Light Another Candle and Step Back!

Today is my birthday! I got to sleep in, sort of. My youngest served me toast in bed before I was fully awake. Then she delivered a slew of presents she'd been secretly wrapping in hand-decorated dot matrix printer paper (the kind with the holes on the sides and each sheet is attached to the next...yeah, we have a box of the stuff). She gave me one of her favorite stuffed animals and some change. You can't go wrong with a cash gift, I say. My oldest gave me a cute stuffed bear dressed in Native clothing. Apparently you're never too old to receive stuffed animals : ) DH left a bouquet of flowers on my car seat yesterday, where it was parked at the school (I subbed for a second grade teacher) along with a note asking for the check book. No, not for a gift, but to get a US Forest Service wood cutting permit. Thanks, dear! Just what I always wanted!

It's been a great day and can only get better.

Oh, and go on over to my AT3 pal and "twin" Meretta Pater's blog to wish her a Happy Birthday too.

Seriously?

I've read a couple things in the past week that made me laugh out loud and shake my head simultaneously. Talk about whiplash!

Item #1: Do You Expect Me to Buy This?

While perusing a clothing/accessory/general items catalog sent from a certain organization where a girl may scout out interests in a number of activities, I came across a page where uniform items were being displayed. In a bright yellow box near the description it read that as of October, along with the uniform vest or sash, a girl is required (my emphasis) to wear a white shirt and khaki pants (or skirt, I think) when representing the organization in an official capacity. OK, that's fine. On the very next page, the clothing offered was more casual tee-shirts and such. One of the shirts for sale proudly displayed this message: Defy Conformity. Unless they say so, I guess.



Item #2: Only in Alaska

One of our U.S. senators is being investigated for allegedly accepting gifts of great monetary value without reporting them. The big ticket is work/renovations on the senator's house that comes to major bucks. But in today's paper the investigators came up with a few more gifts the senator supposedly received, including a massage chair($2,600), a custom stained glass window($3,200), and a sled dog($1,000). Yes, a sled dog can be worth $1,000 or more, depending on the bloodline. Can you imagine any other state in the union where this could happen? Me neither.

I love this state.

Empty House, Full Mind, Attention Span of a Gnat

School started a couple of weeks ago, so the kids are gone from 8am to 4pm. DH left this morning for a three week research cruise out of San Diego. I'm in my very quiet bedroom/office listening to one of the dogs snoring and listening for the cat who escaped last night and has yet to return. Stupid cat.

With all this quiet, I'm excited about getting some work done. I have a manuscript that needs revising, and will get revised and submitted if *ahem* I can get my crit partners to return the parts I sent to them. I have another that was put on hold and needs finishing, and still more ideas jostling for attention in my wee head.

The hardest thing about having all this quiet, all this "me" time, is actually focusing on the task at hand. Yes, I know. Poor me. All this time during the day, no kids interrupting, and my biggest distraction is my own brain. At least it's doing *something*.

I'm better than I used to be about managing my time. Often, I even get housework done. Well, perhaps "often" is a bit of an overstatement. But it gets done. Eventually. And my kids never go to school wearing dirty clothes.

So my job, when I'm not called in to substitute at the school, is to keep myself on track. Wish me luck. Look! Something shiny!!! Just kidding : )