Dec 25 baile baile

Dec 25 baile baile
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

I have been so worried about today for so many weeks. It must read silly to
you guys but I often have these feelings of just not measuring up to the
people I care about. I wouldn't have time, money or energy to find the
right gifts. I couldn't orchestrate the dinner, yada etc, and all that
jazz.

I keep up a good
front.

Number three kid climbed into bed with me at about 5:30 a.m. after delaying sleep as
long as he could the night before. He wiggled and put his feet on my
backside and wiggled some more in a desperate non-verbal attempt to wake me
and somehow make it okay to go and look at the presents that he knew had to
be in the living room.

I groaned and wiggled in response and put the pillow over my head and pushed
the cat, who is on a four-day-long hunger strike because she doesn't like
the cheap food off of my bladder. I finally had to get up and go to the
bathroom. Said kid storm-trooped the living room as I slipped back into bed.
Knowing that rousting me might not be in his favor, he got his sisters and
then his much competed against little brother awake.

Sigh, I knew my sleep was over.

After much noise, number three son proclaimed that this was his best Christmas ever,
Youngest daughter made Dancing Dora sing Baile, baile at least twenty times. Number three daughter
counted the presents to see who had more or less or the same and tried to
claim a CD player in her pile (she already got one on her birthday in
November). Number two daughter seemed surprised that Santa had brought her a bike as
she had not asked for one. Number three daughter then noticed that her stocking was
missing and screamed that Santa had stold her stocking. And for what
reason? (Santa forgot the stocking stuffers, sigh she can't remember
everything.)

I believe this will be our last year of believing until there are grand-kids and the bigger kids decide that the littlest should still have some of this, we
will see.

I made homemade waffles on the waffle iron that I got after going to
Frankemuth last February. The first one looked very strange (I am so NOT a
cook) but I made more for the others with fatty bacon
that they love and I will not cook on an ordinary day, every day I want more
to be a vegetarian, it is going to happen. Bacon on Christmas, that's only
one day for now.

A bit of pancake batter was left so I ate the last one, it looked strange
but the taste was wonderful, my cooking surprised me, really. Soft, fluffy,
but crispy on the outside and very sweet.

Tried to set in the recliner and close my eyes at about 9:30 a.m. Yes I
was ready for a nap already.

Said Brady, "mom.. mom? are you awake? Mom, are you awake? are you
awake, Mom?"

Well if I answer yes I'm awake, will it make a difference?

Showered and got the kids ready to take Brett to his Dad's house.
Stopped at the
Shell gas station as they were the only one open and got a fountain Diet
Coke and five bucks of candy junk for the kids, it's Christmas, right?

Bought Bria some gum. I always so NO to gum, but today is Christmas right.
One of our greatest moments today is that Bria learned how to blow a bubble,
EVEN more exciting than anything that Santa brought!

Put the ham and turkey breast in/on and got all the other food stuff going.
Amazing to me the dinner was just great, the ham melted when it was cut,
poor pig, we really are going to stop eating you.

Krissie helped Brooke make cookies in her E-Z bake. Dropped the cookies on
the floor more than twice, her cooking skills are even less than mine if
that is possible. Maybe that's why Brooke wants to be a cook, to save us?

Two extra kids are here for the night, seven kids are playing
peacefully REALLY and it was just a wonderful day. Not perfect but really
nice. The dinner tasted good, the presents are liked, not too much junk,
only one broken toy to be returned, (a wireless PS2 controller.

dec 9 icycle

dec 9 icycle
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

no school today, snow promises finally arrived. A great gift for this tired person. Found some of the kids up on the shed trying to shag icycles off off of the eaves that are falling, falling.

Someone knew that I needed the light as well.

Thank you.

nov 25 sunflowers

nov 25 sunflowers
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

What is left of the sunflowers, snow covered as an insult.

Sometimes it seem the more glorious you are and look the shorter your glory is.

Early season snow here today. Kids loved it and kept a fresh supply of wet clothes strewn in every corner of the house for the last three days.

Snow is annoying and depressing to me. Want it gone by my birthday. It's only redeeming quality is when heaps of it fall in January and close school. Otherwise bleh.

I wonder if I can harvest seeds from these sunflower heads and grow more next summer?

Playstation is broke, what to do.

 
 

oct 25 corn shadows

oct 25 corn shadows
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Almost made it to Halloween. I know I can do anything if I can make it to Halloween. Pretty sunshine and beautiful leaves today. Not much time to capture them though.

oct 22 three

oct 22 three
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

It was pretty damn cold this morning. Kids had fun so the cold be damned. Newspaper said that we are going to have a colder and snowier winter. This will be good if we have a few snow days.

Life is good and kids are better. Okay, a handsome man would be pretty good too tonight. Sigh.

oct 14 travis

oct 14 travis
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

This kid has such a sweet center. However, he doesn't want to do anything. Well I don't want to much of what I do but I do it. Travis doesn't. He needs someone who can spend quite a bit for him. I wish it was me, but it is probably not.

I'm getting old for this. I keep thinking back to my first year and how I fell in love with those kids. They are all way beyond grown up now. I love Travis too, but.

I need to find the address for the patience and positivity store. I know with extra reserves of both we can do it together.

Why do some people rebel against what they are supposed to do and others keep doing it when they'd would so rather not.

Consequences? Is that it? Consequences don't affect some as much as others?

Got a head cold, sinuses totally plugged up and am medicating with a few beers. Not much logic to be found.

Oct 8 frankie

frankie
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

SHE ATE an entire 8 oz. Hershey's Special Dark chocolate bar this morning. I was dozing and the Frankster routed it out of my school bag that was left on the floor.

Barfed a good part of the day but at this writing is fine. Well as fine as she can be.
Angst seems to be my friend lately.

oct 7 chin to head

oct 7 chin to head
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Movie night tonight at school. The little one wasn't sure, but had fun anyway. New things are rough and unsure and troublesome and often great and wonderful.

It's Friday, thanks. These girls are pretty, right?

oct 3 a friend

oct 3 a friend
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Friends.

I need more of them. You have to be a friend to have a friend.

What else is coming my way?

my feelings for the entire week are expressed by this sweet pup

oct 1 flag football

oct 1 flag football
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Today was a day. I was so excited for the game. Didn't happen though. The skies were gorgeous, the light was bright.

You can want and want and want but stuff happens.

sep 24 Saturday

sep 24 b&w
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Rita is blowing away. Fall is careening in. Got up early today with a headache. Got groceries early and forgot cat food. Luck has it that the cat is fussy and will only eat when the food is just so. Painted my fingernails today and the girls, well Brooke noticed. Erica cleaned my fridge, now that was nice and embarrassing. County board of health would have shut that fridge down had they been aware.

Camera frustrations are "stealing my joy". Can't seem to find the right raw processor for me. Always hard to find a match for many things in life.

I don't want all my pictures to look alike. Will all the available models around here that would be pretty pathetic.

Perseverance must be going to help. Oh and the right light, timing and a cooler temperature.

sep 16 laura

sep 16 laura
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Why couldn't I have red hair? My cousins Becky and Debby and Patsy had such beautiful red hair.

Tried dying it and it washed out. Why couldn't have Janelle done the math tonight to win?

Why is the corn yellow ALready?

Why is my house so messy?

There are no answers for these questions.

Love this picture, have no idea of how to replicate it.

You can't do fun again, you have to find it in other places.

Right Rico?

sep 3 skies

sep 3 skies
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

over Office Max and the dollar store today. The sky and clouds were so pretty. I am still struggling, so the cheeriness here helps much. Little kids spent their two dollars that they got from Aunt Linda for picking up sticks in her back yard at the dollar store. They were thrilled. Linda is too kind. She is an angel for sure.

sep 2 tevy screen

sep 2 tevy screen
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

I want to be a cat. Sit in the window with the screen to keep the bugs away from you and feel the breeze and warm sunlight. Owner buys you expensive cat food and supplies clean litter.

I want to be my cat, not just any cat I guess.

The cats in New Orleans probably aren't that happy as of this writing.

aug 28 the day before tomorrow

aug 22 room before
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

I woke up in a start this morning. I had dreamed that I was living
platonically with Tommy Lee and we had one kid. Not sure whether the kid
was his or mine or ours. He had tucked me into bed because I was tired
after serving me dinner.

I think this must be a metaphor for my life of late. Trying to do the
impossible.

Classroom is still not ready for tomorrow (went into school for four hours
on Saturday and then conquered Meijers at 7:30 P.M.)

Kids are still sleeping in and I have to find five backpacks and five
lunchboxes that are in the house somewhere to get ready for tomorrow.

May have to mow lawn in there somewhere as well as figure out what I am
actually going to do with the kids (not mine, the school ones) tomorrow.

It all comes together and gets better eventually but the panic and anxiety
is getting worse every year I do this.

Tommy Lee and no sex? He made me dinner? What kind of a dream is that?

aug 25 footsie

aug 25 footsie
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Kids were kicking each other on the couch, they are ready to go back to school. I am beyond exhausted and have several days of work to do in just one day tomorrow.

I'd love it if someone would rub my feet but it's not going to happen. Everyone keep a good thought or two for me for tomorrow. I have to meet the new parents and the good thought is so that I don't put my foot in my mouth or say something dumb and that every new parent will love me at first glance. Sigh.

aug 23 arm farting

aug 23 arm farting
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Sort of sums up my day. Arm farting. Hope to sleep better tonight.

aug 21 more droop

aug 21 more droop
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

This is surely how I am feeling tonight. Summer is over and been hit with a punch. Still can't fit into that thicker skin I need. Dad's words remind me about being down and up. You can't always be one or the other.

Tomorrow morning I have to get up early. Ack. Shouldn't be too bad though, I like computer meetings. Hopefully the systems administrators will have had a good summer and not bore us with too many of their achievements and instead give some practical information that I can take and use.

I'm ending because some stinging words are hanging and won't go away.

Does the sunflower really droop to protect it's seeds? Maybe that's why I feel this way.

aug 20 gardening

aug 20 gardening
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

I was watering the flowers today and saw signs of fall. HOW can this BE? There were leaves on the ground and orange berries on the Mountain Ash and the sunflowers were drooping. Something is not right. The equinox was last week, I know it was.

I am not ready for fall and am going to plant something more to spite it from happening. I hate football and the smell of burning leaves.

I would like to see the colored leaves but please give me a few more days of summer and sleep.

aug 18 assignment

aug 18 assignment
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Summer is almost over and I haven't written everyday. I have taken a picture everyday so far. This has been lots of fun.

july 21 thistle

july 21 thistle
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

I haven't been able to keep the promise I made to myself to write something everyday this summer. But I have taken a picture every day. I love thistles.

I took a picture of a butterfly on a thistle when my sister, my mother and I visited my Aunt in Tennessee almost twenty years ago. They were growing all over the place that was my Aunt and dad's childhood home.

The plant is so ugly and spiky. The flower that comes from it is so pretty.

Dentist and Flowers

These two things would not seem related to me but I went to the dentist for my six-month checkup and saw some pretty flowers outside his office. It's been a couple of days like that, things that don't go together have been put together anyway. The dental hygienist told me she loved talking to interesting patients. Could it have been because I brought five kids with me? She was very nice. Scraped for quite some time on my teeth.

Got the bill for the broken air conditioner, thermostat and furnace fan. Ack that was not fun. Erica called, her car was dead at K-marts. I went but we could not get it started. She was very down. Clouds covered much of the day. It's only been the last few minutes that the evening sun is showing.

Tomorrow we go to the Pony farm. Hope it is fun. Rico's words haunt me. You cannot plan to have fun, it just happens. Can't recreate it either. Have to have skills to grab it when it presents. I have little of these.

I am a lot better than I used to be though.

Loved this pretty flower today.

Turtle cake

The animals at the zoo all got "cakes" yesterday. This turtle got an unflavored jello with mango juice cake. It was fun to watch her eat it. We had fun at the zoo but it was expensive. $2.50 for a pop? It was hot and the kids were always wanting the next exciting moment NOW instead of waiting for it to come.

july 2 gumballs

july 2 gumballs
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

I NEED a quarter.
Often heard words.

Tried to write some poetry for July 2, but rhyming is not a great skill of mine. I've had a lot of fun in June this year. Hope that July can be as much fun. Words keep ringing in my ear from dear ex-hubby the first, you can't recreate fun, you have to find new avenues.

I tell the kids that every day is a new adventure and you have to remain open to what happens that is good and fun. You also have to expect boredom and bad stuff, they happen and make the good things worth appreciating.

Brett has a very hard time with this, he wants everything NOW and has many questions about how long will this take, how many more minutes till I get something or something fun happens.

I don't have the right answers. There aren't any right answers.

Tomorrow is July third. I've had many good days, hope this continues.

june 30 city kids

june 30 city kids
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Just had to take some pictures of these straw or hay bales. So round, so heavy, so pretty, so smelly, so full of bugs. The kids thought it quite an adventure until they got close and their noses noticed and the bugs said "why we are glad you kids are here!".

It was a really fun day. Got some tasks done mid-day and headed off to take pictures and to mail stuff at the USPS. Went to the park, it was too hot to stay too long. Next the grocery store, got the kids a hoverdisc.

Came home, the kids swam in the now crystal waters of our pool, gollee those chemicals do work. We went back out to get some helium for the hover thing and some balloons just for fun. June 30th was an absolutely wonderful day.

Toilet is leaking pretty much, but that will be tomorrow or the next day's worry.

Air conditioner is dead

bria's blankie
Originally uploaded by noearlybird.

Bria found her blankie, but she's not going to need it for warmth today. Jack our faithful a/c man is on his way. Hope he can fix it before we all melt. Jack came and stayed for more than an hour, first thought the unit was low on freon. He told me to go inside and check, that it must be getting cold inside. I went and checked and nothing was coming out. He then checked the furnace fan, I guess that's what pushes the cold air through the ducts. Furnace fan motor is dead, or at least the switch is.

He will be back tomorrow later afternoon to try again. Will we make it until then without melting? I just don't tolerate the heat like I did when I was younger. And the kids are way too spoiled to know anything different. I used to love sleeping with the fan blowing the cold early morning air into the room. Hope that tiny window fan will do this tonight.

Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.

This poor little froggie had quite a day, one day before solstice. I did convince the kids to let "Billy" (that's what Brady named him/her) go. Hopefully he is out among the bushes telling all his frog buddies what a intolerable day it was to be held captive by that wild little kid. Why they are probably even sucking down frog brews exaggerating how bad it really was.

I love this day and wait for it to come every year. It always come so quick and is over with before I can breathe. The kids swam in the pool for the first time, I did not get a nap but it was an absolutely beautiful day to be alive, at least here.

Sending out some very good thoughts for all the frogs captured by kids and anyone else who might be in harms way today.
Posted by Hello

First Bug of the Month

I am fifty-five years old and this is the very first bug picture I have ever taken. This week's assignment on my camera list is entitled "Bugs". I know nothing about taking pictures of little things. I couldn't manage to get the little bugger very sharp. Going to have to put up the tripod in my yard. My neighbors will have some very interesting conversation considering the flamingos that Ellen sent me are there too. I just cannot stand it where there is something I can't do. I will master this bug week somehow.
Posted by Hello

Morning Sky
Will have to go and get some new pictures of "The Moon", the corn is getting higher there. I love this view each day, don't want to say the word ~morning~ in place of day because morning views are best of one's pillow.
Posted by Hello

It's going to be a long summer Mom.
Posted by Hello

Finished day 189 of service today. Minimal stuffing of items in places where they don't belong, I am proud. Even managed to disconnect and store Kitty's computer pieces next door for next year. Got all the plants home plus the refridgerator. I am truly getting better with age. Did not experience nearly as much panic and frenzy today as in years past.

A bit of panic and frenzy seemed ill-placed with my children however. Upon arriving home, four out of five little ones were screaming injustice of some sort. Also came home with report cards in hand (I asked for them from the respective teachers to circumvent USPS and save my school a whopping 37cents times three. Brett, Brooke and Brigitte did very well, academically, I thank them very much.

This means we will be off to the treat/reward store tomorrow. Hopefully that black plastic Darth Vader mask will not become an Ollie chew toy too quickly.

Speaking of treats, I am not the proud owner of $45 of gift certificates for Treat Street, an ice cream delight venue near us. Hope they have something besides ice cream there, even my large family cannot consume forty-five dollars of ice cream in one setting. Do they actually think my family needs or wants all this ice cream? Perspective again, they were just being nice.

Avalon Pond Revisited
Posted by Hello

The pond was cool and still. The grass was green and dry. Summer has arrived, the fans are spinning. My friend has begun her retirement. The kids fought all day over everything and nothing.

I spent most of the day arguing with Brett over the fact that he shouldn't have to need "things" to keep his daily existance going. Most of the morning was dealing with the Darth Vader mask and why it looked so good and powerful on that website but would not appear as such two days after it is pitched on the floor by the toybox.

Seven more days of school. I'd like to do some different things with the kids this week but there won't be much time to plan. What was the funnest thing I did with teachers in the last week of school? Don't remember, I most likely endured until the clock indicated it was time. Watching those busses take off for the last time is always a feeling. I'm just not one of those that see it as an end.

I want to keep the weeds out of my gardens this summer. I want to get some rest. I want to help the kids to get along and not fight and carry on power plays over which seat they have in the van and which television show they are watching. How can I socialize Ollie so that he will want to do something other than chew up every shoe in the house? With this many feet at his disposal, it has to be a challenge to him.

I want to move some junk out of my house and closets. I want to get the rest I need without guilt.

Spend a bag of money on plastic junk toys and the kids get creative and use cardboard throwaway boxes. Our neighbors got new kitchen cupboards this week and offered the empty boxes to the kids. The boxes were in our front yard all week until I drug them back across the street for neighbor to burn. Came home from school choking on smoke. Kids had fun though.
Posted by Hello

Dust on my keyboard

Dust on the keyboard
Pillow calling
Kid screaming
Fatigue rules

We went to the moon today. An adventure that can't be found on television or at the mall or local store. Parchment colored moon rocks covering the surface everywhere we walked. Instead of Houston control having moon launcher troubles though, it was the lawn mower that caused grief to the parental unit. The lawn did get trimmed and the moon treasures were brought back to earth for inspection and scientific study.
Posted by Hello

Thin skins are pretty. But very irritating to the owner. Can't imagine having the short life above ground that a pretty tulip has. Well maybe. Spending all that time sucking up water and minerals all winter long under that cosy blanket of snow and dirt. Expending large amount of energy in the cold brisk spring to push up forceably to the surface and then suffer the searing light and cold temperatures. Then to be snatched by a five year old's grasp and die a painful and dry death. That's why we are so pretty for such a short time. Effort is rewarded.
Posted by Hello

Wendy or Wally as the case may be, the worm. I came home thinking I would write something very ventish and crabby. Been having a large problem with keeping a positive attitude. Too many nonsensical things to do at school. Too many things to do in too few hours. President Bush is now going to interrupt my Survivor with upsetting news about my social security.

Dear neighbor Sam did rototill my garden. This makes me smile, my garden will start growing soon.

Posted by Hello

Close to perfect

Perfect Blood Pressure-Going to see these smiles for a long time coming.

I went to my doctor today. He delivered my first borne. I had a decided spring in my step as I left through the somewhat dark doorway from the newest office in a series of places I have visited for some 27 years. Kids audibly haruumped when they saw me coming into the driveway to pick them up. They had stayed with a fellow teacher friend who they just barely know but adore. I do hope she is the fourth grade teacher of one of mine next year.

Today was very close to perfect. Only thing I can regret is that Niko got voted home on American Idol, I like him. I even managed, I THINK to discontinue the AT&T service that I have been paying for for two years. Kids made dinner for me. Dog did not chew up anything valuable.

How much closer to perfect can you get?

Seven times seven is forty-nine. How am I gonna learn all of these tables in time? What do I need to know multiplication for anyhow? Worksheet after worksheet is stealing my time.
Posted by Hello

Cutting down the net

We went down fighting. Yes they did. He used to wear orange a lot of the time. I have always thought orange was a loud color. I've never been a loud person. My ears protest loudness and I am surrounded by noisy kids. It was just a beautiful and almost perfect day today. Sunshine, behaved kids, adequate sleep and minimum worry with messes.

Illini played a very fun game. I feel their pain tonight. Similiar to what Camilla is feeling? Nah, she's hung in their so long, her smile will be very wide when she finally gets that heavy bejeweled crown.

Why the heck do they cut down the net?

Big Bunny Basketball

My team won last night. I am their most loyal fan dating back to almost when the dinosaurs were still roaming the earth and Beaumont Tower. Loved that school and campus, what a great time in my life.


The Big Bunny has arrived and completed his tasks. It's very late on my clock but very early on the littlest ones clocks here. I'm certain that their biorhythms are initiating the wake up process as I write.

Tomorrow a day of rebirth. New stuff, new grass, new sun, new laughs, new days for everyone, hopefully also for Terry Shiavo and the Pope.

The Wit Store?

My uncle in Florida keeps writing again and again about how it is possible to make money on the internet. I have always dismissed this or ignored his statements with a courteous smile. In my small experience money is only truly made by hard work and/or people schmucking up talents that I have never possessed.

Upon reading this story though, I have to give more credence to his claims. There are so many possessed toys close to me that I feel only humiliation that I haven't thought of writing this piece.

Where do you go to purchase or obtain wit? Probably at the same place that one can purchase the ability to hit free throw baskets with accuracy.

Ninety-nine pages of homework for me

~99 pages of homework found in the bag

~99 pages of homework

If one of those pages should happen to be found

What will mymother do to me?

(sung to the tune of 99 bottles of beer on the wall)


Picture day at school is always the craziest day of the year. Now they do it two times a year as well, Fall AND Spring pictures. More money for the school coffers.


Hardly had any time to breathe relaxed today. Don't know what Michael J wore to court and don't know what the fuss is over Terri Shiavo. I went through these issues with Nikkidog and Katiedog some time ago. Do you spend bags of money to keep them alive? Never used to be a large question as keeping them alive was not an option.



Tomorrow is Wednesday. Art day. I will try to draw something tomorrow to honor this day.

Time out again

Time out again.

Why doesn't my mother understand that superheroes are supposed to climb up on cars? But I was just trying to... She yells at me "no buts, I don't want to hear the word BUT".

No one is the boss of me.

I did it! I think.

I think I figured out how to link the pictures. Well actually my oldest kid helped me. Why the heck does she make it look so easy?

Everyone is sick

Every child I am related to has been sick this week. A chorus of coughs is the top rated song.

I'd like to sell something too.

Hello, My name is Ollie. I have this website where I am selling chewables to fund my next vacation trip. Well I'm not actually going on a vacation but it sounds nice. I have this great mom and lots of brothers and sisters but I have no one to play with while they are at school.

So I have to have a hobby or a pastime. They keep yelling at me and chasing me outside in the cold when I chew on something. How the heck did I know the cordless phone wouldn't work anymore?

Anyway. Please visit this website www.ollielikestochew.com and buy something or send a donation. It will be very much appreciated.

Oll

What has the Easter Bunny got for me?

Palm Sunday today. One more week, seven days until the Big Bunny arrives. How did Easter become like Christmas with presents AND candy?

I remember my mom dressing me up in a stiff and itchy but pretty dress on Easter. Had to have a hat and small white gloves. I still look at the Easter hats with affection and memory of my mom. We didn't really go anywhere on Easter but she did dress us up.

Now the kids want to know what the bunny is going to bring them. Not clothes or white gloves for heavens sake but maybe Playstation or BIG toys or makeup or something equally good.

Poor bunny barely has time to shop. Bunny has also been on a diet this year so too much Palmer chocolate is not good. Darn bunny should have saved The Incredibles one more week.

Tevy

Tevy means angel in Khmer. My angel is sitting on my lap now. She's constantly with me. Tevy sleeps on my chest at night. Well I usually push her off when my bones and joints complain but she finds her way up over my head on my pillow. She's there until the early early morning. The only thing one should do in the morning is sleep and make friends and bond with their pillows. Tevy stirs with my every sigh. Breakfast would be nice now mom.

My constant companion. Faithful companion. Tevy doesn't care if I am tired, she is still there. She watches out the front window when we leave each day. I would love to know what she thinks of that. Is she glad and happy for the peace and quiet? Or sadness?

I love her so. Just a cat.

Where is Spring?

New Technology

Is either thrilling or exasperating. I am not able to figure out this Bloggerbot thing for pictures and am spending a chunk of time of my day. The ads state that it is so easy. Haarump.

I went to Cobo Hall yesterday for the MACUL conference. Big technology group in education. I got up real early and drove to Detroit in a little rental car, a Ford Focus? Took me 30 miles to figure out how to turn off the rear window wiper.

Got to the Lodge expressway and found the place but got lost in a parking quest. The Cobo garage is closed for construction? I remember when that place was built and they are still building? Parked in the Joe Louis Garage which is about (seemingly) seven miles from Cobo. I have this recurring nightmare about being lost in a parking garage, I've had it for years so I was actually frightened. There was no one around. NO one, it was so totally bare, it looked like a futuristic movie set, like "The day the world ended" or something.

I walked down corridors and walkways and ramps and towers. They have parking towers? A, B C, D, E and F towers. I was rethinking all my fear and loathing and racist and non-racist thoughts about who I might encounter and what I might do or say or not. I'm not racist or judgemental, am I? I'm only thinking of who might mug me or not. I've got seven dependent children waiting. Not totally rational thinking.
I did get out of the parking structure and wandered up First and Bagley streets. Some nice woman in a corner gas station smiled at me when I told her of the directions I had been given and pointed me in the right direction. I thanked her profusely and she smiled again. (She probably thought, no wonder no one comes down her to Detroit).

I wasn't far from the place at all but there virtually NO signs pointing to it. Must be they think everyone KNOWS where the place is? Or has made the time to print out a Yahoo map before coming? I did have a map from the conference papers but can't read it without my glasses and I hate wearing glasses while walking outside. If I do I can't see where I am walking but I can read. So I sacrificed the reading for the walking.

Found Cobo hall and walked past Richard Cobo's bust, he died in 1957? Joe Louis has an impressive statue in there too, he in is tiny little boxer shorts. Seems like they wear bigger shorts nowadays.

Went to the conference and saw the exhibits and all the many and myriad of new fancy and fun hi-tech gadgets that other school districts are probably using but that we will not see for several years until they are closed out (and much cheaper). Got several free pens and mouse pads and junk.

Started the walk back to the parking garage with visible apprehension. I didn't see a soul on the way back either, I think that is was what was most eerie. It was virtually empty, a huge cavernous place with no signs of life.

Got back on the Lodge and then I-94 and then found a White Castle. Ordered ten to go and made it back home. I was exhausted and my hips and legs were hurting from the walking. I was in bed by 9.

First Day

Time to start something new.