Wednesday PWYC

[OKay]

YIPPEEE!!! I just did a search on my favorite study Bible and it is now available in digital format for smart phone! I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS! Downloading it now

[helia]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who misses details here. . Yes, where are you going, Kathryn? We fly economy plus sometimes, esp. on longer flights -- at least that is what I think D elta calls it.

Did you get to see DD and class, Dee?

Oh, yes, I remember the age 4 appointment. I think I actually sent dh with one of the girls b/c I didn't want to deal with the trauma - to child or mom. ((OK and LO)) Yes, it is over quickly but I know a few seconds can seem like a long time when you're in the midst of it all. . .So, does dh need to come up with a sermon for tonight?

Have a great day, Twins. Is this the beginning of your multiple day break?

Sounds like you had a nice day, Lynlee. Sleep well!

I'm thinking of buying a pedometer, just out of curiousity. I know WW sells them. . . .

I saw last night that congratulations are in order for Harriet's dd14! WTG to her! I find that program fascinating -- not that I know anything about it beyond its existence at your school. But even that is fascinating to me. --Maybe I'm easily fascinated. LOL! Anyhow, as you probably know, women in engineering are golden, highly sought after, if dd14 wants to pursue that direction after high school.

My a.m. routine is done, I've spent some time with dh who got home around 1:30 a.m. last night, I've worked a little on my teaching.

PODA:
1. FINISH PREPPING TEACHING
-a. Handout
b. My notes
c. Run through my speaking parts
d. Review with dh tonight -->
e. Make many changes which dh will see -- hopefully, not too many, but he is ruthless, which I like as he also brings a lot of wisdom and insight to my thoughts, plus he helps me keep my flow of ideas focused. He sometimes doesn't understand that this is a room full of women rather than a room full of men, so I gauge some of his suggestions by what I know about the women.

2. catch up on laundry
3. buy gift card and get bday card in mail for dbrother
4. perhaps yardwork, if #1 is under control this afternoon. It is cloudy but warm outside.

Laundry is ready to switch, so I'll do that first and then settle in on my teaching.

[MysteryWoman]

Good morning!

So much went on after my last post yesterday! Sorta CUOPed, but can't really reply except to thank helia for the field hockey story.

Went to the nearby grocery store and gas station & had just enough time left that I was able to stop home & put perishables in the fridge. (I had brought along a soft-sided cooler & ice packs in case I hadn't.)

Meeting with the psychologist went well, except that I misunderstood -- she wanted to meet with DH as well; she's a very big proponent of making sure parents are on the same page. She wanted to talk about dd's math anxiety and gave good tips for dealing with such; it's a shame dd has such anxiety -- DH is a math teacher, and I'm good at it as well, and dd's IQ test scores are darn near off the chart in those areas -- she just can't do the math because she thinks she can't do the math. But I let her know that math anxiety wasn't dd's only trouble; as I put it, "she has enough issues for a subscription." (I spent enough time talking about those that dd didn't get her visit with the psychologist yesterday. ) OTOH, even though we weren't able to put all the suggestions into effect yesterday, dd did 6 pages of math homework, hardly shedding a tear. (The reason for the 6 pages was that she had missed two assignments -- she actually had 9 pages to do.) I was happy we got 6 out of her (happier still that there were no tantrums involved) in one night! She was distressed this morning that she hadn't finished, but she eased up when I told her that we could copy the pages she hadn't finished (the teacher is collecting workbooks to grade today), and, time permitting, she could work on some of them tonight and drop them off with her teacher tomorrow. I'm not sure what made the biggest difference in dd's attitude -- my telling her that Dr. R. was confident she could do it and had all sorts of great ideas to help her (she thinks the world of Dr. R), or my telling her, per the psychologist's suggestion that yes, it was hard; it was supposed to be hard -- it's a hard school, harder than her old school, and she has gaps that need to be made up, and that the way you get through hard things was by hard work. At any rate, it was a much more pleasant experience than it has been for a long, long time.

Spent over two hours last night with hockey e-mail. Had to reply to a couple of things and had gotten half-a-dozen e-mails of things I needed to let my team know. Hockey director wants us to send e-mails not from our own e-mail but through a website; it does wonderful things from his perspective -- organizes mailing lists really well, keeps records of e-mails sent such that they're easy to access if a parent comes griping to him, even keeps track of how many (and which) of the e-mails sent have actually gotten opened. But it's a pain to format in, and a pain to go switching back and forth between my e-mail (where I'd received the things I needed to tell my people) and the website. Between the length of the e-mail -- had to update schedule and give folks details regarding five or six different things -- you know it's bad when you wish you could put footnotes in your e-mail -- and interruptions from the girls... well, there went those two hours.

At Harriet's "crossroads" -- six cards done; seven counting the morning carpool card, which I don't need every day. Bed made, bathroom tidied, shades up, lights out, wash started. Only appointment on today's calendar is taking DD to Catholic High Schools Night. Ooh -- must remember to start crock of shredded beef! Should make a run to discount store or T argét for laundry supplies -- unusually, I'm out of just about everything at once: I have maybe enough detergent left for one load; I'm out of dry bleach/booster; I have only my second-string pretreat left (cheaper, but doesn't work as well), and I'm almost out of wrinkle releaser. Oy. That'll all cost a pretty penny at the register.

Sweet dreams, lynlee.

I hate when I forget to put on my pedometer, Dee! I feel like I've been cheated out of steps. Do the pictures go on the fridge once you're down south? If so, maybe you could put them in a sandwich or freezer bag (if you have such around) and tucked in with whatever other kitchen items you're taking down?

Good luck juggling the various family events/responsibilities, OKay. Sounds like quite the conundrum. I hope LO's doctor visit goes as well as can be expected; I remember my girls, after those visits with big rounds of shots, getting a sticker that said something like, "Be nice to me. I've had my shots today."

I suppose a fair bit of life, Kathryn -- at least life as a consumer -- is about making those decisions as to whether something, be it peak-hours electricity or a checked bag, is worth the price.

Are phone conferences not on your cellphone usually on S kype or some such, Twins, that you can't wear pjs then? Have a relaxing day once you've finished!

helia, as far as pedometers go, I'd highly recommend my Om ron. I wasn't surprised when, doing research on such, I saw lots of good recommendations for them, as I'd first encountered the company as a maker of medical devices and sensors back in my days working on an engineering magazine. It seems to give a good, accurate count of steps and does not have to be clipped to the waist -- it can be kept in a pocket or purse. It keeps track of steps, "aerobic steps," calories and distance. It also has a 7-day memory for all of the above and has the time on it (I frequently pull it out as a watch), which it uses to reset your daily steps to 0 at midnight. About $25 at WM, if I remember correctly, though my store, at least, did not keep this model in stock, and I had to order it online to be sent to the store. Hmm... perhaps the manufacturer should pay me for that "commercial."

Behind on my steps -- must get moving! Next up:
• dining table excavation
• living room/playroom tidying

BBL!

[DeeClutter]

Hmmmm....wonder if Kathryn can do that same download or similar?

Not yet, Helia. Was streaming their morning broadcast but didn't happen to catch it. Hoping a video is available online later.

Just went through two reps at TW trying to put our internet on 'seasonal disconnect'. After 10 minutes with first gal, the computer wouldn't let her 'do it'. 2nd gal I had to keep repeating everything (all over from the 1st gal & she was only getting 1/2 of it). So I finally said I'd call back. Started to and I've been coughing pretty good -took a m ucinex a while ago and decided I just couldn't do this right now. DPC department!

Paused to go out to tell dneighbor good-bye & have a good winter. Her first words were: You sound like you need to go the dr. But actually I'm much better and once I get through this part of the day, the rest should be good.

Good idea, Mystery. Yes I do have other 'kitchen' type things to go and yes the pics do go on our fridge (though a smaller one) down there. I have them all in a ziploc bag, but I will pack them with the kitchen things. Right where I need them -what a concept!

[MysteryWoman]

TOTH checkin:

got the previous two done; one or the other girl was fibbing when they said they cleaned up their own playroom messes and left their sister's -- and I think it was DD. (insert good "Hmph!" face here)

Goals for next hour:
• flip wash
• take walk -- ankles are still a bit sore, and I don't want to, but I will make myself walk 14 houses down the street and back (with 50' frontage, that's about a quarter of a mile)
• make lunch

Then I can enjoy my lunch here with you ladies!

Glad I could be of help, Dee!

[OKay]

Eeeek! The day is slipping away and I'm not doing what I planned. However, I did.....
** make batch of chicken salad and sent a bowl of it to DParents
** launched DH and LO (they are off to get new tires put on pickup)
** DW loaded/running
** researched bib overalls for DDad. He is down to one pair. DMom only likes them with cotton/poly blend. HARD TO FIND!

Yes, DH will need to select a topic and pull together a sermon for tonight. His knowledge of the Bible is deep and he doesn't get nervous on stage, so if he can just a couple hours of quiet time he will be fine. He is going to drive 2 hours this afternoon to pick up chemicals so I expect he will be using that time to think and pray.

Next - Do my 5:00am card. ......5.5 hours late.

[Ivy]

Good Morning, Villagers!

Total shoulder replacement sounds so painful!

I hate immunizations, too. The shingles vaccine was different. They pinched the skin on the back of my upper arm, where you're flabby, and insert it just under the skin. Was sore and had that headache for 2 days, which is a side effect. Also, wasn't happy that ins. co. won't cover, so the cheapest place in town was Costco for $188. One place charged $229!

Up north of us, somebody's been shooting out windows in a school and in cars, too. Last I heard it was 200-something, for 2 nights of shooting. I just don't understand vandals.

Dee, You sound like you're doing so well on your BS!

Helia, I've heard good things about the Om ron, too! I heard that a lady bought one from Amazon,too.

OKay, That's great about your Bible study!

Kathryn, I'm glad you get legroom!

Lynlee, Have a good sleep!

Waving to Mystery Woman, Harriet, Scattered, and those I've forgotten, like Nancy and Twins' Mom, etc...

My PODA is a simple one:
- read, write, crochet, do letters, log a story.

This is sort of embarrassing, but I have FM (Fibromyalgia) and my pressure points on both sides of the outer hip where the bones connect to the hip has a painful trigger point so this morning it hurts to sit. I guess I'll be taking turns sitting in different chairs, will get my walk in for sure today, since it hurts to sit, and my paper clutter sorting is a standing job, too. Maybe I'll get some things done. I also have a stand for my Nook and can stand it at the eating bar and march in place while I read. So my Wed. will be "challenging" and "Interesting", to say the least.

Have a great day, Everyone!

[Twins' Mom]

My day is slipping away, too. (What am I talking about, I didn't get up until almost 9 a.m.!) Phone conference was useful, took about 30 minutes.

This is an incredibly beautiful day here - blue sky and leaves changing colors. We have maples planted between each house here and they are turning red. I took ddogs for an extended walk - up the hill where you can see a lake in opposite view, and partially down the back side of that hill - is a killer slope - and I called it PT for dMacs and his stiff legs. He took it well and they enjoyed all the new smells as I let them take their time and sniff around. Looks like we're already into vitamin D winter, here, tho, no vitamin D from today's exposure.....

So....PODA for rest of day.....

-flu shot at my office between now and 2 p.m.
-get ready for temple board meeting at 5:30 this evening
-temple board meeting followed by a 7 p.m. program at temple

What else?

I can't say how much I have enjoyed this quiet morning!

Mystery, the struggle with your dd sounds so familiar. DD got the idea in first grade that she wasn't good in math and it became one of those self-fulfilling ideas. After the homework struggles with her for years and years, we are somewhat amazed that she has stepped up and that college has gone so well. She always tested at the gifted level but could never focus long enough to do the work.

[ellyphant]

Good afternoon to my online buddies!

Ivy--Hope that pain will go away today for you.

Lilac--We are voters, too, in this family! Except for DM, who says she always went behind the curtain with my father and he would vote twice! Not that he was overbearing, she just didn't care. The first time I voted, at age 18, my father was amazed that I "cancelled his vote." He had not considered that I knew the issues and had a different view than his. Also, I hear you about the house renovations. I have 2 bathrooms that are halfway dismantled. We need to finish what we've started around here! Hope your DD's business will pick up. Maybe folks will start to come and make pottery Christmas presents. Back in the 60's, our neighbor has a ceramics studio and all the ladies would go and make a set of Christmas carolers. It took many weeks to clean and paint the whole set, I remember.

Okay--Good luck with LO's shots today!

[Harriet]

Thanks for the high-fives for dd's Academy of Engineering induction. It dominated my day yesterday and I barely got here. She was minimizing this and insisting I could just drop her off and pick her up later. But when I heard "pinning", I knew it sounded too formal to be parent-skippable. I'm so glad I went, because every single student had at least one other family member who walked forward, even though a few were older siblings who deferred to teacher-advisers to do the pinning. The media center was well-equipped to handle a group of guests for a small ceremony. It is faux-painted to look like the interior of an ancient building with "crumbling" walls and pillars. Smart budget decorating!

The speaker was just wonderful - highly motivational but also very warm and inclusive. He told the children that young people are often discounted, so why not use that to become determined. His examples of determined youthful years ranged from Bill Gates to The Beatles. He told, to many murmurs, that Bill Gates has admitted to often breaking back into his high school at night to keep working at their computer. lol. He said dedication while others don't believe in you means you have a chance to become an "outlier" who will later be appreciated. I believe his concepts were taken from Malcolm Glad well's book of a similar name. The children were discouraged from breaking and entering, of course.

helia, you are quite right about what an expert would zero in on - the lack of women in engineering fields was a focus. This is under the umbrella of The National Academy Foundation and this school was called a "pilot school" last year when there were 18, with 12 more added this year. So dd is surprised to be in the right place at the right time for lots of field trips because of corporation/university attention.

Reception ideas - this was smart without being costly. A variety of large 6-inch cookies were cut into half-circles and then arranged to build up on circular platters with varying color/texture "bricks" so that guests could pick up one without touching others. The sugar cookies looked so different from the chocolate, etc., etc., that the platters were a conversation starter. Lemonade was already poured and large containers disappeared, so there was as little liquid goings-on as possible among all the books!. I'm going to remember that.