At Full Speed
May. 19th, 2007 05:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
liralenIt is good to have a husband that says, "Stay home. Don't go to the party just because you said you would. You're going to be way overwhelmed if you do."
And he's right.
Every since the OUR Center garden turned more into a managerial/direction type of thing where I have someone talking to me the whole time I'm working there, it's been a lot harder on me. I'm still not recovered from the overwhelming "having people talk to me about a lot of things" from the projects I was doing at work. All I want to do is hide in the basement and play video games with Jet, which isn't really healthy for either of us.
There was the Zoo on Thursday, which was a huge success and it was SO much fun to see all the tie dye shirts at once.
After that Jet and I had a recovery evening, where we went to the Twin Peaks Mall and did "glow golf" together. Just the two of us. No score keeping. No one else there before us or behind us, so we could just go at whatever rate we wanted. It was great. Then we ate dinner at the Panda Express, and they only gave us half a bowl of rice for Jet's dinner, and he finished it and wanted more. I felt mildly foolish spending nearly four dollars on what was basically a single bowl of rice, as Jet ate part of the second one, but couldn't finish it. The good part is that if you take a survey about your experience, then they give you a free entree, which you can use on a free side. So Jet would basically eat free, next time, so that made up for it. Plus, I could tell them that it's stupid to be skimpy on white steamed rice. So that has turned out all good by today.
We then shopped for a birthday present for Haley, and then Jet started asking me to buy him stuff there. I finally just said, "No. You have money, you can come back and buy stuff for yourself when you want to, but I'm not buying you anything." He didn't argue at all.
I guess I just have to say, here's the boundary, and he's okay with that. He is definitely learning "Ask" culture, not "Guess" culture, and I'm so very, very grateful that my saying "no" doesn't bother him a bit.
Friday was... uhm...oh, yeah, I really wanted a day of rest, but, instead, John was great and got us out into the garden and we planted all of the six upside down cherry tomato plants in their Topsy Turvy planters. It's much later, this year, than last year, but the good part of that is there will be no schlepping of planters in and out and in and out and... it's a good thing as the hooks are now just as high up, but there's no railing to stand on to get to them, so it would have been all ladder work. So it's far easier. Then we turned all the compost into all three beds, and then we planted all of the three bush tomatoes and three First Ladies out into the beds. Jet helped like a trooper, hauling, digging, putting mulch into buckets, and then gently spreading it around. We mulched everything and put drip lines on the two new beds as they were all planted. John *also* added a new watering system so that everything on the porch (which should all be *gone* in a few weeks, with the help of God), would be easy to water, now. But I flooded the upside down plants pretty badly. We're going to have to watch how that works, now. *sigh*
The boys went swimming at 3:30, but I stayed home. Then the three of us got into the Passat, and hit a little wine shop in Niwot. Tonya works there sometimes, so we bought her a good wine there, and then headed into Boulder and the Dark Horse in the University area. There we met up with other folks celebrating Tonya's graduation, and had a blast. There were six kids, all obsessed with the video games in the place, so we gave 'em what ended up being nearly twenty dollars' worth of quarters between all six parents, and they had a blast doing driving games, air hockey, and pin ball. Then we got to talk. *grin* It turned into a very late night, and I lost my voice in the end. Bah.
So it was party until bed time, and then we went home, and Jet didn't fall asleep until much, much later than usual.
Today started at 7:30, even on a Saturday. The boys made a birthday card for Haley. We watered everything outside, and then ate some stuff, and then got into the van with a whole van load of food. We dropped Jet off at Haley's birthday party at 9. It was a great idea, as they were all going to see Shrek 3 at the EARLY matinée and then get back to the house for cake and ice cream and presents.
John and I then headed to the OUR center and spent the morning cooking Sloppy Joes, making sandwiches, washing things, and setting up with three or four other people from the church. The weekend lunches are all brought in, paid for, made, and served by various organizations in the community. It's a show of good support that they're booked four months out, solid, for the folks that come to serve. I had a great time making the food. It was fun to just sit and spread peanut butter and jelly for a while, and make a bunch of sandwiches. I loved that. I also loved adding dried, chopped onions to the sloppy joe mix, as it was just ketchup and mustard and a bit of pepper and garlic powder before that. It was good to make it taste good.
We then all sat down to eat as the serving folks appeared. We all ate together, and John handed off our old barrel composter to someone that wanted it. He'd just built me a beautiful, two bin wooden one that is going to be *great* for our garden, as I'll be able to get finished compost more often than before. John can also use *all* the lawn clippings in the composter, now, instead of filling the garbage cans with the clippings. He'd filled it when he built it and it's already half compacted on the first side, already. Turning it mostly means shoveling it from one side to the other, which is much more thorough than the barrel seems to be able to be.
When we were done, John made sure everyone was comfortable and knew what they should do. And then we headed off to get Jet from the party. And, instead of just getting him, we sat down and talked for a few hours with Joan and Ray. It's been a long time since we've really sat down with them and talked, so it was really, really good to do.
But I'm exhausted. And a little unhinged from not being able to digest and write things down. So I'm now quite glad that they've gone up into the mountains (Lyons) to a nice Royal Party and there are creeks off the St. Vrain that they can play in. The rivers here are really, really full and high and dangerous at the moment. It would have been nice to see them, but I just couldn't face more people at the moment, so I'm not. *sigh*
I got a few sanity items done, by myself, in our garden. I planted our zucchini. I got the Walla Walla onions thinned out so that they can really grow, now, and I transplanted the thinnings to another bed area, so that they can grow in peace as well. That was troubling my dreams just the other night, which is kind of weird, but very good, too.
I have, in the last week, also managed to read the first three novels of the Harry Dresden (The Dresden Files) series. I stumbled upon them through recommendations and I'm hooked. They are rollercoaster reading, though, and it's actually been rough getting through the third because Harry goes through so much STUFF to get to where he's going. Of course, I also just stumbled upon the SciFi channel's "The Dresden Files" series. Luckily, the whole first season is on iTunes, so I thought I'd use part of a gift certificate Kathy gave me a long time ago to just get the whole first series. For myself. My. I may use the computer to just play it, but I may use John's iPod, depending on what's going on. It'll be cool to see what it's like.
And he's right.
Every since the OUR Center garden turned more into a managerial/direction type of thing where I have someone talking to me the whole time I'm working there, it's been a lot harder on me. I'm still not recovered from the overwhelming "having people talk to me about a lot of things" from the projects I was doing at work. All I want to do is hide in the basement and play video games with Jet, which isn't really healthy for either of us.
There was the Zoo on Thursday, which was a huge success and it was SO much fun to see all the tie dye shirts at once.
After that Jet and I had a recovery evening, where we went to the Twin Peaks Mall and did "glow golf" together. Just the two of us. No score keeping. No one else there before us or behind us, so we could just go at whatever rate we wanted. It was great. Then we ate dinner at the Panda Express, and they only gave us half a bowl of rice for Jet's dinner, and he finished it and wanted more. I felt mildly foolish spending nearly four dollars on what was basically a single bowl of rice, as Jet ate part of the second one, but couldn't finish it. The good part is that if you take a survey about your experience, then they give you a free entree, which you can use on a free side. So Jet would basically eat free, next time, so that made up for it. Plus, I could tell them that it's stupid to be skimpy on white steamed rice. So that has turned out all good by today.
We then shopped for a birthday present for Haley, and then Jet started asking me to buy him stuff there. I finally just said, "No. You have money, you can come back and buy stuff for yourself when you want to, but I'm not buying you anything." He didn't argue at all.
I guess I just have to say, here's the boundary, and he's okay with that. He is definitely learning "Ask" culture, not "Guess" culture, and I'm so very, very grateful that my saying "no" doesn't bother him a bit.
Friday was... uhm...oh, yeah, I really wanted a day of rest, but, instead, John was great and got us out into the garden and we planted all of the six upside down cherry tomato plants in their Topsy Turvy planters. It's much later, this year, than last year, but the good part of that is there will be no schlepping of planters in and out and in and out and... it's a good thing as the hooks are now just as high up, but there's no railing to stand on to get to them, so it would have been all ladder work. So it's far easier. Then we turned all the compost into all three beds, and then we planted all of the three bush tomatoes and three First Ladies out into the beds. Jet helped like a trooper, hauling, digging, putting mulch into buckets, and then gently spreading it around. We mulched everything and put drip lines on the two new beds as they were all planted. John *also* added a new watering system so that everything on the porch (which should all be *gone* in a few weeks, with the help of God), would be easy to water, now. But I flooded the upside down plants pretty badly. We're going to have to watch how that works, now. *sigh*
The boys went swimming at 3:30, but I stayed home. Then the three of us got into the Passat, and hit a little wine shop in Niwot. Tonya works there sometimes, so we bought her a good wine there, and then headed into Boulder and the Dark Horse in the University area. There we met up with other folks celebrating Tonya's graduation, and had a blast. There were six kids, all obsessed with the video games in the place, so we gave 'em what ended up being nearly twenty dollars' worth of quarters between all six parents, and they had a blast doing driving games, air hockey, and pin ball. Then we got to talk. *grin* It turned into a very late night, and I lost my voice in the end. Bah.
So it was party until bed time, and then we went home, and Jet didn't fall asleep until much, much later than usual.
Today started at 7:30, even on a Saturday. The boys made a birthday card for Haley. We watered everything outside, and then ate some stuff, and then got into the van with a whole van load of food. We dropped Jet off at Haley's birthday party at 9. It was a great idea, as they were all going to see Shrek 3 at the EARLY matinée and then get back to the house for cake and ice cream and presents.
John and I then headed to the OUR center and spent the morning cooking Sloppy Joes, making sandwiches, washing things, and setting up with three or four other people from the church. The weekend lunches are all brought in, paid for, made, and served by various organizations in the community. It's a show of good support that they're booked four months out, solid, for the folks that come to serve. I had a great time making the food. It was fun to just sit and spread peanut butter and jelly for a while, and make a bunch of sandwiches. I loved that. I also loved adding dried, chopped onions to the sloppy joe mix, as it was just ketchup and mustard and a bit of pepper and garlic powder before that. It was good to make it taste good.
We then all sat down to eat as the serving folks appeared. We all ate together, and John handed off our old barrel composter to someone that wanted it. He'd just built me a beautiful, two bin wooden one that is going to be *great* for our garden, as I'll be able to get finished compost more often than before. John can also use *all* the lawn clippings in the composter, now, instead of filling the garbage cans with the clippings. He'd filled it when he built it and it's already half compacted on the first side, already. Turning it mostly means shoveling it from one side to the other, which is much more thorough than the barrel seems to be able to be.
When we were done, John made sure everyone was comfortable and knew what they should do. And then we headed off to get Jet from the party. And, instead of just getting him, we sat down and talked for a few hours with Joan and Ray. It's been a long time since we've really sat down with them and talked, so it was really, really good to do.
But I'm exhausted. And a little unhinged from not being able to digest and write things down. So I'm now quite glad that they've gone up into the mountains (Lyons) to a nice Royal Party and there are creeks off the St. Vrain that they can play in. The rivers here are really, really full and high and dangerous at the moment. It would have been nice to see them, but I just couldn't face more people at the moment, so I'm not. *sigh*
I got a few sanity items done, by myself, in our garden. I planted our zucchini. I got the Walla Walla onions thinned out so that they can really grow, now, and I transplanted the thinnings to another bed area, so that they can grow in peace as well. That was troubling my dreams just the other night, which is kind of weird, but very good, too.
I have, in the last week, also managed to read the first three novels of the Harry Dresden (The Dresden Files) series. I stumbled upon them through recommendations and I'm hooked. They are rollercoaster reading, though, and it's actually been rough getting through the third because Harry goes through so much STUFF to get to where he's going. Of course, I also just stumbled upon the SciFi channel's "The Dresden Files" series. Luckily, the whole first season is on iTunes, so I thought I'd use part of a gift certificate Kathy gave me a long time ago to just get the whole first series. For myself. My. I may use the computer to just play it, but I may use John's iPod, depending on what's going on. It'll be cool to see what it's like.
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no subject
Date: 2007-05-20 04:52 am (UTC)I'm so glad you like The Dresden Files! They made a lot of changes with the TV series, some which I liked (Bob is fabulous) and some which I found annoying. I hope you enjoy the episodes.
I haven't watched them all, but I'm gonna get around to it this summer, I think. Looks like our weather woes will continue and there will be lots of days where we can't really play outside at all.
The Dresden Files
Date: 2007-05-20 05:09 am (UTC)One of the reviews said that if one has a very solid vision of what the books are about, the shows are very different (Hey, I mean... Bianca *saves* a younger incarnation of Harry??! Just from a synopsis... but wow, that blows some things out of the books... so I'm warned, I think). I'll look forward to seeing Bob and showing Bob to my friend Bob, who actually might appreciate him a lot. *laughter*
I'm going to try and watch 'em all. Yay for iTunes!
no subject
Date: 2007-05-20 04:55 am (UTC)thank GOD you retired, woman, because you certainly have no time for that sort of going-to-the-office nonsense.
will there be a facial soon?
i'm asking because if you get one, i'll get one. :) i need the encouragement!
no subject
Date: 2007-05-20 05:15 am (UTC)Yup. No going to the office stuff for me!
And people kept asking, "But what are you going to do!?"
Ahem.
Facial! I have to admit that I like buying the Lush facials and just doing them myself, but I'll be very happy to encourage you to Go and get yourself a facial, woman! If you want one, it's a good break from everything and a great way to relax.
I'll admit that with my every other week massages, I get that 'pampered time' on a regular basis, and it's a Must for me, now.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-20 05:19 am (UTC)I should start doing that with N. I've been doing the price limit if we haven't bought him anything in awhile. The other day I set a $5 limit and he found a bunch of things that were over the limit; he seemed disappointed, but understood that it was over the limit. And we found a great wood robot for under $5, which made him super happy.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-20 05:39 am (UTC)Yeah, we started doing the money thing in just the last year or so. Jet gets an allowance every week for doing the "maintenance things" like putting his dishes in the dishwasher, making his bed, and picking up his toys. The allowance is a "maintenance thing" as in it just happens so long as he takes care of the things he needs to take care of after himself. It's not a direct link, so he's not 'getting paid' for doing the things he just *should* be doing. Just as he now 'just should' get his allowance.
I think that if there is more work expected of him, eventually, the allowance may rise as well. He's getting to a point where washing dishes may well be something he can really do.
He can get extra money for things that are helping us out with things we really want to do and they're not 'for him'. Stuff like the garden work he did this time around. I award him 'stars' (10 stars to a 'stamp', one dollar per stamp when he's collected 10 of them) for things like going to bed on time when he *really* wants to be doing something else, for fingernails that don't get chewed by the time I get around to cutting them (kind of the positive reinforcement against him chewing his nails, which he has done past the quick a few times and that's a pretty good negative consequence for him), and things like that.
Since, with the stamps, he pretty much *has* to save them up to get them at all, he's gotten into a habit of actually saving all his money, too, for things he really wants. At the moment, it's some kind of fancy bank for his money that he wants. He's seen a battery-powered ATM ("Hmm... I'd have to spend money on batteries too... hmmmm..."), a mechanical cash register, and other things.
But like your limit on things, Jet observes the rules as set, and while he'll still *ask*... sometimes I can just say No and it's fine. I think it's 'cause he knows he has the power to get what he really wants, sometime. And he's actually been asking about helping us out with things, lately, as he has the fancy bank in mind. *grin* So that's been really cool.