Funky

I've been in some sort of a funk lately and I'm not really sure why. I'm starting to wonder if I have adult ADD. (Is that possible if you didn't have it as a child?) Or I'm just completely overloaded. I can't seem to finish anything I start or get started at all on some projects. And this is across the board - home, work and school. I've reached the point where I have so much to do, I don't know where to start, so I end up doing nothing. I have many unfinished projects at work (in addition to some other weird stuff that's going on there), I'm so far behind on my math homework I'm not sure when I'll be able to catch up, and I think I'm grouchy because I don't have any time for reading (check out the sidebar), or watching TV or other hobbies right now and I'm not getting enough sleep.

Part of the problem is that I need to stop overbooking myself so much, even if it is something I really want to do. (Even though I should start doing it now, maybe I'll make it a New Year's resolution.) After this weekend, things are looking pretty good scheduling-wise, so maybe things will ease up a bit.

Because of H., school and hobbies, I've significantly cut back on my TV viewing. I've only added one new show to my viewing schedule (Reunion on FOX, which is on tonight. And because I've only chosen this show to watch, I"m sure that it will be canceled and then I'll be too far behind on any other new, hip shows that I'll be totally out of the loop.). I can't watch any 8 o'clock shows, especially dramas, because we're usually finishing up bathtime, getting ready for bed and reading stories to be in bed at 8:30 (on a good night). Then it usually takes another half hour to pick up the mess from the day, straighten up the kitchen and do atleast one household chore, like a load of laundry. So that brings us to 9 o'clock to finally sit down and watch TV. But I've also had to cut out a couple of 10 o'clock shows (like Medium on Mondays, although we usually have football on now anyway until about 10:30) because I really need to go to bed before 11pm atleast a few nights a week. And in the middle of all of this, I'm supposed to be doing 30+ math problems every week and struggling my way through Shakespeare while participating online!

Okay, I'm glad I got all of that off my chest. So now I'll leave you with a funny toddler story before I sign off. The other day, as we were riding in the car, there was a motorcycle in front of us and the driver wasn't wearing a helmet. H. noticed and said, "He's not wearing a helmet." Then she paused for a minute and continued, "That's bad choices." And she was very adamant about it. This is something they have been learning about at school - not wearing a helmet, not buckling up, etc., are all "bad choices."

The work day is over and I'm off to the Goodwill Store to see if I can find something appropriate for The Awesome 80's Prom.

Just Another "Sine" That I'm Getting Old

The scientific calculator that I'm using for my current math class is the one I've had since junior high. I went online today to see if I could find the user's guide for it, since I've forgotten how to use some of the functions and it was causing problems for me last night while trying to do my homework on exponents. I don't think it's a good sign that my calculator is in the "Datamath Calculator Museum." Maybe I could sell it to this guy.

Get Out a Hankie

If you gotta go , this is the way to go. What an incredibly sweet story.

Out of Touch

Jeez! I take the day off from work, so I'm away from the computer and the Internet all day and I didn't really watch any TV today either, and Britney has her baby and Kenny & Renee break up!

Who Needs Pictures

I do! Here are some photos from last week and this weekend.

Tuesday was the first official day of pre-school, so here's H's "first day of school" photo. I do believe this is an all-Old Navy outfit - shirt, skort, shoes & socks!












N., W. & I went to see Brad Paisley Saturday night at the Baltimore Arena. The show was really good, a little short, but still good, since we finally got to see B.P. in concert. It was the annual benefit concert for Cystic Fibrosis, which always has a top-name headliner, but it's probably set up a little bit different from the regular tour show for whoever is performing. Brad Paisley was very entertaining and of course, easy on the eyes, too.









While I had my girls' night out, H. spent the night with her cousins, playing Bratz, painting, and other fun stuff.








Coming soon - before and after pictures of H's new big-girl room.

So That's How They Did It

My question about how the newspaper staff at the New Orleans Times-Picayune continued to publish the newspaper has been answered.

Study: Housework helps with hypertension

This must be some kind of cruel joke. I'm just going to pretend I never read it.

Dazed

I feel guilty going on with regular day-to-day activities when things are so atrocious and devasting in New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf. The New Orleans Times-Picayune is still publishing online (and how they are doing this, I don't know) and definitely has a more local angle you can't find with the national networks. I'm spending way too much time online, but the situation is changing so drastically every day and it's so overwhelming, I want to stay informed. I think it's easier to read the news reports than to watch the evening news coverage. I pretty much cried all through dinner last night, especially any time they showed a baby or small children.

Just my two cents - if you're having trouble deciding which charity to donate to, my sister felt that the Salvation Army was the most helpful organization to her after Hurricane Isabel, so I sent my money their way. First hand experience speaks volumes. (The money collected at Walmarts around the country (and ours already had a collection bucket out on Tuesday) also goes to the Salvation Army.)

My mom is coming over this weekend to help me paint the other bedroom. We bought H. "big-girl" furniture last weekend, which is on order, but should be here shortly. If it's here in time for her birthday, that would be great, so everyone can see it. You can check it out here. (We ordered the twin headboard (no footboard), the dresser with mirror and a nightstand. The sleigh bed version was gorgeous, but would have taken up too much room in the tiny 8 x 10 room. I'm already worried about fitting in the dresser, but we'll have to make it fit.) I've been trying to get a little bit more done in that room each night this week (when I can tear myself away from CNN), including packing up stuff that is mine that I have no where else to put (except in boxes in the basement) and removing the "panda bears playing with beach balls" border paper left behind by the previous owners. The plan is to paint the ceiling white and the walls with Kilz (to cover up the not quite Pepto Bismol pink currently on the walls) on Saturday, let it dry overnight, and then paint the walls half pale yellow, half peach the following day. Tonight I need to spackle in all the nail holes and M. needs to disassemble the daybed.

Keep New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in your hearts and minds and let's hope we see some positive stories coming from there this weekend.