Tuesday Dots

--I had a very nice phone conversation on Sunday with Kirkepiscatoid. I plan to go see her and our mutual friend, JML, in December when Taciturn and I are in MO for the holidays.

--Today was to be dedicated to DIA; a meeting in the morning and a candidates' forum this evening, for which I was to be a set up/greet/tear down person as well as a refreshment provider. Alas, when I woke up this am, I was sick with a sore throat, cough, earache, and chills. All my plans were for naught. The forum organizer told me not to worry--due to the debate this evening, they did not expect a large turn out and there were others that planned to help out.

--My mother is much, much better; thanks for all of the prayers that went her way! She is to go home from hospital tomorrow.

--I just started reading Kathleen Norris' new book, Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life. The concept of "acedia", loosely defined as the inability to care, is intriguing to me in the larger concept of care in the religious life. It'll be interesting to see where this journey through the book takes me.

--Reading about sloth in that book made me want to clean even though I was sick. I vacuumed, mopped and dusted the main floor of my home. That was certainly that after I was finished!

--We took the cats to the vet yesterday for their yearly checkup and shots. Eliza is 9 lbs, 2 oz, and Parker is 12 lbs, 12 oz! However, he is not really fat, just a big boy.

--Tomorrow I will have my 90 day new hire review at my job. Mind you, I've been there almost five months so it is a bit overdue. I can transfer to another department in the system at six months. I'm seriously considering it for various reasons, including the lack of attention to detail of the management. Whatever I do, it'll have to wait until after the holidays since we are leaving town for a month.

--I'm enjoying Bp Carol Gallagher's blog, Mamabishop. Her writing is thoughtful and restrained. Usually people don't comment, but the things she addresses are universal.

I hope to feel better tomorrow and get back to the land of the active!

Company's a'Comin'

Nope, no one from NOLA looking for shelter. This would be a good place to go as NO hurricanes come to the Black Hills.

Taciturn's step sister JMG, the daughter of AWM, and her SO are coming for two weeks from Baltimore. We are playing tour guide for them in the Black Hills and the Badlands for a few days, then the four of us are headed out to Yellowstone National Park on Sunday.

She is nothing like her dad; she is a very happy, glass half full person and is really lots of fun to be around. We are closer to her than to T's own sister. We've been planning this trip for almost a year, and are looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, I've been cleaning like a crazy woman, including scrubbing down the woodwork. (I've mentioned before about my cleaning weirdness.) We moved the cats out of the guest bath into the laundry room, so they are confused and when they are confused, they howl. Plus, I'm cooking today--homemade pizza for T and I tonight and a pan of lasagna for all of us to eat tomorrow night. And I'm thinking about making a pan of homemade brownies also, as JMG said she and her SO really like brownies.

Busy, but a good busy.

Meanwhile, GD is starting first grade today as a homeschooled youngster. They chose today as Only Son is off work and can ride shotgun in case the day doesn't go smoothly. DIL is educated as a teacher; through that experience she swore she would never let her kids go to public school, so there you go. (Of course, she student taught in a horrible area of the town in which they live; I'm sure not all public schools in a university town are like that.) GD, as much as I adore her, can be a bit of a diva so I think a regular school would be better for her. But she's not my child, so I yield this point to her parents!

Cats, Retirees, and Other Stuff

I actually have a few minutes to sit down and blog before I sear a tuna steak, have it with brown rice and greens, and head into town to mentor EfM. (Taciturn isn't home tonight, or it'd be white rice.) I'm running the entire show for the first time tonight, as well as bringing a cake.

It is, after all, T's and my wedding anniversary tomorrow, and I wish to share our joy with my friends! We have our own celebration planned for later.

T is officially retired from the USAF as of yesterday. I now can march in anti-war protests without getting him in trouble.


We've had our second cat, Parker, almost a week now. He's a bad little boy, but absolutely adorable. He's been much nicer to his companion, Eliza, since we clipped those big honkin' claws of his! Geez! Eliza was in his face at first, but Parker had gone from a M to an N and wasn't feeling great, but he's fine now.

I've been trying to exercise, and have walked 14 miles in 3 days. I feel pretty good. Yesterday though, we walked in the park then went to the store, and I got all cotton headed, started to drool and wander, forgot why we were there, stuff like that. I was wiped out the rest of the day. I had mentioned a while back that I have some undiagnosed neurological stuff, and stuff like that is happening more than I would like. Last week I made a deposit at the ATM and did the math so wrong that I shorted myself $500, and when I tried to re-do the addition, just couldn't do it. I made another today and wrote out the amount beforehand so I could get it right. I have an "Order of EfM" for this evening, so I don't forget what I'm supposed to do.

Yes, I have an appointment with the neurologist later this month.

T is at the local museum, starting his twice weekly classes to learn about the museum so he can be a docent. He is happy to be doing something again.

Time to sear tuna! Eileen, thanks for the hugs!