with a thousand miles of real estate to choose from

maura @ 9:57 pm

We’re maxing and relaxing here in the midwest, day 4 of Camp Grandma + Grandpa. In some ways I feel that I’ve gotten surprisingly little done. I *have* caught up on sleep, which is major and excellent. But I have all of these other emailing journaling reading writing goals and I haven’t met them yet. How silly to have goals for vacation. It’s vacation, stupid, relax already!

This year Gus is majorly into the pottery thang (Jonathan’s stepdad is a potter). He’s already made about 8 bowls on the wheel (assisted, of course), child labor laws be damned! Of course, the unfettered access to the garden hose is also a big plus. We have a kiddie pool at home in our courtyard but we’re always having to yell at him to keep the water in the pool, share the hose with the neighbor kids, etc. Here it’s crazy hose time, all the time!

On the down side, yesterday he got stung by a wasp. Sometimes it hurts to be so curious, poor kid. But he’s fine, and Jonathan and I got to learn what Gus’ I’m REALLY hurt (not just frustrated or angry) scream sounds like. Damn nature.

My first library class is over, sniff. As I’ve repeatedly said these past 6 weeks I really loved it — personality-wise reference is a good fit for me. I loved chasing down info. and learning about all those cool reference sources (though I wish I’d known about them in grad school the first time). Plus I realized that Gus is good reference training, too. I mean, my normal day already involves answering about 100 questions on a wide variety of topics. Our latest source is the “body book” — the Merck Manual, which we first consulted to see a picture of an appendix (because of Madeline, of course). Now I am thinking he needs an atlas of the human body for kids — any recommendations?

words fail me

maura @ 9:41 am

So the Times ran an article on breastfeeding last week that I’ve been meaning to comment on, but I just haven’t been able to find the words for it. Luckily, Bitch. PhD. always has the words. My sentiments exactly.

turn your head around

maura @ 11:06 pm

Nephew Watch 2006 continues here: my poor sister is now 8 days over her due date. We’re on pins & needles wondering if we’ll drive down this weekend to meet him. Hopefully he will come out tonight or tomorrow, because if not we won’t be able to meet him til early July, after my final and our annual pilgrimage to visit J’s mom + stepdad in the Midwest.

Yes, a final! This coming week is my last week of this first summer session, and MAN it was so speedy I can barely believe it! I feel comfortably caught up on homework and am still really liking the class (though I was annoyed to have to make a return trip to NYPL today because I hadn’t realizes that the “email this citation” feature on their databases wasn’t working on Wednesday and thus neglected to actually write down the info I needed, grrrr). I’ll be sad when it’s over, though I won’t have much time for moping: my next class starts on June 29. Wheeeee!!!

Tonight I started a reading journal, inspired by discussing them in class. Just a simple one: title, author, date read and a 1-2 sentence review. Of course, the problem is that I don’t remember many of the books I’ve read over the past few years. Really it’s my own fault — I’m a fast reader and sometimes speed comes at the expense of retention. Plus there’s the whole I’m old thing. I’m cobbling a list together from this blog and my journals, but I know it’s incomplete which totally bugs me. What the library needs is a feature where you can view the list of everything you’ve checked out over the past few years. How cool would that be? Nerds of the world would rejoice!

(Apropos of nothing, #1) It’s occurred to me recently that one of the reasons that the whole school thing is so stressful is that Gus’ transition to kindergarten is an us transition, too. We’ll miss his preschool community of three years, miss hanging out with the likeminded parents, miss the subway ride there and miss Romeo, the friendly cat who sometimes stops and lets us pet him when we walk by his house on State St.

(Apropos of nothing, #2) Madonna’s latest record is really much like her other records: two great songs, lots of mediocrity. It’s funny in this day + age of iTunes that she’s even bothering to do a whole album, she’s so clearly a singles-only artist. I’ve been sort of wishing lately that I could go to her show this summer — the two times I’ve seen her in the past have been so much fun. But stadium shows are too expen$ive and I don’t know that I want to hear all of those mediocre songs on the new album, anyway. (There’s some sour grapes for ya.)

your girl, she’s a renegade

maura @ 9:05 pm

So so so SO busy here, really it is incredible. School continues to be fun + a ton of work. Actually it probably wouldn’t be bad except for all the other things, like the preschool picnic and birthday parties and baby showers and trying to figure out if we’re saving enough for retirement and Gus’ college and freaking out about kindergarten (still no news) and dentist appointments and Father’s Day rapidly approaching and my new nephew due to be born any day now. Phew!

As usual when it gets so busy I don’t have time to sleep or clean, I owe everyone in the whole world email. I’m sorry! I promise I write soon, or if not soon then from our restful weeklong vacation in the Midwest during my break between summer sessions. That is, if I have enough time between napping and sleeping.

Thanks too everyone for all the birthday wishes last weekend! In the morning I’d completely forgotten it was my birthday (Jonathan reminded me), that’s what advanced age will get you. I spent the whole day doing homework at various libraries (which was actually pretty fun, except for getting brain-smacked by the Social Sciences Citation Index, which was Not Fun At All), then came home to yummy homemade chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting, courtesy of the bakin’ Miller boys, plus Mexcan food + wine with the neighbors. All in all, a lovely day.

Not much else to report here in I’ve-got-homework-to-do land. How’s that for a crazy Friday night?