Back on Track and well over 50

[grace2]

trying to catch up with your posts—finally!

Good to see that school and work is off to a good start for you. We have had students on campus three weeks now—the routines are settling in, which is good. We are attempting to make positive change in and outside the classroom—have students master their studies and the school meet AYP this year. Lots of professional development and team-building going on.

We could use some cooler weather; it's been pretty hot in AZ...

[feminista]

Happy Labor Day! I remind people that we need to thank labor unions for weekends, fringe benefits, safe working environments, child labor laws. . .and even today--it was because of NYC unions celebrating the worker, and other unions in other cities joining in that after a few years, so did Congress.
A colleague is coming by in a few minutes to puck up the school and hygiene supplies I picked up for the communities that were really hard hit up route 28 into the Catskills--Margretville, Prattsville, etc. One of her grad students who lives up in Roxbury said that Main Street in M'ville will have to be torn down, and that's where most of the people did their grocery (etc.) shopping....so sad....The farms around New Paltz have also lost a lot--the farmers mkts (incl.the big one in NYC) really will show the losses. So,our damages are basically miniscule compared to the people who have lost their homes, and livelihoods. (and, we are supposed to get a few inches more of rain in the next 48 hours...arghhhhh....and there are parts of this country that really need this water)
Week two of classes...I am always amazed that my American National Government students could not pass a citizenship test, do not know what a republic is (even though they Pledged every day of elementary school and said it)...but that will change--I always say that my goal is to make involved citizens and critical thinkers so when I am rocking in my depends to Joni Mitchell, David Bowie and the Talking Heads, good policy decisions will be made...

Food today: greek yougart & fruit, roll-ups with coleslaw, chicken and broc., celery and pb for snack.

Laundry and writing next on deck
ciao

[Chris55]

Just Skyped with the kid in NP - pouring on and off. He didn't pack an umbrella - never used one here running from house to car, but he has a good raincoat and can bike over to the dining hall. He ran into town over the weekend but just to the art supply store so didn't check to see how Hugenot Street is doing. Complaining about workload in one class, not sure if he'll have time for work study. Ha! Only 5-6 hours per week is nothing, but he's still not used to juggling.

I'm glad you're helping gather supplies for the people hit by Irene. How awful to be cut off like that. Evidently VT is in pretty bad shape, too. I was just offered a deal on tomatoes that I thought I'd roast and freeze - no time/energy to get into canning, but am having second thoughts after your power outage episode. I always worry when I've filled my freezer that we'll lose power and I'll lose hundreds of dollars worth of food. Maybe I'll pass on this one....

Food isn't good yet. We went to Acadia yesterday, walked a bit. DH and DS hiked a small mountain. I couldn't find our hiking sticks (they're probably buried in the barn) so was afraid to screw up my knee coming down the mountain, so I sat and did a small watercolor in a lovely garden while they got their exercise. Then we went and had lobster stew and too many popovers. DH had 4 huge popovers and then ordered dessert. I was so bloated when we got home that I was miserable. Better this morning, but just finished off my leftover shrimp scampi pizza from Saturday night. This must stop!!

I'm trying to get food set up for the week - my schedule will be crazy. In at the shipyard to hand out flyers at 6am one day, a late-day campaign kickoff on another. So I have lined up some easy dinners - meatballs/sauce for one day (hoping to confine myself to a cup of ww pasta), a spinach/crabmeat quiche for another, taco ingredients for the night I'll be late and eating appetizers at our kickoff. Also brought some of my small containers of bean soup from the big freezer into the kitchen so I can bring them to work. Stocked up on small greek yogurts, too.

I'm trying to decide if I want to shell out money to join a YMCA. Our local one is very small, no pool. But membership gets you into any one in the state now, so I can go to the nice one near work. My old standby cheap gym, Planet Fitness, isn't really convenient. At any rate, I need to get moving somehow - pants are tight, tummy is sticking out, etc. Should have found that darn hiking stick because I really wanted to hike.

[feminista]

Rain Rain go away--to a place that has a drought and really needs you!

[feminista]

The roads flood yesterday...some spots got over 7 inches of rain--heard that if all the rain we got in the past two days was over Texas, they would have gotten 1/2 an inch over the entire state!
Food has been good. Doing a lot of walking...still not doing a lot of sleeping tho
Am about to attack the first set of papers in from my 1st year students....
Hope everyone is doing well!

[Chris55]

I made it through another busy week, so looking forward to some relaxation this weekend. Sleep hasn't been great here either. Yesterday we had our big kickoff event and I had a Starbucks at 3:30 - big mistake. I ended up awake for hours, coming down to make some herbal tea.

I did a little Total Gym yesterday morning, but eating has been difficult. I've resisted the chocolate at work, but end up bringing a lot of things to munch on to keep me from eating the chocolate, donuts, pie, ice cream, etc. Even though they're healthy snacks, I'm eating way too much of them! Pants are getting uncomfortable.

Photos of Binghamton look pretty scary. Things are still disrupted at NP. My son was all upset about a boil water order at the school. He's germophobic and was afraid to take a shower until I explained to him that it's similar to being able to swim in the lake but not drink the water. That calmed him down a bit. They do have water coolers and potable water for the kids in the dining hall and some of the classroom buildings. He has a carton of seltzer that he can drink so he'll make it through the next few days. He was going out for a bike ride this afternoon because it's finally nice out.

He got a work-study job in admissions, mostly filing and cleaning through last year's applications. Easy work and he can listen to his iPod. He's been moaning and groaning and panicking about his evolution class, but ended up with a 95 on his first assignment. Evidently the prof is great and interesting but is expecting quite a bit of reading and videos with reaction pieces for each. Since writing is his least favorite thing in the world, it's been a challenge. But I think it's good since it will whip him into shape. The rest of his classes are fairly easy so he has the time to concentrate on the one more difficult one.

DD is in Sydney staying with a very nice family, looking forward to some dance involvement, so right now I'm relieved that she's somewhere safe. It's nice to be able to concentrate on work while I'm there instead of worrying about safety of children!

The people I'm working with are really great. There are 6 of us doing the fundraising this fall in addition to the regular staff. They introduced us at the kickoff and mentioned that I'm looking for full-time work in a non-profit. I actually had chats with a few people after the event, so I'm encouraged. Next week I start meeting with my "accounts" and setting up fundraising rallies. It's going to be a roller coaster ride, but lots of fun!

[Chris55]

Off to a busy day today. Spent yesterday ironing, prepping food for the week, etc. Should have been outside having fun in the gorgeous cool weather, but DH was painting the front of the house, so I felt too guilty and cleaned instead!

Today will be my egg/bean breakfast, lunch is a quinoa salad with leftover chicken, dinner tonight is chili that's prepped and ready to put in the crockpot this morning before I head out. Now if I can just keep my hands out of the candy and goodies, I'll have a good day!

[feminista]

Hi-oy! my home computer crashed....and I am using an old one...and I have to pound at the keys (load bearing exercise for fingers?)
Its been a very very full week, and its crammed full this weekend too. Today besides being crammed with meetings--students, department & faculty, and then a late afternoon meeting at the Eleanor Roosevelt Center-- is a birthday dinner for Kate Millett,tomorrow which is my longest teaching day, is made even longer by an 8:30am appointment with the insurance adjuster for the rental house...sleep has been awful. . .
Glad to hear that DS & DD are doing well... and that you are hitting your stride...networking!!!
Food has been good for the most part--looking forward to cooler weather and oatmeal for breakfast (and tomorrow begins that cool weather)...when it is so hot and humid all I want for breakfast is cold: yougart, fruit, veggies, cold frittata...

off and meeting....
ciao

[Chris55]

Sorry to hear about your computer - just more stress added to your life! Things are very busy with me, running all over for appointments to set up fundraising rallies, trying to keep the paper under control on my desk, trying to get my computer to speak to the printer at work so I don't have to print things at home, etc. Plus the endless stream of food sitting in front of me - I missed the crab appetizer things yesterday, but today there was a new pile of candy, chips that someone finally opened, and a birthday cake.

Today I started off badly - two slices of french toast with the good bread from DS's bakery. Then some plain yogurt mid-morning for protein, leftover chili and some mini peppers with lf herb cheese for lunch, a couple of handfuls of cashews, and lots of coffee. Dinner was grilled beef, leftover zucchini, salad, and a little white rice - made it for the boys and they didn't finish it. Also a Klondike bar and a small amaretto. Not so great. But I did a 15 minute workout this morning, all I had time for before rushing out the door. My supervisors wanted to take me to a Chamber of Commerce awards reception tonight after work - thought I might want to network some more, but I bailed out and let the young girl from Wellesley go. I'm too tired at night to be coherent and make connections with people. I'll do all the breakfast meetings in the world, but this was a cocktail/dinner event with milling around while a band played, then seating and awards, a very long night. Plus it was another 20 minutes in a direction away from home. So instead I'm sitting with my cocktail and my uncomfortable shoes finally off my feet. I thought I'd break them in but that doesn't seem possible if the blister on my toe is any indication. Glad I'm not standing balancing a drink and a small plate of food while I shift from one foot to the other and try to have an intelligent conversation! I also need to get to bed early - I'm meeting with board members at 7:45 in the morning and have to have all my data and ducks in a row!

Trying to keep up with dinners here is getting challenging, especially since if I rely on DS to cook (since he's home early), we'll have a diet of 80% pasta. He likes white food - bread, cheese, pasta. I did buy some Ronzoni Smart Taste on sale on the way home so at least if I have pasta it will be healthy stuff. I'm not sure what we'll end up having tomorrow. I'm too tired to think!

[feminista]

Good a.m. Yesterday was hectic--I ended up back at Marist to meet with the Poli Sci Club at 9:15...and today is not much better, and of course, sleep: 3+ hours...I think tonight when I finally get home--10 p.m., I will break down and take a sleeping pill and call tomorrow morning a loss.

Food okay, people even said I looked like I lost weight last night...so...maybe I am off my plateau....

Hope you all have a ood day...I am off

ciao

[feminista]

Still doing the 3 hours a night sleep...and even though I tried to fall back to sleep this a.m. Sleep was elusive....will do 1/2 an ambien tonight...

LK is leaving for Iowa Monday to visit her mother (Rose will be 94 in April). Reports are that she is slipping into dementia...

Its finally cool enough to enjoy oatmeal for breakfast!!!

Back to grading

[Chris55]

Last week was a whirlwind. Glad to leave the office behind for a few days. Things are hectic - meetings, driving, phone calls, and e-mails. It's nice to be home and the weather is heavenly. Not much time outside today - cleaning, paying bills, straightening, and planning meals for the week. We have a visitor coming next Friday for the weekend, so real cleaning needs to happen!

Food has been a challenge still, but I'm trying to stick to the good stuff. I packed up a tin of nuts and Larabars to leave at work so when I'm starving mid-afternoon, I don't hit the chocolate basket. It's working so far. Three weeks and no chocolate!! I have been eating too much bread again, but will try to keep it to one serving a day.

I've been having sleep issues, too, and getting up to have crackers and tea somewhere around 2 or 3 - more carbs. It seems that I've been at work all day, come home and do the dinner rush, then spend an hour or two Skyping with DS in NP and DD in Australia. Both melting down last night at the same time. Yikes! I went to bed exhausted, slept for a few hours, and was up again. Mostly adjustment to expectations stuff for DS, and he's now alone in his room - both roommates moved - and he's a bit isolated. DD is having panic attacks about life as a dancer, but I think she's ditching her trip to scary places and getting a work visa to stay in Australia for a year. So I think that's resolved, although Christmas is going to be very different for all of us. So major amounts of stress.

Made a big pot of bean soup for one night this week. Shopped for crockpot ingredients, so hopefully dinners will go smoothly this week. I've been packing salads or soup for lunch every day along with SB snacks. Still not exercising a whole lot - wish I had time and money for the gym.

Hope your sleep improves this weekend!

[feminista]

Hi--Sleep is still something I'd like to dream about....arghhh. LK is 1/2 way to Mason City...
Yesterday after a morning at Marist, I drove down to White Plains to go to Surrogate Court to get a letter of testimentary for my father who seems to be able to earn money from the grave (now all I have to do is have another form notarized)...also ran through Bloomingdale's --wow, the fashions are similar to those of the 1980s, but the prices : oy! Even on sale, things did not dip below $100! I did meet up with one of my oldest friends who still lives nearby--her husband made a wonderful appetizer of grape tomatoes halved, fresh basil, feta, s&P and evoo, serve with pita chips.... mmmmmm.
The fundraiser at Eleanor Roosevelt's grandmother Hall's house on Sunday was interesting--the house is in quite a state of disrepair, it was last owned by a group of Estonian fishermen (!). And, it was not even in Tivoli or Dutchess County--but in Columbia County! The food & drink was all local, but a bit strange to serve...only 2 gin drinks during cocktails (no seltzer or water or cider or...) and dinner though multi coursed was heavy on sweetbreads, veal & bacon...not veggie friendly at all...but the cheeses, out of this world--a coach farm pepper cheese that was similar to a gorgonzola in look and texture. The dessert course which was 3 courses, too, made up for the sweetbreads, etc.: a melon ball of nectarine sorbet in champagne; choc. squares serve with a thick strawberry wine, and finally a choc mousse....

Off to teach...

[Chris55]

Sounds like you had a decadent dinner!! I just read in our Portland paper that FDR/Eleanor's granddaughter has just been hired as the head of Goodwill in Maine. Glad to see she inherited the gift of caring about people.

Have had another very busy week at work. I have about 30 presentations set up, have done 4 this week so far, all very small intimate settings in offices or small conference rooms with bank employees. Some very enthusiastic people, so it's been nice. I told my supervisor today that it's so nice to get up in the morning and look forward to going to work - got a big smile!! They've told me to let them know if there's anything they can do in terms of job connections/applications. We really have a great group - 5 of us, all with a lot of different experiences, but all committed to what we're doing and all on the same page politically.

Food has not been entirely beachy. I'll do well for a day or so and then it goes downhill. This week it was cake in the office - the first time I've caved in to the sweets, but it was some luscious homemade cake that my boss made, so at least I splurged on something worthwhile instead of Dunkin' Donuts!! Today the admin assts (who are mostly the ones bringing in all the sugar!) were eating huge takeout portions of fried food. Both are large ladies - no surprise there!!

Tacos tonight - quick easy dinner, with salad on the side. Tomorrow I'm doing a turkey breast - company coming for the weekend, but will try and keep to healhty foods.

[feminista]

Chris: Sounds like you have the perfect job--good people, networking, good purpose...except for the sweets...but having a job that you enjoy, and look forward to: the envy of many!
Just had a breakfast of cherry tomatoes, feta and basil--the cherry tomatoes were so TASTELESS I actually salted them. I have been having progresso light soups for lunch --easy to zap in a large cafe au lait mug and sip while talking with students (my seniors are having a hard time with their theses) dinner tonight will be a frittata.
This batch of GOP candidates were silent when the audience boo'd the gay soldier who is actively serving in Iraq--risking HIS life for their sorry butts, how shameful! The audiences have also cheered death penalty executions and the hypothetical death of an uninsured patient. The GOP has become the party of small minds and mean spirits!
I hace to go to Po'k later --its homecoming weekend, and my college boyfriend is running for a county office and has asked to have coffee to talk about his campaign (have to say I recognized his voice immediately on my answeering machine, and have only seen him a few times over the past 35+ years--that was very weird). He was very Omar Shariff looking as a young man--now...he looks like an old(er) lawyer (which he is).

well, gotta write some before I have to head across the river...
ciao