I've decided that when they say that the days get shorter in September, it must be literally true. Not just that there are fewer hours of sunlight, but that there are fewer hours in each day. That's the only explanation for how I could be so far behind on everything in spite of running at full tilt, right?
Welcome to Wednesday (what do you mean it's Wednesday? It can't be Wednesday already!) whining, where no whine is too big or too small, the pixies are always armed with cluesticks, and points are awarded for style. I'm Elizabeth, and I'll be your hostess today. I highly recommend the self-pity today, although we've also got a fresh supply of despair at the state of the world. What can I get you?
[In the interest of fighting the incredible shrinking day, I'm declaring that Wednesday will last until at least Thursday evening. Keep your whines coming.]
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My whine: seriously behind on something due tomorrow at work, w too many meetings scheduled to possibly get caught up. Not quite ready for prime time on the portion that I'm chanting at Rosh Hashonah services in in a week. Starting to panic at the thought that my husband will be out of town for three weeks next month.
Anti-whine: Cleaning service came for the first time on Monday and oh my god the house is cleaner that it has been in years. Literally.
Oh no, Elizabeth! I have spread the day shortening virus to the Pixies. Quarantine! Quarantine!
The end of the fiscal year is in a week. I and several of my colleagues been at work until 7 or later most nights for the past few weeks since our work is tied to fiscal year cycle. So much for the lazy federal workers stereotype.
Daughter's activities are starting up and she is bitterly disappointed that she didn't get a lead in the school play so she re-joined the community youth choir. I love that it makes her feel like a superstar but I do not love the amount of time it takes from her schedule. Her very awesome director offered to talk to her about maintaining her grades.
Younger Son's oppositional tendencies are totally overwhelming me and everyone around him. I am going to investigate therapy but talk based therapy will not be helpful. His issues are with structured settings or keeping routines. Like, he has ten minutes to leave for the bus and I am sitting here in his room trying to get him up while I type this out. I am so beyond frustrated.
Wishing for a smooth week to all my pixie friends and maybe Elizabeth can bottle those magical house cleaning elves for the rest of us. :)
That virus must really be going around; we have it here too. If only the cleaning fairies were so transmissible.
((Miranda)) - my sympathies on the choir front; my oldest has decided she would like to dance competitively this year. Yikes.
You know when your wet dog jumps up on your couch - exactly where you were about to sit - after being walked on a rainy day? That.
oh, i'll take a cleaning elf, too!
kudos to elizabeth for hosting while in deadline madness! sending work fairies to you and miranda; locating chocolate to bribe them.
best to miranda and days and everyone else shuttling kids.
miranda -- from what i've seen, child therapy is short-term and focused on the problem and on strategies, and you'll be involved -- probably not in the sessions, but the therapist will want info and have suggestions for you.
the morning routine was always vexing for us; i felt like a warden in a prison camp.
days and her dog for old skool!
AW: had just a fabulous trip to DC, to get daughter settled, and see so many amazing things!
AW: got to meet up with liz, elizabeth, and gary! lots of laughs and stories and talk. gary said, "i'll be the one wearing the cookie monster t-shirt," and yes he was, so i nominate him (belatedly) for style.
W: been home nearly 1.5 days, and still having trouble finding the overdrive feature on my work mojo.
Well, I didn't realize I'd be crashing on this testimony when I signed up to host...
Whine: Fell on the sidewalk on the way to a meeting. Ripped my knee. Ripped the pants of my suit (that I was wearing to be grown up for this meeting). Sigh. I just don't think I'm cut out to be a grown up.
Kathy, it was wonderful to meet you. Did you leave the overdrive ignition key behind?
Anti-whine: People were handing out free nalgene bottles outside the metro station.
ouch, Elizabeth. Ouch to your knee and your pants and efforts to be a grown-up (if that isn't elusive, I don't know what is).
My AW is that Sweet's speech therapy did not get cut to once a week. I was apparently thrown off by the paperwork when it said "reduce speech therapy." Yeah, can't imagine how I jumped to that conclusion. In any case, she's still on for twice a week with Fabulous Speech Therapist.
W: short day problem here too. This thing is rampant.
W: The girls go to bed early, like 7:00 early. I am toasted by that point and (clean the kitchen, get stuff organized for the next day, then) collapse on the couch with my laptop to fritter away an hour or two. Sometimes I do some work. At that point, which is bedtime, my inner introvert is so re-energized that I am no longer sleepy (!). So I stay awake too late for my early morning adorable alarm clocks. Sooo sleepy and tired and grumpy during the day. Add it to the curses of the introvert. Wah, wah, wah.
Best wishes for Rosh Hashonah Elizabeth. You will be great. Boo for viruses though. Ick.
Yay hooray for cleaning elves. Funny, I arrived home yesterday and one of the first things I said to hubby upon emptying yet another suitcase (September is travel month around here) was "Wherever did Dobby get to?"
(((Miranda)))
And for all the over-worked "When is September Over?" pixies - I hear ya.
I'm in town for ONE (yep, one) day this week. This morning so far I have:
* had a funeral call (service next week)
* new church member in hospital. Taken care of.
* gone to family Doc's office for a signature on a government form necessary for Monday's pain clinic visit.
* renewed gym membership (a universal sign of eternal optimism)
* been to grocery store. Which I despise doing.
* dropped off prescription for new topical ointment prescribed at pain clinic. Decided to take up the pharmacy's offer of free delivery. Should arrive by 11:00 pm.
* cuddled with cat. She had that look on her face that indicated the extent to which no cuddling time could shorten my life span considerably.
Things I have NOT done today:
*Laundry!
*Packing!
*Oh No!
Later pixies....hang in there everyone, with special encouragement for Introverted Pixies everywhere!
On another note,
AW: Visit to clinic was good, despite seeing another doc. He was quite delightful and very, very thorough. I'm convinced that he is the reason that the clinic is so particular about each and every detail of care and that it has such a great reputation for excellent patient care.
W: For a few days after treatments, I always feel a bit flu-like. Treatment was Monday, still feel a bit crappy (but not headachy!) despite all the necessary things on the above list. Ah, but the ick shall pass.
W: Air travel. Large tin petrie dishes from hell. Seriously. Why do I always get to sit next to the guy who didn't get the memo about covering your mouth when you cough?
Sue, you need to download "Why Don't We Do It In Our Sleeves" onto your phone to play to your seatmates.
liz for the public service announcement award, very timely as we lurch into fall.
sue apparently stole my overdrive ignition key. wow! hope you are out of the ick zone soon.
Elizabeth, I *know* I'm not cut out to be a grown up! Why do you think I teach little ones?!? :)
First day of school (long story, don't ask -- trust me, you really don't want to know!) of school for my little guys was yesterday. This crop seems to be pretty on the ball as a whole, but I do have a few who are a little lost. Really, the only whine that I have is that our school is building a new wing, and we have moved classrooms three times since the end of last school year. Let's just say that I am tired of moving furniture! The new wing is SUPPOSED to be for PreK and Kindergarten, and all I have to say is that we had BETTER get a nice, big, new classroom out of it!
AW: Maybe the supremes will do something right for a change?
not this time, elizabeth.
KLee, that must be a very interesting long story. Hm. Moving school furniture does not sound fun.
W: I'm getting to be a crochety old lady. I feel about the new facebook like I feel when they rearrange groceries at the store. harumph. Whippersnappers.
Sigh
Late night Whine-fest.....while I was spending today (which pixies may recall was supposed to be my ONLY DAY OFF this century- ok, exaggeration award there) doing high-speed pastoral care, I found out there was a meeting at the church today about how "I" need to do a better job of meeting the pastoral needs of the church!!!!
FTW?????
I've had exactly three days off since Sept 1st, and they're fireplacing meeting to discuss how inadequate my job performance is??? The problem is that I cannot go around announcing who I am counseling, visiting or providing care for, so the assumption is that I'm not doing it at all.
Stuff they don't teach in seminary #8453.
At this point I'm thinking that a job as a coffee barista is looking pretty good and would pay as much.
klee, that's a lot of moving around. here's to a great year with the little guys!
oy, sue. maybe if they have concerns they should talk to you instead of to themselves? it would be useful to find out what was said. it could easily be what you suggested, that they do not have an idea of what pastoral care you are doing or how full your days are. perhaps someone got their feathers ruffled because of something specific; if so, it's better to know and address that than let it fester.
You're right of course kathy, but the problem with church gossip is that it feeds on attention. I only know about this because a very dear friend was at said "meeting" and thought I should know. In fact, it's probably better when I don't know. That way, I can continue on with what I do well and let the gossip girls (and sorry, but it's always women....sigh.....I didn't like high school and the mean girls the first go round) fizzle out with their latest drama.
So, I'll try to suck it up and let it go. It's just so dang hard to do that when I know how hard I work for that church, and how few people actually know about it and understand.
I think another "reminder" newsletter is due though.
My fall newsletter message will be about how important it is to let the church know when you have a pastoral need AND how important it is for everyone in the church to be part of the church's ministry. (ie - if you see a need right in front of you, why have a meeting to bitch about why the minister isn't taking care of it?????? Just take care of it - visit, listen, pray - it ain't brain surgery).
Anyway, I'm off to (um, hooray) a big regional church meeting filled with political drama and casseroles.
Yippee.
AW: The last time we were in this particular setting, we had a good time.
Catchya later....
I've got my cluestick at the ready, Sue.
Can you ask some of the people who have more sharable pastoral needs to email the friend who told you about the meeting so that she can share with the group the fact that you ARE out there?
And YES to the newsletter. And maybe YES to a sermon on the subject?
i don't think it's right to put those needing pastoral care in that position. they are entitled to confidentiality, and have enough on their plates w/o defending the pastor.
but there is no reason you can't summarize the amount and kinds of care you have provided recently, keeping it all anonymous and with details left out. for example, it might be helpful for the complainers to know that you spent X hours in the past month providing pastoral care to Y people, some of whom needed multiple contacts; the care included hospital visits, comfort around the illness or death of a loved one, pre-marital and/or marital and/or family counseling, crises of faith, etc.
I am stopping by after a long time away - good to see y'all.
Sue, maybe you could tell them without specifics, what kind of care you're doing, how many days you're doing it (e.g. all the days, every day, people, Sue is pastorally caring. Get a clue.).
Elizabeth, sorry about the fall - I would so do that.
Esperanza, glad that Sweet's therapy hasn't been cut back, that's a great AW.
Me: I am sad. Sad sad sad sad sad. I am getting treated for that. Right now I'm not crying so I'm stopping by.
I am facing a physical challenge that is making me into a complete and total hermit, which is mostly what is making me so weepy, as it has been going on for months and is much worse than I've had before. I'm hoping PT will help (just started it). Trying not to worry about my future as hopefully this is eventually fixable, but so far it's been puzzling my docs and difficult to attack as weight-bearing makes it worse. So I am so very sad.
Love y'all, miss you, but have been too down to come by. Will stop by now and again.
AW: the kiddo is awesome, his new school is awesome (a place I truly love). My husband has been very supportive of me.
((((Genevieve)))))
I'm so sorry.
(((( genevieve )))) i'm very sorry -- about the physical challenge, about the sad sad sadness. crossing fingers about the PT, and hoping that you also get some answers to the mystery. really great that the kiddo is doing so well, and your husband is a sweetheart and a mensch.
missed ya. it's ok if you cry here. xoxoxo
Thanks so much Liz and Kathy A.
((((genevieve)))))
W: Aunt Flo(od). 'Nuf said.
Life at warp speed.
--Neighbor Lady
((Genevieve))
book review: i fell in love with the FDR memorial, and bought eleanor's autobiograhy. and -- considering that she had many privileges, and lived at a time when women didn't much do public investigation and advocacy -- she rocks.
Genevieve -- never feel bad about sharing here. That's what we're here for. (I say that, and then I sometimes too feel bad about whining, but I know it always makes me feel better.) I have had some of the "sad" too, this summer -- hubby lost his job, and we were worried about money; I had a disagreement with a friend, and we don't talk much anymore, consequently, I have some loneliness going on; pay cut at work....So, I understand the "sad." I don't presume to know what you're going through, but maybe we can lean on each other? Sometimes, just relieving yourself of the burden helps in myriad ways. We need that support. so, whine away! (And, welcome back!)
My whine for today: Teaching PreK is like trying to herd cats. Sometimes, you can get them to do what you want, but it's mostly a fluke, and those results are not easily duplicated. Today was one of those kinds of days. Oy vey!
Welcome back, Genevieve! Whine away, we're good at it.
KLee, I *cannot* imagine teaching PreK. You have my admiration and respect.
W: We had a massive nap fail today, on both Sweet's and Mini's parts. Sweet took one, which is a recipe for an hour-long (I am serious, way more serious than I want to be) fit/tantrum/meltdown over nothing in particular. Mini took a 15 minute nap in the car, which she apparently thought was enough for the whole day, despite her usual 1.5-2 hour habit. They are both in bed an hour earlier than usual. Mostly for my sake. I'm hearing no whining, so I'm calling it a good decision.
BTW, Mini needs a new pseudonym. She's as big as her sister now.
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