In a Perfect World...

I work evenings. Usually I start at 4 PM but they have moved back the start time by an hour for the holidays. It's a really good job.

I wish I didn't work in the evenings. Often times especially during the holidays, I'm not there to help put the kids in bed. Yesterday I missed putting up and decorating the Christmas tree.

Most importantly I wish I was here in the afternoon so that I could sit next to my kids and we could all do homework together. I think that they would learn a lot by having me do my homework at the same time as they do theirs.

Pet Peeve

I don't know why I thought of this. At least not why I had the thought this morning. I didn't have it happen in the past 24 hours or anything but with in the past couple of weeks, yes.

As a student people often engage in small talk and eventually ask what I am studying. I tell them that I am majoring in geography. Always (OK, almost always) the next question is "what do you plan to do with that?"

A fair question. I would be more than happy ot answer that except before I can answer the follow on question is posed, "teach?". There is absolutely nothing wrong with teaching and I am sure it is a very fulfilling career.

If you ask a question, please give me a chance to answer.

And, no, I don't plan on teaching.

Trying to get Things Done

My deadline to submit an application to graduate at the end of Spring was Nov. 6th. I submitted the paperwork the last week in October so I was actually early. It needs to be audited to make sure I did everything I was supposed to but other than that, no worries. Except....

I registered for school on the 13th of Nov. I debated about which classes to take and I even thought about trying to take an easier schedule than normal and just taking the classes I have left that are required and then maybe filling the extra time with recreation classes and stuff like that. In the end, that's not what I did. 16 credits and at least 2 tough classes, one of which is required.

I was told that I could expect an email in a couple of weeks concerning my application. That was about a month ago. I called last Friday to inquire and was told that they had about a thousand applications and that they would not be done reviewing them before registration for winter quarter is over. So basically, if I am missing a class, I will have spring quarter to make it up and that's it. Not alot of planning on the school's part. Doesn't allow me a chance to plan much either.

I don't know why this surprises me. The school doesn't even put out a whole school year's worth of schedule at one time. It is virtually impossible to plan for more than one quarter at a time. When I was using a tuition assitance proram from the Army I was required to submit a degree plan. A very specific degree plan. One that detailed every single class I was going to take. Almost impossible given the way the school has set up the registration department.

Bah!

Playing in the snow

Flexibility in an Inflexible World

Last week we took our oldest to a Dropkick Murphys concert. He is seven. Me, my wife and him. While I was deployed he had gone to a Hells Belles (female AC/DC tribute band) concert. Before we went we talked about it. He was super excited but I didn't know what to expect. The night before I as I was getting the kids ready for bed I was explaining that he needed a good nights sleep so that he could stay up late for the concert the next day. He stood there and told me that it was OK because he falls asleep at concerts. He was going off of the only experience that he had, where he did indeed fall asleep on a couch at a rock concert. I was concerned.

We walked into the venue and there was a crowd. We made our way across the floor and stood up against a wall. There were no couches and we weren't going to get invited to the VIP area like his last concert. Change is not his friend. He was having a hard time dealing with it. I could see it, my wife could see it. In my eyes, we were way too close to the mosh pit. It would have been a great place and the pictures of the concert would have been awesome but we knew we couldn't stay. So we took him by the hand and led him back across the floor and up the stairs. On the third floor there weren't as many people. Kind of in the corner against the back wall there was room. He must of felt relieved because he told us to make sure to wake him for the Dropkick Murphys part of the concert so he could see them. He then proceeded to curl up on the floor and go to sleep. I leaned with my back up against the wall and he was under my legs so no one could step on him. That was for my piece of mind.

We woke him when they were about 3 songs into the set. We stayed for a song or two more and then we headed out early. He had a blast. I was worried about it being a complete disaster because it wasn't going to be like his last concert and somehow things worked out. Yeah, our pictures aren't as close up as they could be but we still got some really awesome ones. He's one cool kid.

Caught Unawares (I give an unanounced lesson)

Yesterday was Sunday. We attended church, which lately, I will admit, I have dreaded going. It's during lunchtime, naptime and any othertime that the kids need to be at home for. But we go anyway and sometimes it is a complete disaster. But not yesterday. It was the primary program and the boys both sang, and said the parts that they had really well. And on top of that they were well behaved up on the stand. I was impressed.

Standing in the foyer I heard the phrase "will do it" after my name. I wasn't involved in the conversation but I figured I had better see what the heck was going on. As it turns out I was volunteered to teach the lesson in the class that would start in about 10 minutes. The person that did the volunteering wasn't serious and I could have passed on it but I said I would. I think everyone was really surprised. So I prepared what I could in 10 minutes and away we went. It didn't go bad. At least I thought it didn't.

I started the lesson out by saying "we can do a lot of reading or we can do a lot of discussing, either way it's up to you guys". There was some of both that went on.

I am a bit fearful of the upcoming change to the church times in January. I am not sure how the kids will adjust. If it can be anything like yesterday then church will be a joy to attend. If not, then it will just be a chore and I really don't want that.

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November

That's today! Time to vote.

I would like to say that it bothers me that people could run unopposed. Are there not enough people interested in local politics and making a difference locally to have a choice of candidates? I guess it's not that big of deal It bothers me even more that someone running unopposed didn't even bother to submit a candidate statement. Why would you not do this? I didn't vote for you. I don't know what you stand for.

The other person running unopposed at least submitted it a statement. Sure is was a "thank you for the opportunity to serve you again" statement. There was a little more to it than that but not much. I guess if you are the incumbent you can do stuff like that.

Sigh.

Perfect time of year for a good book

Only I don't have one. Not only that, I don't have time to read one. I am reading approximately 300+ pages a week for one of my classes this quarter. Some of the articles are really interesting but some of them I just have to wade through the content.

Curling up, wearing fleece or wool socks, wearing flannel pajamas and a sweatshirt, a tall glass of cran-raspberry juice, a down blanket, a book that has nothing to do with school, fiction, nonfiction, biography, no kids, maybe a book my wife has read so we can discuss it, having time to read. None of this has happened and I don' t know that it will anytime soon. I will be out of school for winter break before my oldest is so maybe I'll have a week to put the other 2 kids down for a nap or quiet time and read away. But then again, maybe not. I would just like to wonder around the book store for a bit.

and it snowed for the first time this winter yesterday. reading as the snow quietly falls and blankets the ground would be nice.