Last week I received word that my request for sick leave was approved, and applied retroactively to September. The university credited me this year's tuition, and I'll go back in the fall. In the meanwhile, my library card doesn't work, and I'm not supposed to be engaging in any research/academic work. (Ha.)
It's a strange feeling, suddenly having that weight off my shoulders. It's now okay that I've been useless for the past year. I've spent the year doing was doing what I was supposed to be doing: taking care of myself and my family. I was sometimes a little hard on myself about my lack of progress, because I know people who finished their dissertations in the midst of being pregnant and having a baby. Of course, I constantly have to remind myself that it's not fair to compare myself to anyone else, because I've been a rather exceptional case. (So exceptional, in fact, that I was granted leave after the terms of my extension explicitly stated that I didn't qualify for leave!)
It's funny how my brain is more full of ideas and strategies for finishing, now that I'm not registered. I'm going to get myself an alumni library card, since I qualify for one here. I'll start practising my German while the baby's napping, and since it requires the use of a headset microphone, I've ordered a baby monitor, and will watch the little lights for signs of the kid making noise. I'll also take this opportunity to review my primary sources, since it's been a while, and the review will be good for getting my brain going. That's all I'll really do this summer (and meet with my supervisor when we go back to the Island in the summer: he'll want to see the baby, and then we'll draw up a timeline for completion).
But I'm also going to allow myself some space. I'm on leave, and I'm going to make sure that I appreciate that. This is the first time I haven't been a registered student in a decade, and I want to take some time and enjoy being home with Li'l E.
This has all coincided with the good news that E won't need surgery (there was some concern, but it has thankfully turned out to be unfounded), and so we now have fewer health professionals in our lives, which means fewer appointments. (Okay, in the next few weeks, she has a physical therapy appointment, 6-month checkups with both her family doctor and her pediatrician, and then her next round of shots. But then we get a break!) More importantly, we no longer have that anxiety hanging over us, and we can just move on with our lives, dealing only with normal baby stuff.
And so I'm grateful for this bit of respite from all the craziness of the past year. Normal is a nice change from the usual.
Showing posts with label Grace in Small Things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grace in Small Things. Show all posts
Monday, May 27, 2013
Monday, March 21, 2011
Small things, with a slightly melancholy turn in the middle
1. A friend of mine (who is pregnant, is planning on moving across the continent while her baby is still small, and is trying to downsize her possessions right now) asked me if I wanted to try on some clothes before they were donated to the thrift shop. It turns out that "some clothes" means "a giant bin full of nice clothes, all of which fit me better than my own clothing." I ended up keeping everything, and now it's my old clothes that are going to the thrift shop. I'm so thankful, because I was seriously short on clothes that fit me properly. However, it's a strange feeling to wear all these clothes that I didn't individually pick out and purchase; I distinctly feel like I'm borrowing my sister's entire wardrobe.
2. I took a day off, in celebration of Chris's first day of Spring Break, and we cleaned and organized our bedroom. I ended up sorting through boxes of sentimental trinkets, plus the shoebox full of old letters that I saved from my teen years. It's strange going through things that you once deliberately saved and now don't remember at all.
3. I found a bunch of letters that my Little Grandma sent me through the years. It was so special to find them, because she was a wonderful letter-writer, and wrote to me like I was a grown-up, even when I was only eight. Two of the letters started with the words "I'm writing to tell you how much I love you." That made my eyes fill with tears.
In one letter, she said that, in herself she only saw faults and constant mistakes, and felt like she was getting more irritable as she aged. But then people kept telling her that her little granddaughter was just like her, and since Maryanne was a little ray of sunshine, she must see virtues in herself, too.
I miss her so much.
4. Quiet evening at home, with my until-today-lost Joni Mitchell CD playing on the stereo.
5. And my room is clean and dust-free. I'm even breathing more easily in the living room.
2. I took a day off, in celebration of Chris's first day of Spring Break, and we cleaned and organized our bedroom. I ended up sorting through boxes of sentimental trinkets, plus the shoebox full of old letters that I saved from my teen years. It's strange going through things that you once deliberately saved and now don't remember at all.
3. I found a bunch of letters that my Little Grandma sent me through the years. It was so special to find them, because she was a wonderful letter-writer, and wrote to me like I was a grown-up, even when I was only eight. Two of the letters started with the words "I'm writing to tell you how much I love you." That made my eyes fill with tears.
In one letter, she said that, in herself she only saw faults and constant mistakes, and felt like she was getting more irritable as she aged. But then people kept telling her that her little granddaughter was just like her, and since Maryanne was a little ray of sunshine, she must see virtues in herself, too.
I miss her so much.
4. Quiet evening at home, with my until-today-lost Joni Mitchell CD playing on the stereo.
5. And my room is clean and dust-free. I'm even breathing more easily in the living room.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Bright Spots
1. My beloved KitchenAid has returned to its rightful place on my kitchen counter.
2. And the repair wasn't too expensive! Huzzah.
3. And then Chris made chocolate chip cookies. (Okay, they're supposed to be rewards for his students, but I'm stealing some of them. He clearly made too many.)
4. And Ky took me to get my mixer from the repair guy, and then we were nonsensical for part of the afternoon. I like nonsense.
5. And then, when Ky stayed to work on homework at my house, our friend Kara phoned from Manitoba and we talked to her on speaker phone, and she used her speaker phone so we could talk to her baby Josh! It felt like old times being silly together, except for the whole We're Grown Ups and Kara Has a Baby thing.
6. Chris did enough prep at school that he was able to take the evening off. It's nice being past that whole stressful phase of finals, marking, and the beginning of the semester.
2. And the repair wasn't too expensive! Huzzah.
3. And then Chris made chocolate chip cookies. (Okay, they're supposed to be rewards for his students, but I'm stealing some of them. He clearly made too many.)
4. And Ky took me to get my mixer from the repair guy, and then we were nonsensical for part of the afternoon. I like nonsense.
5. And then, when Ky stayed to work on homework at my house, our friend Kara phoned from Manitoba and we talked to her on speaker phone, and she used her speaker phone so we could talk to her baby Josh! It felt like old times being silly together, except for the whole We're Grown Ups and Kara Has a Baby thing.
6. Chris did enough prep at school that he was able to take the evening off. It's nice being past that whole stressful phase of finals, marking, and the beginning of the semester.
Monday, December 07, 2009
GiST: Starting to look Christmassy around here edition
1. Homemade Chai Nog lattes, made using my own cappuccino maker. (Why has it been sitting in a cupboard for so long?)
2.
3. Why yes, we did decide to put a 6-foot-tall Douglas Fir into the World's Smallest Living Room. I'm way too amused by how much of the living room is taken up by Giant Christmas Tree. Seriously:
We're going to have to move the dining room table around so that we can still get around the house freely. And it's glorious.
4. Spending an evening putting strings on Christmas tree ornaments while listening to Handel's Messiah.
5. Such a lovely weekend.
2.
3. Why yes, we did decide to put a 6-foot-tall Douglas Fir into the World's Smallest Living Room. I'm way too amused by how much of the living room is taken up by Giant Christmas Tree. Seriously:
We're going to have to move the dining room table around so that we can still get around the house freely. And it's glorious. 4. Spending an evening putting strings on Christmas tree ornaments while listening to Handel's Messiah.
5. Such a lovely weekend.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Grace in Small Things, I Just Crashed Edition
1. Having completed reading three years' worth of German newspaper. I read twenty months between Monday and today. (I confess that I over-researched the first year-and-a-bit, but then I met with Dr. Supervisor and he helped me focus my search.) I ended up being able to read a newspaper a minute.
Seriously: just a bit of scanning and then I haul that case of microfilm back to Inter-Library Loans. It's like a happy dream. (I'm willfully ignoring the fact that this was just the first of five newspaper surveys.)
2. The song "Soft Kitty" from Big Bang Theory.
3. Shirley Temples. Chris has bought me grenadine and ginger ale, and now I have one beside me and didn't even have to order off the children's menu at Swiss Chalet.
4. The Genius playlist iTunes created for me based on "99 Luftballons," now playing in my background.
5. When I crashed after I came home, after a half-week of insane newspaper research, a band performance and very little sleep, Chris made me stay home from prayer meeting. I haven't gone to bed yet, but it was nice just to lay on the couch and not have to be doing anything for a while. (Although composing this post makes me feel like this PhD comic.)
Seriously: just a bit of scanning and then I haul that case of microfilm back to Inter-Library Loans. It's like a happy dream. (I'm willfully ignoring the fact that this was just the first of five newspaper surveys.)
2. The song "Soft Kitty" from Big Bang Theory.
3. Shirley Temples. Chris has bought me grenadine and ginger ale, and now I have one beside me and didn't even have to order off the children's menu at Swiss Chalet.
4. The Genius playlist iTunes created for me based on "99 Luftballons," now playing in my background.
5. When I crashed after I came home, after a half-week of insane newspaper research, a band performance and very little sleep, Chris made me stay home from prayer meeting. I haven't gone to bed yet, but it was nice just to lay on the couch and not have to be doing anything for a while. (Although composing this post makes me feel like this PhD comic.)
Sunday, October 04, 2009
GiST: In Spite of Losing Football Edition
1. We had a good weekend. Yes, the football game was heartbreaking. But we got to see the players from such a good vantage point, and had a good time with the people sitting around us (with the noticeable exception of the people behind us, who ended up being kicked out by the fourth quarter, so the fourth quarter was much better). Watching the Roughriders in person made us feel like we were at home.
2. The SkyTrain makes me miss Europe. And makes me excited to get back to Europe.
3. We stayed in a gorgeous apartment on the 33rd floor of a tower, with good friends. It was all so pleasant.
4. They had real Darjeeling tea that they picked up while they were traveling India. It was thoroughly fantastic, and makes me wish to go to Darjeeling, just for tea like that.
5. Sunday evening of watching The Man from U.N.C.L.E. with Christopher. Lovely.
2. The SkyTrain makes me miss Europe. And makes me excited to get back to Europe.
3. We stayed in a gorgeous apartment on the 33rd floor of a tower, with good friends. It was all so pleasant.
4. They had real Darjeeling tea that they picked up while they were traveling India. It was thoroughly fantastic, and makes me wish to go to Darjeeling, just for tea like that.
5. Sunday evening of watching The Man from U.N.C.L.E. with Christopher. Lovely.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
GiST: Actually Remembering to Do This Edition
1. Breakfast smoothies, already made for me and waiting in the fridge by the time I wake up in the morning. (I am spoiled rotten.)
2. Encouragement from my academic hero (this happened several days ago now, but it's still keeping me encouraged), who reminded me that she did all her dissertation research in short trips to Germany, and got better work done because of it.
3. Finding out that much of the primary research material I need actually is available on microfilm in North America. And then ordering four years' worth of a newspaper on microfilm, after getting advice from the Interlibrary Loans librarian. (Translation: I'm about to start doing research that I thought I could only do in Germany.)
4. Ice cream
5. Making arrangements to have two different new-to-Victoria/from-Saskatchewan friends over for supper (one on Thursday and one on Sunday). Now I just need two good meal ideas.
6. My VCR (yes, I'm a dinosaur) is set for two versions of So You Think You Can Dance and for Glee! (Keep in mind that I love musicals, and was heavily involved in show choir when I was in high school.)
2. Encouragement from my academic hero (this happened several days ago now, but it's still keeping me encouraged), who reminded me that she did all her dissertation research in short trips to Germany, and got better work done because of it.
3. Finding out that much of the primary research material I need actually is available on microfilm in North America. And then ordering four years' worth of a newspaper on microfilm, after getting advice from the Interlibrary Loans librarian. (Translation: I'm about to start doing research that I thought I could only do in Germany.)
4. Ice cream
5. Making arrangements to have two different new-to-Victoria/from-Saskatchewan friends over for supper (one on Thursday and one on Sunday). Now I just need two good meal ideas.
6. My VCR (yes, I'm a dinosaur) is set for two versions of So You Think You Can Dance and for Glee! (Keep in mind that I love musicals, and was heavily involved in show choir when I was in high school.)
Friday, August 21, 2009
Lazy Summer Evening Blogging
I tried to compose a coherent post, but my brain is moving too slowly right now. I blame both August and the fact that I've been spending my days watching German silent films. German silent films where old ladies kill themselves and where prostitutes get murdered. Whee!
And so I'm going to structure this post after the Grace in Small Things format again.
1. I'm enjoying a quiet evening, especially since anticipating having my house full (including a now-walking Andrew) for a week starting on Monday.
2. I'm really glad that I've set the rule of No Working in the Evening. It means that, after a long day of watching depressing movies, I feel like I've earned the right to veg out and watch the Food Network.
3. I'm surrounded in cookbooks right now, and scheming about making bread pudding for Christopher. (Don't worry, Meg: I won't make it while you're around!)
4. Barbequed food: arguably the best part of summer.
5. Spending a quiet evening reading a new novel while Christopher plays Game Cube. These are the sorts of evenings I miss once the school year starts.
And so I'm going to structure this post after the Grace in Small Things format again.
1. I'm enjoying a quiet evening, especially since anticipating having my house full (including a now-walking Andrew) for a week starting on Monday.
2. I'm really glad that I've set the rule of No Working in the Evening. It means that, after a long day of watching depressing movies, I feel like I've earned the right to veg out and watch the Food Network.
3. I'm surrounded in cookbooks right now, and scheming about making bread pudding for Christopher. (Don't worry, Meg: I won't make it while you're around!)
4. Barbequed food: arguably the best part of summer.
5. Spending a quiet evening reading a new novel while Christopher plays Game Cube. These are the sorts of evenings I miss once the school year starts.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Grace in Small Things: Day Who Even Knows Anymore
1. I hadn't even noticed, but the cool and rainy weather went away and summer came back. I walked outside this afternoon to get the mail, and it was amazing! And so I went and sat on a lawn chair in my back yard for a while.
2. Yesterday I made a spinach and feta pizza that would make you weep. So good. I had all the leftovers for lunch today, and there is very little I love more than cold leftover pizza. Such a good day.
3. I don't know when I last was able to say this: today I made a to-do list, and finished everything by lunch. I had to go back and add more items to my list, and then finished all that too. And had time to sit on the back lawn, chatting on the phone, for a while.
4. Global TV has now put all its shows online, plus pilots for the fall shows (plus episodes of Silver Spoons and Facts of Life). I can watch the Glee pilot all I want now!
5. Sitting with my feet up in a clean living room, with the Food Network playing in the background. Good summer evening.
2. Yesterday I made a spinach and feta pizza that would make you weep. So good. I had all the leftovers for lunch today, and there is very little I love more than cold leftover pizza. Such a good day.
3. I don't know when I last was able to say this: today I made a to-do list, and finished everything by lunch. I had to go back and add more items to my list, and then finished all that too. And had time to sit on the back lawn, chatting on the phone, for a while.
4. Global TV has now put all its shows online, plus pilots for the fall shows (plus episodes of Silver Spoons and Facts of Life). I can watch the Glee pilot all I want now!
5. Sitting with my feet up in a clean living room, with the Food Network playing in the background. Good summer evening.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
GiST: Weekend Edition
Sorry about not posting in a while! I've been working on being okay with being home alone and quiet while I was working. It's actually been quite a nice week.
1. Homemade strawberry lemonade. Ariann made raspberry lemonade on Friday, and then Chris insisted that I needed to try it, but with strawberries (since we already had some of those). Wow, is the homemade stuff ever nice. Now that the weather's warm, I think I'll be buying lemons even more frequently than usual (and we buy fresh lemons all the time). I bought an inexpensive clear juice jug just so that I could see that pink lemonade in my fridge, with all those strawberries floating around, and smile.
2. I've been reading a novel in German this week. It's been really slow (I've been working on it for a few days and I'm still not to page 100), but I'm ridiculously proud of myself for being able to follow the story. I get as much of a gist as I can for several pages, and follow the dialogue (which is always a little easier), and then I go back and look up key words that I didn't understand. Half the time, I've figured out what the words mean because of the context. Now I just need to get more of it read, and need to manage to do that without getting sleepy.
3. One of our neighbours is practicing playing the bagpipes in his backyard right now. It sounds gorgeous. I love the faint music floating through the air. (Yesterday, Chris said "They should make that a selling feature for our block: 'Two of our neighbours play the bagpipes!'" I had to tell him that there are people who wouldn't consider that a selling feature.)
4. Warm weather = Chris has barbequed almost every meal this week.
5. Chris and I've started running again! My counselor suggested that we collect gold stars for every time we go running, and then once we've earned a certain number of gold stars, we award ourselves a prize. (Our strategy is that I go running first thing every weekday morning, and then once it's time to start work, I've already left the house once that day.) Now we only need to figure out prizes to work toward.
I'll do an extra one, because it's been so long since I've posted: 6. In a matter of days, some lovely bloggers are going to be showing up in my city for a conference! The Friendly Greens are coming to town, and I am excited.
1. Homemade strawberry lemonade. Ariann made raspberry lemonade on Friday, and then Chris insisted that I needed to try it, but with strawberries (since we already had some of those). Wow, is the homemade stuff ever nice. Now that the weather's warm, I think I'll be buying lemons even more frequently than usual (and we buy fresh lemons all the time). I bought an inexpensive clear juice jug just so that I could see that pink lemonade in my fridge, with all those strawberries floating around, and smile.
2. I've been reading a novel in German this week. It's been really slow (I've been working on it for a few days and I'm still not to page 100), but I'm ridiculously proud of myself for being able to follow the story. I get as much of a gist as I can for several pages, and follow the dialogue (which is always a little easier), and then I go back and look up key words that I didn't understand. Half the time, I've figured out what the words mean because of the context. Now I just need to get more of it read, and need to manage to do that without getting sleepy.
3. One of our neighbours is practicing playing the bagpipes in his backyard right now. It sounds gorgeous. I love the faint music floating through the air. (Yesterday, Chris said "They should make that a selling feature for our block: 'Two of our neighbours play the bagpipes!'" I had to tell him that there are people who wouldn't consider that a selling feature.)
4. Warm weather = Chris has barbequed almost every meal this week.
5. Chris and I've started running again! My counselor suggested that we collect gold stars for every time we go running, and then once we've earned a certain number of gold stars, we award ourselves a prize. (Our strategy is that I go running first thing every weekday morning, and then once it's time to start work, I've already left the house once that day.) Now we only need to figure out prizes to work toward.
I'll do an extra one, because it's been so long since I've posted: 6. In a matter of days, some lovely bloggers are going to be showing up in my city for a conference! The Friendly Greens are coming to town, and I am excited.
Friday, May 01, 2009
GiST Day 86: Stood on a Castle Roof Edition
1. This afternoon, my sister and I went and toured the X-Men Castle and the surrounding gardens. We were the only ones in the tour group, and so our tour guide did a bunch of extra stuff for us: she gave us a guided tour of part of the garden (they usually don't do that), she took us to the back yard part that's now not usually open to the public, and she even snuck us out this secret door on the top floor that gets you onto part of the castle roof! It's where the castle's owner used to hide his money, and it was super-cool.
2. We had such a lovely evening out with good friends. Ice cream at one city landmark, and then tea in the hipster region of the city. Janny's getting the whole city experience this time.
3. Warm weather! Hurrah.
4. Sudden naps in the afternoon: also hurrah.
5. It's been nice having my sister in town. I think she had a nice birthday on Tuesday too.
2. We had such a lovely evening out with good friends. Ice cream at one city landmark, and then tea in the hipster region of the city. Janny's getting the whole city experience this time.
3. Warm weather! Hurrah.
4. Sudden naps in the afternoon: also hurrah.
5. It's been nice having my sister in town. I think she had a nice birthday on Tuesday too.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
GiST Day 84: A few more hours until my sister's here
1. In a few hours from now, my sister's flying here on her birthday! Considering the fact that she's getting up at 4am for her flight, I won't complain about having to pick her up at 8:30.
2. I can't stop watching this video that Ky made of Andrew's first reactions to her puppy. Seriously: his laughter kills me. (And Baby Meets Puppy for the Showdown for Ultimate Cuteness Supremacy? Best day ever. Andrew decided to play fetch along with Vicki the puppy. We just had to keep him from putting the ball in his mouth like the puppy was doing.)
3. Last night I was very sick, but now I'm very thankful that I'm holding down food again and only have a bit of a sore throat left. (By the way: it's not a good thing to be a hypochondriac and have a weird combination of symptoms on the same day that the news is filled with warnings about the symptoms of Swine Flu. Because I'm a crazy person, I spent the morning repeating "I haven't been to Mexico. I haven't been to Mexico." But now I'm good.)
4. Janny asked that we watch the Chuck season (hopefully just season) finale with her, but Chris and I also watched it tonight. And I'm glad I've seen it. So good. I'll definitely want to rewatch it with her tomorrow. And maybe a few more times. That was ridiculously awesome.
5. Sleepy times for me. Always a happy thing.
2. I can't stop watching this video that Ky made of Andrew's first reactions to her puppy. Seriously: his laughter kills me. (And Baby Meets Puppy for the Showdown for Ultimate Cuteness Supremacy? Best day ever. Andrew decided to play fetch along with Vicki the puppy. We just had to keep him from putting the ball in his mouth like the puppy was doing.)
3. Last night I was very sick, but now I'm very thankful that I'm holding down food again and only have a bit of a sore throat left. (By the way: it's not a good thing to be a hypochondriac and have a weird combination of symptoms on the same day that the news is filled with warnings about the symptoms of Swine Flu. Because I'm a crazy person, I spent the morning repeating "I haven't been to Mexico. I haven't been to Mexico." But now I'm good.)
4. Janny asked that we watch the Chuck season (hopefully just season) finale with her, but Chris and I also watched it tonight. And I'm glad I've seen it. So good. I'll definitely want to rewatch it with her tomorrow. And maybe a few more times. That was ridiculously awesome.
5. Sleepy times for me. Always a happy thing.
Friday, April 24, 2009
GiST Day 82
1. Tomorrow afternoon, Karl and wee Andrew ferry over for a weekend visit! Meg's going to be at a women's retreat, and Karl decided that if he's going to spend a weekend alone with the baby, he might as well spend it here. This will be pleasant. (Of course, ask me how I feel on Sunday, after I've had an exuberant toddler tearing apart my house all weekend.)
2. New shoes are the best things ever.
3. I can't stop looking at Ky's awesome pictures from Lynnie's visit this past week. (She has a ton more over on Facebook.)
4. Even though I'm jealous that I don't get to eat any of it, I helped to make an awesome Roasted Vegetable Lasagna tonight. (It's for Chris's lunchtime potluck tomorrow.)
5. Did you know that it's been sunny all week long? That's good for my brain.
2. New shoes are the best things ever.
3. I can't stop looking at Ky's awesome pictures from Lynnie's visit this past week. (She has a ton more over on Facebook.)
4. Even though I'm jealous that I don't get to eat any of it, I helped to make an awesome Roasted Vegetable Lasagna tonight. (It's for Chris's lunchtime potluck tomorrow.)
5. Did you know that it's been sunny all week long? That's good for my brain.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
GiST Day 80: Head Full of Sunshine
1. Today was another perfectly sunny day, with temperatures far warmer than my basement suite. I was trying so hard to be productive, but after I saw in the weather forecast that this was the warmest it would get all week, I couldn't take it anymore. I threw on my flip-flops, I grabbed my little wrist bag that holds my keys and my cell phone, and escaped my house. I was a block from my house before I actually decided where I'd go. (As if there was any other real choice on a sunny day like today.) I went to the beach. A gorgeous walk through flowering trees and quirky old houses, and then forty-five minutes watching the waves, sitting in the sand, and putting my toes in the water. It was the best thing I could have possibly done for my brain. I need to escape to the beach more often.
(This was taken with my cellphone.)
2. Not only did I get actual housework and schoolwork done, but I made my own chicken stock! I feel so capable right now.
3. I was tracking down and ordering different primary sources for my dissertation research and was starting to have difficulty figuring out how to order the movies I need to watch. If I could convince my university library to order them from another university (especially since no university library in the province had them), it was going to be really expensive. But then on a whim I tried Googling the movies, and it turned out that one of them was on Google Videos (with English subtitles), and was available for download, and I was able to buy the other one for cheap from a German video store in Indiana, which is clearing out its obscure VHS tapes right now. (And that movie has never been released on DVD, only on VHS.) So, now I don't have to deal with trying to order movies through the library at all. Whee!
4. Tomorrow I'm going to buy red shoes, using the money I earned by tutoring the kid upstairs.
5. Seriously: I got my best work done on the day when I escaped to the beach for an hour and a half?
Update 6. My friend Simon's wife Mikako just had a baby girl today! (Since they're in Japan, the baby was born on the 22nd, as in tomorrow.) Hooray!
(This was taken with my cellphone.)2. Not only did I get actual housework and schoolwork done, but I made my own chicken stock! I feel so capable right now.
3. I was tracking down and ordering different primary sources for my dissertation research and was starting to have difficulty figuring out how to order the movies I need to watch. If I could convince my university library to order them from another university (especially since no university library in the province had them), it was going to be really expensive. But then on a whim I tried Googling the movies, and it turned out that one of them was on Google Videos (with English subtitles), and was available for download, and I was able to buy the other one for cheap from a German video store in Indiana, which is clearing out its obscure VHS tapes right now. (And that movie has never been released on DVD, only on VHS.) So, now I don't have to deal with trying to order movies through the library at all. Whee!
4. Tomorrow I'm going to buy red shoes, using the money I earned by tutoring the kid upstairs.
5. Seriously: I got my best work done on the day when I escaped to the beach for an hour and a half?
Update 6. My friend Simon's wife Mikako just had a baby girl today! (Since they're in Japan, the baby was born on the 22nd, as in tomorrow.) Hooray!
Monday, April 20, 2009
GiST Day 79: "Ah me, young love" Edition
1. Cartoon Robin Hood! I watched it with Chris, Ky, Lyn, Ariann, Derek and our friend Julia. Several of us could recite the entire movie, and sing along to all the songs. I love Lady Kluck like crazy. (And, I confess, Prince John. Best cartoon bad guy ever.)
2. My friends Mike and Julia are back from their three-month trip to Asia and are now living in the Vancouver area! We seem to be collecting people on the West Coast.
3. I've said it before, but I'm loving H-Net. I signed up for H-Canada, even though I'm not a Canadianist, and I'm glad I did. It's full of people I know, and they're conducting the most useful and detailed discussion about using cameras in archives. It's like getting pages and pages of useful advice from seasoned historians. I've started copying some of the more helpful advice into my OneNote research file.
4. Today it was sunny and the temperature went up to 20C. Even when we left Ky's house tonight it felt like June outside.
5. My Wee Girlie turned 6 today! She's such a good and smart little girl, and I'm very proud to have her call me Auntie.
2. My friends Mike and Julia are back from their three-month trip to Asia and are now living in the Vancouver area! We seem to be collecting people on the West Coast.
3. I've said it before, but I'm loving H-Net. I signed up for H-Canada, even though I'm not a Canadianist, and I'm glad I did. It's full of people I know, and they're conducting the most useful and detailed discussion about using cameras in archives. It's like getting pages and pages of useful advice from seasoned historians. I've started copying some of the more helpful advice into my OneNote research file.
4. Today it was sunny and the temperature went up to 20C. Even when we left Ky's house tonight it felt like June outside.
5. My Wee Girlie turned 6 today! She's such a good and smart little girl, and I'm very proud to have her call me Auntie.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
GiST Day 77: I Saw Seals Today Edition
1. Fisherman's Wharf! Harbour Seals! Lynnie surrounded with small children, as all of them tried to get the seals to come and visit us!
2. My breakfast consisted of leftover birthday cake and cupcakes. I confess, but do not regret.
3. Today Chris's sister turned 25, my brother turned 26 and my cousin Kara turned 27! I got a chance to talk with each of them on the phone today, which was particularly pleasant.
4. Chris is reading Son of Interflux by Gordon Korman finally, and I'm so excited. It's fun watching him respond to the hilarity and talk through what he thinks is going to happen next. I wonder what other books of mine I can get him to read.
5. I made more quiches today! I think I'm addicted. (Confession: my supper consisted of tomato-goat cheese quiche and a big salad with strawberries and black pepper. My supper was so classy and healthy. But then an hour later I was still hungry and made nachos. And by "nachos" I mean "mostly melted cheese, with some nacho chips underneath.")
2. My breakfast consisted of leftover birthday cake and cupcakes. I confess, but do not regret.
3. Today Chris's sister turned 25, my brother turned 26 and my cousin Kara turned 27! I got a chance to talk with each of them on the phone today, which was particularly pleasant.
4. Chris is reading Son of Interflux by Gordon Korman finally, and I'm so excited. It's fun watching him respond to the hilarity and talk through what he thinks is going to happen next. I wonder what other books of mine I can get him to read.
5. I made more quiches today! I think I'm addicted. (Confession: my supper consisted of tomato-goat cheese quiche and a big salad with strawberries and black pepper. My supper was so classy and healthy. But then an hour later I was still hungry and made nachos. And by "nachos" I mean "mostly melted cheese, with some nacho chips underneath.")
Friday, April 17, 2009
GiST Day 76: Full of Pink Cupcakes Edition
1. Warm, sunny day. And this morning my errands involved walking to the cheese shop and buying goat cheese and a baguette. Nothing makes me feel more Parisian than walking around on a warm spring day with a baguette tucked under my arm. And what a nice way to start off a day where I threw a tea party for the old ladies at my church! (They all have birthdays at the same time.) With pink cupcakes, a strawberry mousse cake (which I did not make) and quiche!
2. That birthday party was just so fun. We had more than enough food, we managed to fit around my table, and my little old ladies had a good time (we younger ones did too). And they washed my dishes at the end! (I can't wait until I live somewhere that has a living room and dining room bigger than a postage stamp, because it really makes me happy to have people crowded around my table.)
3. I tried making quiche for the first time ever, and it worked so well! I made two: one was tomato and goat cheese with basil, and the other one was broccoli, mushroom and cheddar. I'm glad I made two, because the nine of us made them disappear quickly. I think I'm going to add quiche to my regular repertoire. (I'm sure Chris would appreciate that.)
4. Chris and I went for a drive this evening, because it was too nice out to stay inside but I was too exhausted to go walking. I don't go to see the ocean nearly often enough, and it always makes me happy.
5. We've now stayed up late (it's much later than the time stamp lets on) watching Mamma Mia! and singing along.
2. That birthday party was just so fun. We had more than enough food, we managed to fit around my table, and my little old ladies had a good time (we younger ones did too). And they washed my dishes at the end! (I can't wait until I live somewhere that has a living room and dining room bigger than a postage stamp, because it really makes me happy to have people crowded around my table.)
3. I tried making quiche for the first time ever, and it worked so well! I made two: one was tomato and goat cheese with basil, and the other one was broccoli, mushroom and cheddar. I'm glad I made two, because the nine of us made them disappear quickly. I think I'm going to add quiche to my regular repertoire. (I'm sure Chris would appreciate that.)
4. Chris and I went for a drive this evening, because it was too nice out to stay inside but I was too exhausted to go walking. I don't go to see the ocean nearly often enough, and it always makes me happy.
5. We've now stayed up late (it's much later than the time stamp lets on) watching Mamma Mia! and singing along.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
GiST Day 74: Dreaming of Strawberry Cupcakes Edition
1. On Friday I'm going to host a birthday party for all the old ladies in my church. Somehow, they all managed to have birthdays within a couple of weeks of each other, and for years we've talked about having a party for all of them together, with all the women from our church (that tiny group of us). And so I invited them all to come have a party at my house on Friday at 1:30. I don't know if we'll all fit around the dining room table, but I'm excited. It promises to be the cutest time ever.
2. I already had planned on making a quiche for the party (everyone's bringing something), but I decided that I also wanted to use up some strawberries that we have in the fridge, and bake something. And I found the perfect recipe: I'm going to make strawberry cupcakes. You puree the strawberries and so the cupcakes are pink. Pink cupcakes for a party with old ladies! And I don't even need to buy anything to make the cupcakes. There's something oddly satisfying about realising that you have all the ingredients you need for making strawberry cupcakes.
3. My brain was full of stress, as I kept putting off a million tasks, and so today I made a list of everything that I've been avoiding and I've already started crossing things off the list.
4. I really like H-Net! Andrea finally made me sign up for a few of their mailing lists, and I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. I feel way less out of the loop now. (And German history book reviews in my inbox at the end of every day!)
5. Lynnie's in Victoria! Tomorrow we're going to watch Jane Austen movies and sing about Col. Brandon's mullet (in the PBS Sense & Sensibility) in our best Hair Band Voices. Chris will be glad he's at work.
2. I already had planned on making a quiche for the party (everyone's bringing something), but I decided that I also wanted to use up some strawberries that we have in the fridge, and bake something. And I found the perfect recipe: I'm going to make strawberry cupcakes. You puree the strawberries and so the cupcakes are pink. Pink cupcakes for a party with old ladies! And I don't even need to buy anything to make the cupcakes. There's something oddly satisfying about realising that you have all the ingredients you need for making strawberry cupcakes.
3. My brain was full of stress, as I kept putting off a million tasks, and so today I made a list of everything that I've been avoiding and I've already started crossing things off the list.
4. I really like H-Net! Andrea finally made me sign up for a few of their mailing lists, and I don't know why I didn't do this ages ago. I feel way less out of the loop now. (And German history book reviews in my inbox at the end of every day!)
5. Lynnie's in Victoria! Tomorrow we're going to watch Jane Austen movies and sing about Col. Brandon's mullet (in the PBS Sense & Sensibility) in our best Hair Band Voices. Chris will be glad he's at work.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Mid-Tuesday Grace in Small Things
I was too tired to write last night, and feeling a touch whiny, and so I'll post now.
1. Nothing wrong with my kidneys, huzzah! I just got back from the doctor, and from what she can tell, it looks like I'd had a mild bladder infection last week, but I managed to knock it out of my system already with all that cranberry juice I've been guzzling, and the back pain is just my hips acting all crazy again. So no medication, no looking forward to crazy lots of pain, and all I have to look forward to is an extra trip to the chiropractor.
2. I promise to never tell you about my urinary system again. Pinkie promise, in fact.
3. This isn't so much a "small thing," but Glenn started talking on Sunday! His memory and his personality are intact, and he can now communicate. These things are huge and his family is so excited.
4. I got to talk on the phone with my grandpa today! Today is his 85th birthday. I was talking with a bit of a Norwegian accent for the next half hour after that.
5. It's fun talking with my grandma about how she's going to be a great-grandma for the first time (thanks to my cousin Ang) at the end of October. I'm glad that the first great-grandchild will be one that will live on the farm across the road from Grandma and Grandpa. (Wow: two-fifths of my Teen Girl Squad will be having babies the month that I fly to Germany. We must be grownups or something.)
1. Nothing wrong with my kidneys, huzzah! I just got back from the doctor, and from what she can tell, it looks like I'd had a mild bladder infection last week, but I managed to knock it out of my system already with all that cranberry juice I've been guzzling, and the back pain is just my hips acting all crazy again. So no medication, no looking forward to crazy lots of pain, and all I have to look forward to is an extra trip to the chiropractor.
2. I promise to never tell you about my urinary system again. Pinkie promise, in fact.
3. This isn't so much a "small thing," but Glenn started talking on Sunday! His memory and his personality are intact, and he can now communicate. These things are huge and his family is so excited.
4. I got to talk on the phone with my grandpa today! Today is his 85th birthday. I was talking with a bit of a Norwegian accent for the next half hour after that.
5. It's fun talking with my grandma about how she's going to be a great-grandma for the first time (thanks to my cousin Ang) at the end of October. I'm glad that the first great-grandchild will be one that will live on the farm across the road from Grandma and Grandpa. (Wow: two-fifths of my Teen Girl Squad will be having babies the month that I fly to Germany. We must be grownups or something.)
Friday, April 10, 2009
GiST Day 68: I Forgot Tomorrow's a Holiday Edition
1. Would you believe that I spent most of the day forgetting that tomorrow is a holiday? I can't believe I did that.
2. I love when Chris uses a trip to the cheese shop to tempt me to go for a walk on a nice day. Everybody wins! And we got pasta that was colourful and shaped like flowers.
3. I turned on the TV and it was just time for Turk doing the air band dance to "Poison" on Scrubs. That never grows old for me; it's magic every time.
4. Do you know who's my Library School hero? That would be Lynniec, who just finished a million assignments today and is now finished her first year! Huzzah!
5. Three (of many) reasons why I love Christopher: 1.) He humours my crazy whims (that's an important part of being married to me); 2.) a couple of weeks ago when How I Met Your Mother made a Teen Wolf joke, he laughed so hard that he collapsed on the floor, clutching dishes (which he'd been washing) to his stomach; 3.) thanks to all the chalk-board-writing that he does every day, he now has one arm (the right one) with Popeye-sized muscles while the left arm's all normal-sized. And it cracks him up endlessly, ever since we discovered this.
2. I love when Chris uses a trip to the cheese shop to tempt me to go for a walk on a nice day. Everybody wins! And we got pasta that was colourful and shaped like flowers.
3. I turned on the TV and it was just time for Turk doing the air band dance to "Poison" on Scrubs. That never grows old for me; it's magic every time.
4. Do you know who's my Library School hero? That would be Lynniec, who just finished a million assignments today and is now finished her first year! Huzzah!
5. Three (of many) reasons why I love Christopher: 1.) He humours my crazy whims (that's an important part of being married to me); 2.) a couple of weeks ago when How I Met Your Mother made a Teen Wolf joke, he laughed so hard that he collapsed on the floor, clutching dishes (which he'd been washing) to his stomach; 3.) thanks to all the chalk-board-writing that he does every day, he now has one arm (the right one) with Popeye-sized muscles while the left arm's all normal-sized. And it cracks him up endlessly, ever since we discovered this.
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