Sunday

Michael had a life-saving idea for me regarding work. Use a notebook, write everything down and stop driving yourself crazy by trying (and unsuccessfully) keeping everything in your head. This past week although I was Ms. Busy Bee running around accomplishing tasks that I will not be able to do in the next two weeks- was calm.

Situations arose, I wrote it down. I write down what I want to do before I get to work and I check it off as it gets accomplished. After the day is done, I write final notes about what happened, in case I didn't take the time to do it when it happened and do my list for the next day.

A sigh of relief. I feel so ON TOP of things. AND I have documentation of what I observed. I'm in charge of so many different things and managing six people is not easy. I call it 'my brain'. No, not Animaniac's Brain who is trying to take over the world but literally my brain on paper. Michael said I woke him up in the middle of the night asking him if he was the one who shut the vault and that I said some type of combination in my sleep. I had an issue at work where people were shutting the vault before doing the daily audit of items that had to be stored INSIDE the vault. So new rule, whoever shuts the vault is responsible for making sure ALL the daily items are audited. It was the night before the team meeting that I woke him up.

Michael went to his grandfather's house and raked up their pinestraw, brought it back and bordered the house with it. Very resourceful! It looks great. We're very happy this Spring with our landscaping although I would love to plant more, especially roses and sunflowers. It can wait, it gets expensive and it's a lot of hard work, especially pulling up sod. What is really stopping me is the fact I have to call the gas company, water company, etc to mark where their lines are so I don't damage anything.

We love sitting on our front porch now, listening to the fountain and talking. We've been out there many nights in the last week. I've been tempted to stretch out and read on the porch couch but I've got too much to do.

Michael took Camille to her dad's house Friday and picked up my two 84" bookcases that he's been keeping for me since I left ex in 2009. My books can now come OUT of boxes!!! Although I've donated many, I still have a lot and when I look in the boxes, it's like seeing old friends. Sorting through the books will be another day's project, today I have to prepare to leave for a week.

I'm in training 3 hours away from home for the next week, no internet (unless I pay $9.95/each 24 hours) and no TiVo. I'm going to the library today to get:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I'm currently reading Good Grief by Lolly Winston. I really enjoyed Happiness Sold Separately although like many books I feel the author rushed the ending. It seems authors decide at some point in the book that they need to wrap it up and start the ending. A slow build and WHAM- gotta end the story, leaving loose ends or not. I wanted to get Water for Elephants too but it's not available at this time. I hope the shelf copies of the other two titles will still be there when I get there today.

A hotel room to myself without internet (I was hoping to at least have Skype and Netflix streaming!) is sort of scary. I haven't even been away from Michael for a week the entire time I've known him. The kids go to their dads' and although I miss them like crazy- I'm used to it now. I told him that I would have to re-arrange the pillows to make a fake him in order to be able to sleep and that I wanted to take one of his t-shirts. He laughed and said he'd spray cologne for me but it's not the same. I wish I could take them all with me; Camille, Danny, Michael and Winston. They could explore the area while I was in the classroom and we could swim in the pool at night. I do plan on working out in the hotel gym and I'm relishing that thought!

The kids are loving riding their bikes and Michael and I haven't been able to join in due to the fact that we don't have working bikes ourselves. My bike works but the seat keeps moving on me, it's a 10+ year old NEXT ten speed that I got from Walmart. The seat is one thing but the bike hurts my back now. Yesterday, (without kids) Michael and I went to: Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Walmart #1, Bicycle Shop #1, Bicycle Shop #2, Sears, Sports Authority, Kmart, Walmart #2, Walmart #3 and finally back to Target looking at bikes for ourselves. 10 DIFFERENT stores! We didn't buy a single bike either- Michael needs one too.

We have a 6 mile bike/walking trail less than 0.5 mile from our house and we want to take all 4 kids on a biking/picnic day next weekend. Hannah has shed her training wheels!!! Today I have to go to another Sears to see if they have my chosen bicycle in stock or if I have to order it. There is a difference in bikes, more than I knew- but after 10 stores- I figured it out. The handbars- the way they are angled, the angle of the bike seat to the pedals, and the overall length between your torso and the handlebars makes a big difference. We're in the market for cruisers which was a HUGE adjustment for me. I've only ever had mountain bikes and 10 speeds- never a single speed since I was 5 and I had the banana seat bicycle.

Michael finally broke down and ordered a Micargi bicycle from a California bike shop.

I can't just order from a bicycle shop, I had to try all the different bikes and narrow it down to the one I wanted. This is a Schwinn Windwood cruiser. The handbars make a HUGE difference to me and the seat is very nice. I saw this bike in our search adventure but it was BLAZING PINK. I also found another Schwinn that was SUPER comfortable but it had purple paisley stickers ALL over it, including its fenders. I cannot ride a paisley explosion bicycle. It's not me.

Here's the pink version of the same bicycle...

Nope, not happening. I'm too tomboy to ride this. It is very pink, neon pink bright- something about the paint Michael told me. It has flecks in it that make it neon in bright light. I'm adding a nice basket, a cup holder and maybe speakers if I can finagle the speaker to mount after I put the front basket on. A good one, a tight woven one. It might not be this exact one but this is the 'look' I want.

Eventually, we'll get a pet basket for Winston- probably sooner than later...

but not in pink...

Okay off to pack and do a little running around. Michael is fishing today with one of his brothers- the kids are back tonight and I have a little "me" time. Gotta get to it!