What Happened Yesterday and What's on the Agenda for Today

[chochiyo_sama]

• On Friday night, mom called me.  She was crying.  Apparently Darla has not been feeling well, so she went to the doctor for some tests.  Darla, by the way, is my aunt, my mom's sister.  Her favorite sister.  Her ONLY sister.  They are very close and do a lot of things together. 
  
  For some time, Darla has had problems with some kind of fungus in her lungs.  The spot that has been there for a long time is growing, and there seems to be some sort of growth wrapped around her heart and one of her lungs.  She has to go in for more tests later.  
  
  Darla called mom, started to cry, and said, "It doesn't look good."  Now, I think that was just Darla being afraid (as ANYONE would be!), but Mom took it as a death knell and got herself completely worked up.  (Totally understandable as well.)
  
  So, I talked to mom a long time and told her that we can't let ourselves get all upset until we know what to be upset about and that we have to put on our brave faces to support Darla.  I asked her if she wanted me to come home, but she said it was okay--she could go over to Jack and Kari's (my brother and his wife) if she got too down.  The little ones love her so much that it always perks her up to go over there.
  
  By the time I was done talking to her, she was calm.  However, last night, I called Jack and Kari, and they said that she called them right after she hung up from talking to me and was just as emotional with them.  Probably it was the stress of giving them the bad news, but it is true that my dear mom, whom I love very much, has a little drama issue.
  
  Later, Peter and I played scrabble with Rachel AKA Turiya Foul, whom we had to counsel a little bit as she was having parent issues.  She also seemed to be much better after we talked a while--I hope she is okay.  She thinks she is a thug, but she is really a very sweet little girl.  She reminds me of my beloved Pirate Daughter GG in some ways.  Anyhow, I was up until almost 2 which was too late--but necessary.  Give me a shout out, Turiya, and let me know you are okay, if you happen to read this.
  
  DeAnn and I were going to meet for our Saturday chat--and decided that since we were both hungry it would be a good thing to go to Owatonna to the Kernal for breakfast--which we did.  The food was good--nothing splendiferous, but good.  i had eggs over easy, toast, and link sausages with iced tea and grapefruit juice.  I do love me my grapefruit juice!
  
  Anyhow--we sat and chatted a long time at the restaurant, and I was amazed to realize that, even though I was sick as a dog all last week, I managed to accomplish quite a bit!
  
  First off, I survived the faculty retreat and the resulting illness.  The retreat (other than the poisonous food and atmosphere) went well.  We got a lot of solid work done on our goals as a staff.  And the JMC meeting (about our computer grade and attendance program) went very well.  JMC has been upgraded to the point that it is ALMOST on a par with my wonderful "Making the Grade" program.
  
  Second, on Wednesday, I got all my grades updated--even the senior reflections which I had been putting off--and got the grades into the computer and got reports written out for the homeroom teachers.  All good.
  
  THEN, after the Wednesday meeting, I got all the stuff that came in like an avalanche after the homeroom teachers met with their kids and got my grades updated AND got the midterm reports turned in to Tracy.  Another big goal accomplished--even if I WAS sick as a freaking DAWG.  (I started Thursday off by spending a large chunk of homeroom blowing chunks in the faculty bathroom.  Yuck.)
  
  Just surviving the week without missing any school was a major accomplishment.  between 1/4 and 1/3 of the faculty was out this week--some had family issues to deal with (a funeral, a baptism as a godfather in another state), two were off on a field trip to Texas with eight of the kids, one had to go to basketball tournaments with the college team he coaches, and Jay, our fearless, peerless leader, was on vacation.  So, it was a zoo at school, since we have only one sub, and he wasn't available every day.  Next week is looking like it will be the same.  Arg.
  
  This was a minor accomplishment, but it was still something on my to do list that got accomplished.  I finished the three little green ruffled dresses for my Barbie friend's red-headed triplets.  (You can see the picture on my previous entry)
  
  I got my tax worksheets done, so I was ready to go and have my taxes done on Friday afternoon.   That's a pain.
  
  On Friday afternoon, I took Susan home then went back to Kasson to have my taxes done.  THAT is always an ordeal.  But, I get to sigh Fife, who is a very wonderful guy--married to Joyce, whom I used to work with at Triton.  She's another one who escaped the evil empire and is doing well elsewhere.  Any how, it looks like I am once again getting a very nice tax return--in excess of $2,500.  So, that will help the cause along considerably.
  
  So, as you can see, I DID get some stuff done last week--even though I felt as if Nothing was getting done while it was going by.
  
  AFter we left the restaurant, I went to the Oasis gas station where gas is a full 20 cents cheaper than it is in West Concord and the Rochester area and filled up.  I got the super duper automatic car wash to--to get the dirt and salt off my poor car.
  
  
  Then we were headed home, going the north route.  I suddenly got a wild hair that I wanted to go to the Medford furniture outlet and look at mattresses.  My mattress SUCKS and always has sucked.  I live for the day when I can haul it out and set it on fire.  
  
  I had never been to the furniture outlet before, and let me tell you, I was impressed!  They have really nice stuff there.  And it isn't too horribly priced either.  I saw lots of very pretty couches and arm chairs and recliners.  I drooled over this one recliner which wasn't especially pretty--but holy shit!!!  It was so soft and yet so supportive of my entire body!  I WANTED it.  I didn't want to ever got OUT of it.
  
  To make a long story short, I tried out a bunch of mattresses and ended up putting $250 down on one.  When I get my tax refund I will pay the rest off.  I think having a decent mattress, and therefore a good night's sleep, will make a world of difference for me.
  
  It is an incredibly comfortable mattress, and it has a 15 year guarantee.  It's made by a company in North Dakota, and it starts with rest something in its name.  I'll post pictures eventually.
  
  We went through the McDonalds drive through for an ice cream cone--and then we came home.  It was a beautiful but chilly sunny day.
  
  I decided to come in to DeAnn's for a minute--which is when we made the logo and business cards--then she said I might as well stay for Chinese left overs, which I did.  Then we watched the movie Lost in Translation.  I didn't hate it, but I sure didn't see much of a point in it.  I guess it was more of a character study than anything else.
  
  Then I came home, went to bed, but couldn't sleep.  At about 5 am I drifted off, and woke up again at 11.  Great.  The day is almost shot already, and I have so much to do.  I have to get laundry done--and I also have to get some groceries and do some cooking so I can eat this week.
  
  That's about it for me, for now any how.
  
  My to do list for today is as follows:
  
• get groceries
• sweep and scrub kitchen
• tidy living and dining room
• dust downstairs
• vacuum downstairs
• cook stuff for the week
• bake
• do laundry
• clean bathroom
• tidy bedroom
• dust bedroom
• vacuum bedroom

That should be enough for today.

Later!

Comments

[kvetcheternal.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you are on top of life in general, for a change.

About the matress, I have a fairly distant relative who sells beds for a living, and he says that if you turn the matress every fortnight or so(so your head is on four different areas of the matress before repeating), they last so much longer.

They've figured that one out.

[the_godiva]

Remember when you used to be able to turn the top sheet too? They they developed the big hems and now you can only use it one way.

Now they've got the pillow top mattresses. So you can rotate them, but you can't turn them upside down.

Both cut down on what you can do to prolong the life of both.

Obsolescence. The American (business) Way.

Yay for you!

[the_godiva]

You aren't going to believe what a difference a new mattress is going to make. You have no idea what an impact on your sleep your mattress has until you replace it with a good, NEW mattress. The deterioration of your mattress (and sleep) is so gradual over time that it just suddenly reaches a point of no return. I really think this new mattess is going to help you a lot.

Too bad the refund won't stretch to the recliner too. But hey....there's always next year.