b'day, etc....

Vacation begins in 1 hour and 15 minutes, but who's counting?

Yes, clutter just spreads and spreads. I'm not sure how DH and I arrived at containment areas, and how he has managed to abide by it. There were a lot of discussions about how his behavior was making it hard to live the life we wanted. Probably because he is able to step back and acknowledge that his hoarding tendencies are not reasonable, functional behavior. It doesn't mean he can overcome them entirely, but he tries.

Happy vacation!

Liz I hope you got some coffee! Morning routines are critical, my day is not the same if I don't have my chai latte.

So at 5am today we got a call that all schools in our district were closed due to a specific threat. It was described as a credible threat. The buildings are still closed, and the investigation is still ongoing. It starts to feel a little more ominous the longer this goes on.

I don't even know what to feel about all this crazy stuff. New normal? I taught 20 years without school ever needing to be closed due to threats. We had one last spring and now this. We are supposed to be in session Monday and Tuesday. I wonder how many students will attend? Its hard to progress with lesson plans when so many students are in and out.

I went shopping for a dress for my niece's wedding in January. No luck. Not much to try on. And then there's the extra weight making shopping not so much fun. I do have some potential dresses in my own closet, so I'll be okay.

Hoping for a relaxing weekend for all of us.

Sometimes it feels like the world is falling apart. Somehow it seemed much simpler when we were younger.

I did a long walk today (different from the short walks with my friend). First time in a long time. I need to get back to that. My hip was screaming at me, which is another sign I've regressed with activity.

I got lots of veggies from the grocery store. Next task is eat them, not compost them in the crisper drawer!

Baby steps!

LOL compost in the crisper drawer. My use for many veggies. But we got two meals from a bag of salad before it turns brown - maybe a third tonight if lucky. And a dish of broccoli or other veggie with a lot of cheese is a good dinner. ds