Celebrating Memorial Day.......

Remembering those who sacrificed for all of us.....

My Dad is buried in the National Cemetery in Ft Sam Houston, in San Antonio.  I've visited the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, it's quite interesting if you're ever in the area.  It's a bit overwhelming to go to one, it really hits home when you see all of the headstones.  They are not forgotten as long as they live in our memories.......

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We aren't doing much this weekend, other than a barbecue.  Might need some valium for the dog though, as folks around here seem to enjoy shooting off fireworks for any reason.  Not sure how much sleep we'll get Monday night, and of course I have work on Tuesday morning.  I'll be taking coffee on the way to work instead of waiting until I get there, haha.

We actually had rain !! the first we've had in months.  I was visiting a friend, and we were sitting out on her patio when a few sprinkles began to fall, the rain became heavier along with hail....this is when we booked it back into the house.  The hail started small at pea sized and moved up to marble sized....this is a picture of her hammock, but it was warm and by the time I took the picture some had melted...

The next day, taking a walk at lunchtime......

Typical weather in Albuquerque.....

Enjoy your weekend!  

Love, 365

Fighting the good fight......

Georgia O'Keeffe's house

Yesterday I discovered that with no chores to do, and no classwork going on, and an aversion to shopping just for something to do ~ I experienced boredom in a way I haven't in a long while.  Not that I think that housework is a fun way to fill the hours, haha.  But I was bored.  I had no interest in watching the royal wedding, although I did watch the Preakness race (wow, all of two minutes). 

 I pulled out a paint by numbers kit I ordered, which may have been a big mistake because there are apparently hundreds of tiny little areas....I might never finish the darn thing, and I just started it.   If I had known it was coming from China, I would never had ordered it.  It's really too bad they don't have someone who writes and speaks English on board ~ for example: "you can espress the object's special sese of quality".  Or how about "The pigment is rapid drying.  Make sure the lid is off when you don't use it", lol.  Or "there maybe some discrepancy of the colors between the reference picture and the products".  Well, that's just lovely.  

This is only 1/3 of the size....

So after a wishy washy start on that headache, I registered for a free class offered through Harvard on Egyptian culture & history.

I could pay $100 for a certificate, but as it doesn't give me any college credits, why would I?  It is fun though, I've always loved the pharaohs and pyramids and art of ancient Egypt.  Plus it's a self paced course, so it doesn't really matter how long it takes me.  

One of these days I'll get back into stained glass art too.  It's been a long time, and I have a few design ideas.  

I hope you have a great weekend......

Love, 365

Enjoying the Sparkle......

Oh, yeah.....

This house is clean!  The cleaning crew arrived only a few minutes past the designated time, and after a quick tour, immediately started cleaning.  I did ask them to clean the office first, but I cooled my jets reading the latest Outdoor magazine (it has been so long since I've just read a magazine, it was fabulous).  

Now I know why people leave while the crew is cleaning.  It's très awkward, sitting there while other people are busy.  I mentioned not to let the dog in, but one thing I forgot was the door in the master bedroom which is tied shut...because there is no deck to step out onto, it's a 20 foot plunge to the concrete patio.  Sheesh, how could I forget that?  I heard the door open and nearly had heart failure. 

And the result of their efforts came close to exceeding my expectations.  My only criticism was that the mop they used on the kitchen isn't good enough to get up all the dog drool.  I use a microfiber mop on it, and will get it out for them the next time.  

Oh yeah, there will be a next time, unless the school closes and Romeo has to apply for other teaching positions.  He did receive his test results ~ he is still working on his provisional license and has one more test and a portfolio to submit before receiving his final teaching license.  Since math teachers are hard to find, he is not concerned about finding a new position ~ but still, I don't really like assuming anything.  Murphy, you know.  He puts the kibosh on your plans as often as he can.

I am looking forward to enjoying the weekend....no mopping or dusting for me!  Yay!

Love, 365

Time on my hands.....for a change

Lavender farm in Albuquerque

Well, it's my every other Friday off, and I'm doing a little preparation for the house cleaning service this afternoon.  I'm hoping I have enough time after racquetball to shower before they arrive, because I don't look very attractive after 2 hours of play.  I would have preferred that they come on the Friday I work, because there's a slight guilt factor going on in that I'm off today, and have time to clean my own house ~ I have to keep reminding myself that this is my Mother's Day present.

Truly, I'm not doing much.  I loaded the dishwasher, washed the sheets (because they'll make the bed too, and I'm all about getting as much accomplished through them as possible), picked up some stuff I thought I should put away ~ like the Christmas decor Romeo left on a chair in his office, good grief.  

But, as I'm not leaving while they do the deed ~ which I'm sure they prefer ~ I'm asking that they clean my office first, then hang out in here while the rest is being done.  Romeo is not a big fan of having strangers in the house.  It doesn't really matter that they are bonded and insured.  How do you replace the earrings Romeo bought me for my birthday?  It just can't be done.  I'm under no illusions that this could happen while I'm here though.  I guess I'm just paranoid and untrusting these days.  Perhaps it's not a bad thing.  Besides, I have to put the dog out. If this works out (you know, white glove treatment by me, and I have pretty high standards) we'll have them come once a month.  

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Having said that, Romeo texted me yesterday at work that Albuquerque Public Schools had a meeting this week, and they may close the school Romeo works at.  So, he might be looking for work this summer, but thankfully he'll be paid and insured.  Supposedly they'll find out in June.  If that does happen, then I will be cancelling the monthly cleaning service if I end up liking their work.

I'm not sure that I would recommend anyone become a teacher these days.  The pay sucks.  The job is stressful and mostly unsatisfying.  I read a story (on FB, so suspect, lol) of a teacher who posted a picture of her paycheck and said "I got a degree for this???".  Of course, you can't tell me that she didn't already know.  I'm sure that at some time someone mentioned that the pay scale sucks.  So although I appreciate her complaint, I don't buy it.  She's probably comparing her pay to a college friend who, after a year or so, could afford to buy a house, or take a nice vacation.  Most teachers work during the summer, or work two jobs.  Romeo can afford to work for the crappy pay because it's supplemented by his social security checks.  You've seen the teacher strikes and protests on the news, right?  

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In the meantime, my job is going well.  There's a little drama, but nothing that concerns me, and there is nothing I can do to fix it ~ so, there's that.  My boss is off next week, and I'm taking off on Tuesday.  Although there's no lack of shit to do ~ it seems like I'm always catching up ~ the best time to take a day or two off is when the boss is gone.  Now, I just gotta figure out what to do.......

Love, 365

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there.....

I will be calling my own Mom today.....it is times like this when I wish I didn't live so far away.  It would be so easy then, buying some flowers and spending the day.   

Do you ever buy your own gifts?  Romeo loves when I do......although quite talented in a lot of ways, gift buying has always knocked him for a loop.  He's so appreciative when I take that chore out of his hands!  This year.......I hired a company to clean the house, and may contract them to come once a month.  I am rather picky.  The last time I had a service come and clean, I was a bit less than impressed.

No matter what you hope, from dinner out to flowers ~ or maybe just a hug, I wish you all a great day!

Love, 365

Saturday revelations........

Beautiful flowers but full of thorns.....

NOW the semester is over.......I've received my final grades!  I managed an A- in history and an A+ in anthropology.  I was a bit flabbergasted that I managed 129 points out of 150 for the paper in anthropology.  Is it possible it was better than I thought it was?  Naahhhh, it sucked, but everyone wants the semester over, including the teaching assistants and professors and students alike.  Maybe I am lucky after all........

So, this is my first free weekend since mid-January, and I'm ready!  I have a list of chores and errands, but I'm planning on hitting the gym this afternoon.  

Enjoy your weekend!  Special Mother's Day post tomorrow.

Love, 365

Oh, my god the semester is finally over.....

Hallelujah !

The past five days is a blur of sitting here at my computer reading and writing (etc., etc.).  I turned in my history paper yesterday.   I had thought I would be done on Saturday but didn't finish it until 4pm on Sunday.  I was happy with it ~ I will have to wait and see if the instructor is.  He may really skim through everything, he doesn't have a student teaching assistant and there's a deadline for submitting grades.  Hey, he's the one who wanted a minimum of 5 pages, lol.  The class had a bit over 30 students, so the math points to a minimum of 150 pages to read.  My paper ended up being about 7 typed pages, and I'm certain that a few submitted a paper of over 5 pages.  Sucks to be him, haha.

I just submitted my final paper in anthropology.  I am not terribly proud of the ending, which really sucked.  But ~ here's my confession ~ I calculated the minimum grade I would need to achieve an A, and I knew I didn't need to knock it out of the park.  The majority of the paper is fine, but my conclusion is weak and lacks focus.  But you know what?  I don't care anymore.  That's what working full time and taking two classes does to ya.  You just get to the point where you just don't give a crap, you just want the madness to end.  

Now I have 6 1/2 weeks where I have no classes or homework or writing (papers).  I am planning on really focusing on getting in shape this summer.  It's crazy how out of shape I've become over the last four months.  Too much sitting.  

I hope you all have a great week!  I'm cracking open a beer......

Love, 365

5 days left.......

It's the beginning of finals week.....

At my best the low mutterings on the tv are simple background noise as I continue to write on the first paper due ~ on Monday.  At my worst, I quit working and watch for a few minutes for a bit of relief from the seriousness.  I believe I will finish it tomorrow, and then I will work on the second one which is due next Wednesday.  

Although there are parts of the paper that are truly interesting (park architecture), there are times when the constant referring to the thesaurus becomes drudgery.  This is when I'm tempted to crack open that last can of beer in the fridge and let it's effect on my brain take over.  So far, I have avoided the temptation, but I hear it calling to me....hahaha.

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On the home front, Romeo cut the vast majority of the longish hair off, and he looks so handsome!  He always has been handsome to me, but I had a lot of trouble with the length he had grown it.  I'd been bugging him for the last 8 months to cut it off without nagging too much.  I had never seen his hair that long, and it looked so unkempt ~ which is a total reversal of the man he has been for the last 30 years, ~ the one who used to iron a crease in his jeans, and never considered wearing an even slightly wrinkled tee shirt.  

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I met my new oncologist this past week, she seems like a very nice person ~ and she's not the awkward Dr Wong I met last year.  I don't know what it was, but I felt so uncomfortable around him, and worse yet ~ he seemed uncomfortable around me.  I just can't have that in a doctor, especially an oncologist.  I need someone who tells me the way it is, in a way that is compassionate and caring.  Anyway, we hashed out the idea that the protocol for hormone blockers is no longer an issue I need to be concerned with, and that my likely percentage of recurrence is less than 10%.  Of course, the radiation therapy could cause cancer later on, but I'm just taking my (current) wellness one day at a time.  And after finals, I'll finally have time for hiking and all the other outdoor activities I've been missing out on.  :-)

Love, 365