But now it's just because he's being 16.
I spoke with my mom earlier and had a voicemail from my dad this evening (I was at the school not winning Educator of the Year). Apparently, Preston is fine. At least in Preston-world. He was taken completely off the ventilator yesterday evening. He decided earlier that he needed to get up because he got it in his (just recently scrambled) mind that he should take a shower. He's not being really good about the whole just taking it easy thing. Dad said Preston was able to walk for a bit with a walker and they had him sitting up for about 10 minutes. Never thought those would sound like great things but it's pretty amazing stuff for a boy about whom on Saturday we were thinking the absolute worst. He will probably be moved out of the ICU tomorrow.
(And now that I can joke a bit about the situation, I hope the wreck knocked some sense into the boy about his choice of colleges.)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
It was all that jiving I'm sure (although the prayers and good thoughts probably helped)
Today has been a fantastic day as far as Preston updates go. There was an email this morning from Gran letting us know that Preston had had a good night and that he probably would be sedated for only another 24 hours or so.
Then there was the phone call around 1:00 from my mom letting me know that the doctors had decided to let Preston wake up which he did on his own. My dad and brother Matthew were in the room with him when he awoke and Preston mouthed/asked for his dad. He also wanted to write, which he did much to the surprise of the nurse who wouldn't give them paper because she didn't think he'd be able to write. My dad found pen and paper for him and Preston was able to scrawl questions some questions about what was going on for his dad. (Paul and I joked that if they should have given him his cell phone because he probably could have texted all the questions without looking at his hand.) They also started weening him off the ventilator and he is completely off that this evening. He's not "well" but it seems that the worst has passed.
All of the notes and emails I've received since sending out the news about Preston has been amazing. It definitely teaches me gratitude when so many people are willing to take a moment out of their day to say a quick prayer or just remember this kid and then pass the news on to other people so they'll do the same. He's a special guy to my family and the support of others is almost too overwhelming for words. My heart is so full of thanks.
Then there was the phone call around 1:00 from my mom letting me know that the doctors had decided to let Preston wake up which he did on his own. My dad and brother Matthew were in the room with him when he awoke and Preston mouthed/asked for his dad. He also wanted to write, which he did much to the surprise of the nurse who wouldn't give them paper because she didn't think he'd be able to write. My dad found pen and paper for him and Preston was able to scrawl questions some questions about what was going on for his dad. (Paul and I joked that if they should have given him his cell phone because he probably could have texted all the questions without looking at his hand.) They also started weening him off the ventilator and he is completely off that this evening. He's not "well" but it seems that the worst has passed.
All of the notes and emails I've received since sending out the news about Preston has been amazing. It definitely teaches me gratitude when so many people are willing to take a moment out of their day to say a quick prayer or just remember this kid and then pass the news on to other people so they'll do the same. He's a special guy to my family and the support of others is almost too overwhelming for words. My heart is so full of thanks.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
prayers, good thoughts, hypnotic jiving*, whatever you've got--we'll take it
This is my 16-year-old nephew Preston:
He's my oldest step-brother's son. He still calls me Scary Carrie, my brother's nickname for me after Preston was born because Preston would cry every time I held him. I remind him that I need a little respect because I changed his diapers. Paul and I tease him about going to Texas Tech rather than the University of Texas. We try to bribe him with promises of meals when we visit Tech, which doesn't sound that great at 16 but we promise him will be much welcomed at 19 or 20. We gave him a Hula Girl dashboard doll for Christmas (along with gas money). He wants to be a dentist when he grows up. He's much too cool to be around us but at the same time, he will sit and chat with us.
Preston was in a car accident yesterday afternoon when he rolled a truck he was driving for work. He's currently in the ICU at a hospital in Amarillo on a ventilator and in a medically-induced coma because of pressure on his brain. He has severe head trauma but fortunately, no spinal cord damage has been found. It's going to be a long healing process for him and we still don't know all the damage that has occurred. He's young and he's strong so he's got that going for him but he's still severely injured. But we have him and he's in one piece and all the pieces seem to be working. I truly believe in the power of prayer and it is definitely needed right now for Preston, for his parents Gene and Shawn Ann, his stepmother Lita, his sister Holliday, and the rest of the family.
*And I have no idea what "hypnotic jiving" might involve. I just wrote that as I was writing the title and now it makes me laugh every time I see it so I left it.
He's my oldest step-brother's son. He still calls me Scary Carrie, my brother's nickname for me after Preston was born because Preston would cry every time I held him. I remind him that I need a little respect because I changed his diapers. Paul and I tease him about going to Texas Tech rather than the University of Texas. We try to bribe him with promises of meals when we visit Tech, which doesn't sound that great at 16 but we promise him will be much welcomed at 19 or 20. We gave him a Hula Girl dashboard doll for Christmas (along with gas money). He wants to be a dentist when he grows up. He's much too cool to be around us but at the same time, he will sit and chat with us.Preston was in a car accident yesterday afternoon when he rolled a truck he was driving for work. He's currently in the ICU at a hospital in Amarillo on a ventilator and in a medically-induced coma because of pressure on his brain. He has severe head trauma but fortunately, no spinal cord damage has been found. It's going to be a long healing process for him and we still don't know all the damage that has occurred. He's young and he's strong so he's got that going for him but he's still severely injured. But we have him and he's in one piece and all the pieces seem to be working. I truly believe in the power of prayer and it is definitely needed right now for Preston, for his parents Gene and Shawn Ann, his stepmother Lita, his sister Holliday, and the rest of the family.
*And I have no idea what "hypnotic jiving" might involve. I just wrote that as I was writing the title and now it makes me laugh every time I see it so I left it.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Good times indeed
Paul and I had a pleasant Friday evening last night, breaking out of normal hermit routine to spend time with friends. We'd run into our neighbor last week when we were out on one of the trails near our house and invited "our new best friends" over for pizza and a game night (and we only refer to them that way jokingly in private because we're not that psychotic and we do enjoy their company; we'd like to not scare them off completely by actually using that nickname around them). Jeff was very excited about the prospect of trying out the Wii. He's been hounding Alison to get one but she wouldn't acquiese. He thought this would be a perfect opportunity to wear her down if he could get her to play it.
I think she's now a convert although it might cost Jeff new kitchen countertops after she saw mine. Between Guitar Hero and Wii sports, we all had a fantastic evening playing games. Paul and I both noted that Guitar Hero isn't as easy after a couple of drinks although we still impressed out guests by playing some of the harder songs on the beginner level. Just way until we can add the blue key in--then they'll be totally awed. We're not that good on the guitar to begin with and after three (or more) drinks, we all decided bowling was the way to go. I would like to note that I bowled a new high record of 176. It's just like real life bowling--I'm better after a few drinks.
We were also very impressed that Jub decided he almost likes our neighbors. He came downstairs and hung out with us, just out of reach of any of us of course. He didn't even yowl at the company about being in his territory. He never does that--I have friends who have been to the house a half-dozen times who have never seen the cat. I get the feeling they wonder if I just set out food and water for the cat I'd like to have. Perhaps we've turned a corner with Jub and he's going to be more social and less crabby. Like Paul and I are trying to do as well.
On a recent Sunday:
Jub is nothing if not helpful.
I think she's now a convert although it might cost Jeff new kitchen countertops after she saw mine. Between Guitar Hero and Wii sports, we all had a fantastic evening playing games. Paul and I both noted that Guitar Hero isn't as easy after a couple of drinks although we still impressed out guests by playing some of the harder songs on the beginner level. Just way until we can add the blue key in--then they'll be totally awed. We're not that good on the guitar to begin with and after three (or more) drinks, we all decided bowling was the way to go. I would like to note that I bowled a new high record of 176. It's just like real life bowling--I'm better after a few drinks.
We were also very impressed that Jub decided he almost likes our neighbors. He came downstairs and hung out with us, just out of reach of any of us of course. He didn't even yowl at the company about being in his territory. He never does that--I have friends who have been to the house a half-dozen times who have never seen the cat. I get the feeling they wonder if I just set out food and water for the cat I'd like to have. Perhaps we've turned a corner with Jub and he's going to be more social and less crabby. Like Paul and I are trying to do as well.
On a recent Sunday:
Jub is nothing if not helpful.
Monday, April 21, 2008
I won't win but still
A student just delivered an invitation to the NJHS Induction & Awards Ceremony next week with a note saying I've been nominated for Educator of the Year. In my nine years of teaching here, this is probably the seventh such note I've received. I've never won. I'm the Susan Lucci of my school.
The first couple of years, I eagerly attended the ceremony, putting on something nice and gussying up, thinking I might have a chance to win. Then I would attend but not doing much beyond freshening up my lipstick, having less confidence in the idea that I could win. The last few I've blown off attending in favor of claiming my rightful place on the couch (plus I'd heard prior who won and I didn't agree with the choice the students made--not because of sour grapes but because I didn't think it was a good choice). I'll go to this year's ceremony because I'll need to take pictures for the end-of-year video.
But I'm not dressing up.
The first couple of years, I eagerly attended the ceremony, putting on something nice and gussying up, thinking I might have a chance to win. Then I would attend but not doing much beyond freshening up my lipstick, having less confidence in the idea that I could win. The last few I've blown off attending in favor of claiming my rightful place on the couch (plus I'd heard prior who won and I didn't agree with the choice the students made--not because of sour grapes but because I didn't think it was a good choice). I'll go to this year's ceremony because I'll need to take pictures for the end-of-year video.
But I'm not dressing up.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Finished Product
Here are the "After" pictures from the remodel. I'm very pleased with the end results--definitely worth all the hassle. I took it as a high compliment when a coworker who was at the house on Tuesday asked if I'd had a designer help me with my new furniture selections, tile choice, etc. I've had another friend ask me the same thing after visiting a friend's house that did use a professional designer. I guess the countless hours of HGTV, looking at catalogs and magazines, and stealing ideas from friends who can use designers has paid off. (I didn't do a very good job of staging the pictures though. Please ignore all the stuff that come with actually living in a place.)
One more remodel picture. A little Southern ingenuity on doing dishes in the downstairs bathroom--use a sweater dryer for the dishes. Oh, yes. Someday we'll look back on all this and laugh.
The finished kitchen. I guess I did have help choosing the tiles although the remodeling consultant really sat back and let me decide, offering a few suggestions but not many. That's why it took so long to make a final decision--I had to mull through all these choices before I settled on these. I had taken the doors off the cabinet over the microwave when I had all my cookbooks there. Now, because there are only a few left in there and the rest of the cabinet has been reclaimed as dish space, I put the doors back on. Putting the matching pulls on is on today's honey-do list.
A close-up of the finished counter and backsplash. The contractor did a fantastic job with the tile and the little finish details like the finish tile on the edges of the tile.
The new sink and bar area. We reused our old faucet much to the chagrin of the remodeling consultant. He wasn't sure I'd like the old faucet with all the new surroundings. I like it and think it looks fine here.
A close-up of my fabulous new sink. The right side is 11 inches deep while the left side is 9 inches deep. 
Looking into the living room from the hallway. I'm positively thrilled with the end results of taking out the windows. It is such a nicer light in here--proof that it really is possible to have too many windows in a space.
Another view of the living room, this one from the dining room.
Our new chair and ottoman. It was delivered earlier in the year.
Looking into the dining room from the living room. I like our new cabinet. It's a darker wood than I'd anticipated but very pretty especially against the red wall. I love the tin tiles and since I put our Nambe pieces and some silver picture frames in the cabinet, I thought it looked nice with them hanging like that.
A closer-up view of the cabinet and tiles.
An even closer-up of the picture on the bottom shelf. I found this picture at an antique store when we were in Kansas in December and it amused me enough that I had to buy it--four farmboys from Kansas on the beach of Santa Monica, CA in the early 1900's.
So, that is it. One more big project that is finished. I haven't figured out the next project I'd like to tackle next around the house. I'm sure there will be something. There is always something. . . .
One more remodel picture. A little Southern ingenuity on doing dishes in the downstairs bathroom--use a sweater dryer for the dishes. Oh, yes. Someday we'll look back on all this and laugh.
The finished kitchen. I guess I did have help choosing the tiles although the remodeling consultant really sat back and let me decide, offering a few suggestions but not many. That's why it took so long to make a final decision--I had to mull through all these choices before I settled on these. I had taken the doors off the cabinet over the microwave when I had all my cookbooks there. Now, because there are only a few left in there and the rest of the cabinet has been reclaimed as dish space, I put the doors back on. Putting the matching pulls on is on today's honey-do list.
A close-up of the finished counter and backsplash. The contractor did a fantastic job with the tile and the little finish details like the finish tile on the edges of the tile.
The new sink and bar area. We reused our old faucet much to the chagrin of the remodeling consultant. He wasn't sure I'd like the old faucet with all the new surroundings. I like it and think it looks fine here.
A close-up of my fabulous new sink. The right side is 11 inches deep while the left side is 9 inches deep. 
Looking into the living room from the hallway. I'm positively thrilled with the end results of taking out the windows. It is such a nicer light in here--proof that it really is possible to have too many windows in a space.
Another view of the living room, this one from the dining room.
Our new chair and ottoman. It was delivered earlier in the year.
Looking into the dining room from the living room. I like our new cabinet. It's a darker wood than I'd anticipated but very pretty especially against the red wall. I love the tin tiles and since I put our Nambe pieces and some silver picture frames in the cabinet, I thought it looked nice with them hanging like that.
A closer-up view of the cabinet and tiles.
An even closer-up of the picture on the bottom shelf. I found this picture at an antique store when we were in Kansas in December and it amused me enough that I had to buy it--four farmboys from Kansas on the beach of Santa Monica, CA in the early 1900's.
So, that is it. One more big project that is finished. I haven't figured out the next project I'd like to tackle next around the house. I'm sure there will be something. There is always something. . . .
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Why, yes, we do realize we're dorks
Donna sent me this lolcat:
see more crazy cat pics
When Paul and I got to the back of the church as a newly-minted married couple, we did our own Wonder Twins routine, touching wedding rings and exclaiming, "Wonder Twin powers, activate! Form of a married couple! Form of Paul & Carrie!" because we're nerdy like that. Hey, if Grape Ape or Hong Kong Phooey or Captain Caveman had had some cool slogan involving rings, we would have been doing that back there. There have been many many times in the past 8 1/2 years that I've been thankful we don't have the Wonder Twin telepathic powers--it's just better that Paul wasn't reading my mind although I'm fairly certain he knew *exactly* what I was thinking.
And I'll take Jub over Gleek any day. He's enough comic relief and not nearly as troublesome as a blue space monkey might be.
see more crazy cat pics
When Paul and I got to the back of the church as a newly-minted married couple, we did our own Wonder Twins routine, touching wedding rings and exclaiming, "Wonder Twin powers, activate! Form of a married couple! Form of Paul & Carrie!" because we're nerdy like that. Hey, if Grape Ape or Hong Kong Phooey or Captain Caveman had had some cool slogan involving rings, we would have been doing that back there. There have been many many times in the past 8 1/2 years that I've been thankful we don't have the Wonder Twin telepathic powers--it's just better that Paul wasn't reading my mind although I'm fairly certain he knew *exactly* what I was thinking.
And I'll take Jub over Gleek any day. He's enough comic relief and not nearly as troublesome as a blue space monkey might be.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Weekend Recap
The conference was great and I'm really glad I went. I hate the term "network" but I know that's what I was doing--catching up with people I know and like, getting fantastic new ideas to try in my library, and generally walking away from the conference feeling with a good feeling about my job and how I hope to improve it. The keynote speaker for Friday wasn't able to make it because of the American Airlines debacle. Fortunately, he's technologically inclined and was able to do a podcast for the group on the pros and cons of Wikipedia. I would love to have heard him speak as just the podcast was pretty dynamic. It was also nice to know that I've been teaching the use of Wikipedia correctly (as a good site to use as a starting point for information and for the external links but definitely not as the expert site).
During the morning on Friday, I was manning the ASL-SIG booth and flipping through a catalog for a book vendor. I started chatting with the book rep at the booth, explaining that I do use them every year and really like my rep and the company. Another book rep came over and started chatting with us. He lives in Rio Rancho and through the course of conversation, I mentioned the church we attend and my inlaws' names. Come to find out, that rep went to school with my MIL in Louisville and Wamego. Reva was his 4-H leader. He asked about Paul's aunt and uncle. He and my inlaws have been in and out of touch over the years but he gave me his card with his phone number to pass along. Small world.
I got home on Friday evening after a horrible drive home. I managed to drive both to and from Cruces with a headwind and Friday's was especially rotten. One of those ones where you have to hang on the entire time and I held my breath any time I drove over a bridge. Not because I thought I'd go over the edge but all those "gusty winds" signs and the flapping wind socks did nothing to deter that thought. I promise the best thing about the drive was stopping at the Border Patrol check-point outside of Las Cruces and being asked if I was a U.S. citizen. Because I look so foreign. I'm sure it's just a standard question asked of all drivers but really. I wanted to ask if it was a trick question but simply replied "Yes." (Paul said I should have answered "Si") and headed back into the nasty gusty wind. 230 miles and 3/4 of a tank later (I'm not going figure out that gas mileage), I finally made it home.
Happily, all the inside construction was finished on Friday. I spent most of the day yesterday doing all kinds of cleaning--getting all the construction gunk out of every nook and cranny of the house. I could probably call in Merry Maids to get the gunk I missed--I gave up out before cleaning out the inside of cabinets and drawers that probably need to be cleaned. But I LOVE the new countertops and tile. Alan did a fantastic job with the tile work. I wrote him a nice thank you before I left and Paul bought a gift card to a local restaurant to put in it. Alan will be back at some point in time because the stucco still isn't finished. We haven't had rain in two months then we scheduled outdoor work. Oh well--as I said before, that doesn't bother me much because I don't see it. Pictures are forthcoming. It seems that the camera is never on the same floor as I am and as Paul is currently vacuuming the stairs, I don't want to interrupt his work.
Today has been a lazy day for both of us. Finishing up the laundry and that sort of thing. We finally finished and e-filed our taxes. We knew we'd owe money so we weren't in a hurry to get that done any earlier than need be. Paul leaves tomorrow for a week-long conference near L.A. and I've got a few little things going on during the week to keep me busy. A good weekend followed by a hopefully good week.
During the morning on Friday, I was manning the ASL-SIG booth and flipping through a catalog for a book vendor. I started chatting with the book rep at the booth, explaining that I do use them every year and really like my rep and the company. Another book rep came over and started chatting with us. He lives in Rio Rancho and through the course of conversation, I mentioned the church we attend and my inlaws' names. Come to find out, that rep went to school with my MIL in Louisville and Wamego. Reva was his 4-H leader. He asked about Paul's aunt and uncle. He and my inlaws have been in and out of touch over the years but he gave me his card with his phone number to pass along. Small world.
I got home on Friday evening after a horrible drive home. I managed to drive both to and from Cruces with a headwind and Friday's was especially rotten. One of those ones where you have to hang on the entire time and I held my breath any time I drove over a bridge. Not because I thought I'd go over the edge but all those "gusty winds" signs and the flapping wind socks did nothing to deter that thought. I promise the best thing about the drive was stopping at the Border Patrol check-point outside of Las Cruces and being asked if I was a U.S. citizen. Because I look so foreign. I'm sure it's just a standard question asked of all drivers but really. I wanted to ask if it was a trick question but simply replied "Yes." (Paul said I should have answered "Si") and headed back into the nasty gusty wind. 230 miles and 3/4 of a tank later (I'm not going figure out that gas mileage), I finally made it home.
Happily, all the inside construction was finished on Friday. I spent most of the day yesterday doing all kinds of cleaning--getting all the construction gunk out of every nook and cranny of the house. I could probably call in Merry Maids to get the gunk I missed--I gave up out before cleaning out the inside of cabinets and drawers that probably need to be cleaned. But I LOVE the new countertops and tile. Alan did a fantastic job with the tile work. I wrote him a nice thank you before I left and Paul bought a gift card to a local restaurant to put in it. Alan will be back at some point in time because the stucco still isn't finished. We haven't had rain in two months then we scheduled outdoor work. Oh well--as I said before, that doesn't bother me much because I don't see it. Pictures are forthcoming. It seems that the camera is never on the same floor as I am and as Paul is currently vacuuming the stairs, I don't want to interrupt his work.
Today has been a lazy day for both of us. Finishing up the laundry and that sort of thing. We finally finished and e-filed our taxes. We knew we'd owe money so we weren't in a hurry to get that done any earlier than need be. Paul leaves tomorrow for a week-long conference near L.A. and I've got a few little things going on during the week to keep me busy. A good weekend followed by a hopefully good week.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Conference Day 2
Today was the first full day of the conference and so far, I'm really glad I came. That is, I was after I finally found a parking spot today. I don't have a map of the NMSU campus but I figured there had to be a lot for commuter students (I wasn't going to attempt to find a spot in one of the 10 or so spots universities reserve for visitors). After much driving around and much avoiding of college students who just walk or ride wherever forgetting that I'm in a car, I was able to find some big lot which was convenient to the conference location. If it was the commuter lot, NMSU students don't realize how good they've got it. Tech and UNM both have their lots at the far nether regions of the campus so it's a hike to get to class.
There wasn't anything in the first session of the morning that really grabbed my attention so I spent most of the morning in the exhibit hall talking with book vendors and visiting with librarian friends who had come down. I never have a chance to just visit with these peers when we're back in ABQ--we do our own thing in our own schools, possibly seeing each other at the monthly library inservices but we never get a chance to just visit. The two afternoon sessions I attended have given me quite a few ideas to take back to school. I just hope my coworkers are receptive to collaborating and actually using me as a resource. So far, I haven't had much luck. Maybe with these ideas, I'll be better able to armed to convince them to do this.
I was invited to dinner at La Posta in Old Mesilla tonight by two of my books reps, a married couple that I really enjoy working with. There were two other librarians at dinner as well--one from Rio Rancho and another from Espanola. The one from Espanola had worked in Felt, OK, years ago--before my days of knowing people in Felt but not many people have even heard of that place much less lived there. We had a nice visit and it's always great to be able to visit with peers and bounce ideas around.
Tomorrow starts off with a breakfast meeting and I'm interested in the keynote speaker's talk on Wikipedia after that. After lunch, I have to choose between two sessions both led by other ABQ librarians that I know, like, and respect their work. Then it's back home again to my hopefully completed kitchen and my husband and my cat.
There wasn't anything in the first session of the morning that really grabbed my attention so I spent most of the morning in the exhibit hall talking with book vendors and visiting with librarian friends who had come down. I never have a chance to just visit with these peers when we're back in ABQ--we do our own thing in our own schools, possibly seeing each other at the monthly library inservices but we never get a chance to just visit. The two afternoon sessions I attended have given me quite a few ideas to take back to school. I just hope my coworkers are receptive to collaborating and actually using me as a resource. So far, I haven't had much luck. Maybe with these ideas, I'll be better able to armed to convince them to do this.
I was invited to dinner at La Posta in Old Mesilla tonight by two of my books reps, a married couple that I really enjoy working with. There were two other librarians at dinner as well--one from Rio Rancho and another from Espanola. The one from Espanola had worked in Felt, OK, years ago--before my days of knowing people in Felt but not many people have even heard of that place much less lived there. We had a nice visit and it's always great to be able to visit with peers and bounce ideas around.
Tomorrow starts off with a breakfast meeting and I'm interested in the keynote speaker's talk on Wikipedia after that. After lunch, I have to choose between two sessions both led by other ABQ librarians that I know, like, and respect their work. Then it's back home again to my hopefully completed kitchen and my husband and my cat.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Coming to you live from Las Cruces
I'm currently in Las Cruces for the annual NMLA conference. I drove down this morning and will be here until Friday afternoon. This is the first time I've actually been to Las Cruces. I've driven through once on our way to Houston. So far, my impression of Las Cruces is that it's windy, dusty, and not well marked. Actually, it might be well-marked. I just couldn't see it for all the dust blowing.
When I was telling my student aides yesterday that I wouldn't be at school the rest of the week, one asked me what a bunch of librarians discuss--"I've got books. You've got books. Read books." Not quite but kind of. When I started explaining to them the types of sessions I would be attending, they didn't seem at all interested. This afternoon, I attended a session on repairing and preservation of books and a/v materials. The other sessions I plan on attending cover collaboration with classroom teachers, using graphic novels, lessons using Internet sites--generally stuff I find interesting and important but to a 13-year-old, probably not the niftiest thing going.
The conference is being held on the campus of NMSU. I feel old walking across a college campus. I mean, I can remember being 19 years old and walking across campus on my way to class. Until times like this, I forget I'm not 19 anymore. Or even 25. I'm an "ancient" 33 years old. But for the next two days, I'm going to try to look like the coolest old person I can be.
When I was telling my student aides yesterday that I wouldn't be at school the rest of the week, one asked me what a bunch of librarians discuss--"I've got books. You've got books. Read books." Not quite but kind of. When I started explaining to them the types of sessions I would be attending, they didn't seem at all interested. This afternoon, I attended a session on repairing and preservation of books and a/v materials. The other sessions I plan on attending cover collaboration with classroom teachers, using graphic novels, lessons using Internet sites--generally stuff I find interesting and important but to a 13-year-old, probably not the niftiest thing going.
The conference is being held on the campus of NMSU. I feel old walking across a college campus. I mean, I can remember being 19 years old and walking across campus on my way to class. Until times like this, I forget I'm not 19 anymore. Or even 25. I'm an "ancient" 33 years old. But for the next two days, I'm going to try to look like the coolest old person I can be.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Remodel Day Something: No news is no news
Nothing to report again today. It's like the horror stories you hear about contractors just taking off and never hearing from them again. Except I've heard from Alan both days I haven't seen him. So maybe it's nothing like that aside from the kitchen and dining room being a disheveled mess. Alan called this afternoon to let me know that the tile didn't come in today but hopefully it would be in tomorrow. The plan is to finish things up Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I've got to give him a call tomorrow to let him know that the road in front of our house is being resurfaced on Wednesday. Of course. Hopefully he'll be able to either bring the tile saw by tomorrow afternoon or park at the corner on Wednesday morning to make it a bit easier.
My new bookcase was delivered this afternoon. It is currently in it's packing crate in the garage as I needed to repaint the dining room wall to touch up some spots left when I took down the shelves. I'd planned to get that done this weekend but I ended up making a quick trip to Amarillo to see my step-grandmother. I'm not as close to my step-grandparents as I'd like or as most expect after 30 years for a variety of reasons. Family dynamics are a funny thing, especially when it comes to blended families. But she is still my Granny and I really felt I needed to go after talking to my sister Amy on Friday evening. Granny has had COPD for the better part of a decade and was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm on her esophagus last week. The family was all in this weekend to see her. For her peace, I do hope the end isn't too far away because it is heartbreaking to see her so frail. But on the other hand, it's hard to see the same sadness on my dad's face this weekend that Paul and I saw on his mom's face not too many months ago. I told Paul that this is what I was dreading--we lose one grandparent and then we start losing all of them. Thankfully, all the others seem to be doing OK given their ages and various ailments. I know that we are extremely fortunate to have any grandparents at our age and I'm selfish enough to want to keep them all around for a while longer.
My new bookcase was delivered this afternoon. It is currently in it's packing crate in the garage as I needed to repaint the dining room wall to touch up some spots left when I took down the shelves. I'd planned to get that done this weekend but I ended up making a quick trip to Amarillo to see my step-grandmother. I'm not as close to my step-grandparents as I'd like or as most expect after 30 years for a variety of reasons. Family dynamics are a funny thing, especially when it comes to blended families. But she is still my Granny and I really felt I needed to go after talking to my sister Amy on Friday evening. Granny has had COPD for the better part of a decade and was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm on her esophagus last week. The family was all in this weekend to see her. For her peace, I do hope the end isn't too far away because it is heartbreaking to see her so frail. But on the other hand, it's hard to see the same sadness on my dad's face this weekend that Paul and I saw on his mom's face not too many months ago. I told Paul that this is what I was dreading--we lose one grandparent and then we start losing all of them. Thankfully, all the others seem to be doing OK given their ages and various ailments. I know that we are extremely fortunate to have any grandparents at our age and I'm selfish enough to want to keep them all around for a while longer.
Friday, April 4, 2008
LOLWife iz in ur offis makin bad joks
Paul is out of town until Sunday afternoon. When he gets home, he'll find this in his office:
Ceiling cat is now watching over Paul.
I was working this during 7th period, much to the amusement of my two aides. I am most definitely not a visual-spatial learner--students frequently ask me to help them with origami in the library and all I can tell them is that I am the single worst origami folder they will ever find. This little project took me the better part of the 45-minute period. I couldn't figure out the ears for the life of me. But I did it and I'm quite proud of myself.
Paul might not be giggling when he finds it, but I most definitely will be.
I saw ceiling cat at suburban bliss and the template is at Tubbypaws.
Ceiling cat is now watching over Paul.I was working this during 7th period, much to the amusement of my two aides. I am most definitely not a visual-spatial learner--students frequently ask me to help them with origami in the library and all I can tell them is that I am the single worst origami folder they will ever find. This little project took me the better part of the 45-minute period. I couldn't figure out the ears for the life of me. But I did it and I'm quite proud of myself.
Paul might not be giggling when he finds it, but I most definitely will be.
I saw ceiling cat at suburban bliss and the template is at Tubbypaws.
Remodel Days 9 & 10: Almost there
There was no update yesterday because after a little lovefest over the work that was completed, I wandered down to a neighbor's house to join some of the other neighbor ladies for cocktail hour. That ended up lasting through dinner and a movie. It was a pleasant way to spend an evening.
Yesterday, our lovely contractor was able to grout the tile behind the sink (the Day 8 picture) and hooked up the sink and the dishwasher. It was the first time I've seen large expanses of the countertop uncovered and it is exactly what I wanted and had hoped to see. (My across-the-street neighbor said she'd looked at the slabs before they took them in and confirmed that the color was "very nice." I take that as a high compliment from her.) When I was talking with my neighbors yesterday and describing the new countertops, one of the ladies said that she had been looking at probably the same countertop for her kitchen and she hoped I didn't mind. Not at all--if anything, I think it confirms that I've got good taste in countertops.
I spoke with the contractor this morning when he called to let me know that he would not be in today. He will be back on Monday with the rest of the tile and would possibly get through that task then. So, it's getting there. A few days longer than we'd planned but nothing too terribly long and delayed. I think the contractor would have been back on Monday or Tuesday anyway so as to be around for the stucco guys to finish. And then, apparently, it's cocktail hour at my house so the neighbors can nose around and see what we did.
Semi-related to the remodel: I've been looking for a new piece of furniture to put in our dining area. Currently, there are three 4' floating shelves on the dining area wall and while I like them, I've discovered that it's not exactly what I was wanting or needing in there. I'd envisioned using them as a bar area when people are over. Yeah. That never happened. It ends up that the shelves are just places to display pretties and not quite the storage I need. Because it's not a very big space, I was limited on how deep the furniture could be. I really didn't want anything over 12" deep. I found this piece in a Sundance Catalog that I LOVE but my husband started getting all stingy with the money. Something about spending a whole lot on kitchen countertops and we just got a new couch and that's not even really old just made to look old and why does it cost so much and mutter mutter mutter. . .
Last week, I got an email that there was 20% off orders at Ballard Designs. I had been flirting with the idea of ordering this bookcase which has a more husband-friendly price in honey. The discount covered the cost of shipping plus a little more so everyone was happy. While I was still a bit hesitant to press the "Order" button--after all, I have spent a pretty penny on furniture and remodel lately--Donna has no problem spending my money and started going on about nice furniture being an investment, have this piece forever, blah, blah, blah. And she's right. It will be one of those pieces that can easily roam around a house from room to room. (I wish she'd been around to try this line on Paul about the Sundance piece.) I got a call from the truck delivery service that the bookcase will be delivered on Monday afternoon during the convenient time of 1:00 until 5:00. I'm gone three days next week for my conference so I'm hoping Paul can hang out at the house. Because I'm fairly certain that it's not appropriate to ask the lovely contractor to sign for our new furniture.
Yesterday, our lovely contractor was able to grout the tile behind the sink (the Day 8 picture) and hooked up the sink and the dishwasher. It was the first time I've seen large expanses of the countertop uncovered and it is exactly what I wanted and had hoped to see. (My across-the-street neighbor said she'd looked at the slabs before they took them in and confirmed that the color was "very nice." I take that as a high compliment from her.) When I was talking with my neighbors yesterday and describing the new countertops, one of the ladies said that she had been looking at probably the same countertop for her kitchen and she hoped I didn't mind. Not at all--if anything, I think it confirms that I've got good taste in countertops.
I spoke with the contractor this morning when he called to let me know that he would not be in today. He will be back on Monday with the rest of the tile and would possibly get through that task then. So, it's getting there. A few days longer than we'd planned but nothing too terribly long and delayed. I think the contractor would have been back on Monday or Tuesday anyway so as to be around for the stucco guys to finish. And then, apparently, it's cocktail hour at my house so the neighbors can nose around and see what we did.
Semi-related to the remodel: I've been looking for a new piece of furniture to put in our dining area. Currently, there are three 4' floating shelves on the dining area wall and while I like them, I've discovered that it's not exactly what I was wanting or needing in there. I'd envisioned using them as a bar area when people are over. Yeah. That never happened. It ends up that the shelves are just places to display pretties and not quite the storage I need. Because it's not a very big space, I was limited on how deep the furniture could be. I really didn't want anything over 12" deep. I found this piece in a Sundance Catalog that I LOVE but my husband started getting all stingy with the money. Something about spending a whole lot on kitchen countertops and we just got a new couch and that's not even really old just made to look old and why does it cost so much and mutter mutter mutter. . .
Last week, I got an email that there was 20% off orders at Ballard Designs. I had been flirting with the idea of ordering this bookcase which has a more husband-friendly price in honey. The discount covered the cost of shipping plus a little more so everyone was happy. While I was still a bit hesitant to press the "Order" button--after all, I have spent a pretty penny on furniture and remodel lately--Donna has no problem spending my money and started going on about nice furniture being an investment, have this piece forever, blah, blah, blah. And she's right. It will be one of those pieces that can easily roam around a house from room to room. (I wish she'd been around to try this line on Paul about the Sundance piece.) I got a call from the truck delivery service that the bookcase will be delivered on Monday afternoon during the convenient time of 1:00 until 5:00. I'm gone three days next week for my conference so I'm hoping Paul can hang out at the house. Because I'm fairly certain that it's not appropriate to ask the lovely contractor to sign for our new furniture.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Remodel Day 8: Much Better
So, I greeted our lovely contractor Alan this morning with the ominous "You're not going to be happy with me." And it's not that he's unhappy with me but I'm certain he is understandably frustrated with me and the remodeling consultant. I explained my position--I think Alan did a fabulous job with the tile work but I misunderstand what the RC had planned and I didn't like the tile placement at all. I understand was the RC was thinking but it just didn't look right to me--the rosettes should be centered on the tile not evenly spaced on the wall which is what the RC was doing.
Fortuitously, the construction supervisor happened to be stopping by our house this morning. He is the one who is responsible for checking on construction sites, fixing any problems happened, and dealing with distressed homeowners such as me. I called work to let them know I would be late this morning and stuck around until he arrived. And I told him my position adding in at Alan's request that this was originally scheduled to be done while I was still at home and could have yayed or nayed the progress at that time but because of the delay in countertops, that didn't happen.
We discussed the options--the original thing we'd agreed on which was to have the complete tile on the bottom and cut the needed width off the top tile. The other option, which we were originally told would cost more, would be to cut the equal parts off of top and bottom of both rows of tiles. I said I would be satisfied with either one--and I honestly think either would have looked fine--and by then, I needed to head to work.
As I was driving to work, Paul called to say that he and the supervisor agreed that it would look better to cut the equal widths off the tiles. Much, much better:
Fortuitously, the construction supervisor happened to be stopping by our house this morning. He is the one who is responsible for checking on construction sites, fixing any problems happened, and dealing with distressed homeowners such as me. I called work to let them know I would be late this morning and stuck around until he arrived. And I told him my position adding in at Alan's request that this was originally scheduled to be done while I was still at home and could have yayed or nayed the progress at that time but because of the delay in countertops, that didn't happen.
We discussed the options--the original thing we'd agreed on which was to have the complete tile on the bottom and cut the needed width off the top tile. The other option, which we were originally told would cost more, would be to cut the equal parts off of top and bottom of both rows of tiles. I said I would be satisfied with either one--and I honestly think either would have looked fine--and by then, I needed to head to work.
As I was driving to work, Paul called to say that he and the supervisor agreed that it would look better to cut the equal widths off the tiles. Much, much better:
Of course, the bulk of the tile had to be reordered and I haven't heard when that will be delivered so this can be finished. Because it's not loads of tile, there is a possibility that it can be overnighted. Not sure how much that will cost. . . . When this is all done, we will definitely do something very, very nice for our lovely, and patient, contractor.
UPDATE @ 5:00ish: I spoke with Alan who let me know that the tile will be in on Friday and he will work on Monday and Tuesday to finish it. I leave town on Wednesday for a conference. I just hope we have water in the kitchen before I leave so Paul will stop grousing.
Oh, and the primer coat of stucco was also applied today. It's about a 5-day wait until they can apply the top coat.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Remodel Day 7: :(
The tile work was started today. I was very excited to see it when I got home. Until I saw it.
(Bad picture because it was easier to take it with my cell phone than do the whole camera rigmarole). Shouldn't the embossed rosettes be centered on the tiles? That's what I'm thinking. I'm not sure who is going to have to pay for this mistake because I don't know whose mistake it is. I don't know if I didn't understand our remodel consultant and what he was explaining about the tile cuts when I agreed to it, if our lovely contractor Alan didn't understand the tile cuts when he was doing them, or if the RC was just insane when he laid this out but it doesn't look right in my opinion.
A big fat sigh. . .
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