What with one thing and another, I pretty much stopped watching TV ages ago. Too busy with work and raising the kids; nothing I much wanted to see; and besides, nobody would give me the remote control. And then the final blow -- when the kids moved along, our former family room became the Dog Room and Electronic/Bike Workshop. I am not really a dog person, and this is a dog-intensive room. My eyes are itching just thinking about it.
Then last year, I accidentally became addicted to two shows: Grey's Anatomy, and even more dangerously, Downton Abbey. Grey's began as an occasional Netflix indulgence, but soon enough I ran out of episodes, and bought the last season. The network runs recent episodes for free, so I mostly get my fix that way, at a convenient moment. But then -- Downton, my real downfall. Furtive internet purchases in the night; savoring each chapter twice.
And now, I have startled the dogs, my husband, myself (and deeply worried the cats) by taking over the Dog Room on Downton Sundays, because that is where the TV is. The season is short; the need is urgent. Last night, one of the dogs took advantage, snuck away, and ate all the cat kibble in the kitchen; and I was so absorbed that I did not even notice.
Recently, I've also started cooking more -- trying new things. It's fun -- delicious and nutritious! Problems: [1] we're at the point of being overrun by the bounty, so I need to start remembering to freeze some of it; and more seriously, [2] omg, the dirty dishes. We all hate doing dishes. On the up side, I got this sweet cut-resistant glove so my thumb does not get shredded any more on the mandoline, a merciless instrument that is basically the best thing evah for slicing potatoes, onions, and etc.
Anti-whine of delicious anticipation: teh Wednesday Book Club begins this week! Liz is hosting, and the first book is Venetia, by Georgette Heyer. I expect there will be spoilers in the thread!
Music anti-whine: Over the weekend, we went to a lovely concert. It was a youth orchestra that my daughter was involved with in high school; we have kept in touch with her long-time saxophone coach, a wonderful musician and great guy, who will be conducting the orchestra going forward. These kids are great! The current group only has 3 members older than 9th grade; and they are still playing this fabulous, challenging music. The concert was basically a tribute to the founding conductor, retiring after 20 years. There just aren't sufficient words to describe the awesomeness of enthusiastic music educators who infect their charges with both understanding and love of music.
So, what's happening?
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About Wednesday Whining
Wednesday Whining is a weekly blog with rotating hosts. Whines and Anti-Whines, both big and small, are welcome! Our purposes are mutual support and sharing a few laughs along the way.
The Wednesday Whining Community is diverse, and strives to be safe, welcoming, and supportive. To this end, comments that are personally abusive or otherwise disparaging [regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation] will be deleted by moderators, along with spam and self-promotion.
The Wednesday Whining Community is diverse, and strives to be safe, welcoming, and supportive. To this end, comments that are personally abusive or otherwise disparaging [regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation] will be deleted by moderators, along with spam and self-promotion.
FAQ
Q: When does Wednesday Whining appear?
A: The Whiner's Ball commences no later than Tuesday, and ends when Awards are given (usually Thursday in theory, but definitely before Monday).
Q: Awards? Really?
A: Yes, really. Traditional awards include Style [music, poetry, etc.], Old Skool [piddly little whines], and Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], but other hand-crafted awards may be granted at the host's discretion, and nominations from commenters are encouraged.
Q: Can I whine about someone who just does not "get it"?
A: The Cluestick Posse is on hand for persons in need.
Q: Is there a mascot?
A: Ralph is the mascot.
Q: Are there other traditions I should know about?
A: The passing of virtual refreshments is appreciated.
Q: How did this all get started anyhow?
A: Phantom Scribbler was our muse and host for two years.
Q: What was the first prize ever awarded?
A: The Playdough Violin
A: The Whiner's Ball commences no later than Tuesday, and ends when Awards are given (usually Thursday in theory, but definitely before Monday).
Q: Awards? Really?
A: Yes, really. Traditional awards include Style [music, poetry, etc.], Old Skool [piddly little whines], and Elevated Risk of Mullet [funniest line in a whine], but other hand-crafted awards may be granted at the host's discretion, and nominations from commenters are encouraged.
Q: Can I whine about someone who just does not "get it"?
A: The Cluestick Posse is on hand for persons in need.
Q: Is there a mascot?
A: Ralph is the mascot.
Q: Are there other traditions I should know about?
A: The passing of virtual refreshments is appreciated.
Q: How did this all get started anyhow?
A: Phantom Scribbler was our muse and host for two years.
Q: What was the first prize ever awarded?
A: The Playdough Violin
30 comments:
There is this unbloggable thing that I've worked on since 1990. Out of the blue today, we.won. Finally.we.won. And yeah yeah, it's not really over quite yet. But by fireplacing damn. We.Won.
I went to find someone who did the early great work on this one part of the thing; a guy who got me interested in this project. He died in 2010. So the joy is tempered; but the good he did lives on.
Passing the champagne, and chocolate, and lovely pieces of deliciousness. Passing hugs, and courage, and hope, and long-vision eye-on-the-prize lenses.
That's a long time coming, kathy a.
W: Change in OT schedule for Sweet. Likely unworkable. Will have to find new OT place or something.
W: My stress level is pretty high. We are trying to make some wise decisions for her regarding kindergarten next year. So now is the time for evaluations, assessments, gathering our data, girding our loins, etc.
AW: birthday parties are done. I will request a dinner out for my own birthday, which is the next one.
AW: The Baboos and I went to our horse-riding place today. We hadn't been since before Christmas due to weather, illness, blah blah. They re-did the balcony off their second floor, and added a slide from the balcony to the yard. So. Fun. How cool are these people? Horse riding as often as we want for free, and a fun slide off their house.
Congratulations kathy a!
esperanza - that was an awesome birthday cake!! I'm glad you can catch your breath in the post-birthday sugar-high glow.
A slide from the balcony. That sounds fun!
AW: I added 1.4 km to my walk yesterday despite a snowfall that made the going a bit tough at times. It was a bit like walking through a thick layer of room temperature butter.
W: Back to the office this morning. I've not been here an hour and I already want to wave a white flag in surrender.
((( esperanza ))) boo to unworkable changes in schedule. crossing fingers about the prep/decisions for K.
wow, that slide sounds great! and it sounds like the baboos really like the horses.
sue, good for you! but brrr.
W: vertigo
AW: benign
W: only time and exercises will fix it.
AW: I already feel much better than yesterday
Aw Liz, that's awful. Vertigo is so unpleasant. I seem to get it about once every two years, usually when I'm burning the proverbial candle at both ends.
What sort of exercises do you have to do?
AW: Hubby (who is usually not very on top of these things) remembered the recent arrival of pediatric OT here in our village. Problem may be solved, only a few insurance mountains to navigate.
W: insurance mountains. Humongous deductibles. Bah.
AW: Mini had an extremely boring checkup today. I like boring doctor's appointments. Also, though she seems ENORMOUS to me, she is solidly 50% for weight and height.
the posse to the insurance mountains! we shall overcome...
yay for boring checkups! and slides -- i really want to visit the house with the slide.
Insurance mountains. Boo!
W: Insomnia. So very unpleasant.
"...and miles to go before I sleep."
These exercises: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK2Zj_TrBhE
I can't saddle up, because of the dizziness, but I'll hitch a ride to the insurance company cluesticking.
W: Husband just went to school to pick up feverish, stomach-achy son. School-wide spelling bee is tomorrow. Looks like he may miss it.
I am in a rush... which is why I've missed many weeks of WW. Sorry. Closing on a house tomorrow, then trying to sell the other one again once we've moved (having given up on actually getting any money out of that deal, we might as well use it to move the move easier).
Feeling overwhelmed by work and home and everything. And lonely. People who offered to help us move are not committing to actually showing up. Maybe they haven't gotten around to hitting "reply", but I still feel slighted. The anxiety and stress of it all is so far serving to make me feel bad about myself (not enough good friends! not good at X Y and Z for work! should have done A B C years ago! what is wrong with me?). So basically I'm touchy and emotional and not getting enough sleep.
(sarah.. I just realized that J probably did not send the moving help email to you or R... he would have felt weird about asking R and probably doesn't actually have your email address. We would appreciate the help though)
And now to run off to a work event... hopefully I can check in later.
((JenR))
Aaaaaannnnnndddd, he just threw up.
((( jen r )))
oh, liz. air hug.
Hugs for you jen r....
Aw Liz, a boy with the flu is awful. A boy with the flu when you already have vertigo. So wrong.
i call daddy for barf-bucket duty.
Daddy has been a brick. He wouldn't let me go anywhere near Muffin Man, and has taken super-duper care of us both.
MM is fever and barf-free today, and my vertigo seems to be passing.
YAY! so glad you and MM are feeling better, liz! kudos to daddy, too.
jenr -- it's great you have the new place! crossing fingers about the move, and that the crew shows up. sending virtual pizza and beer (that is the traditional moving bribe, isn't it?).
sorry about the lonely and overwhelmed and super-busy and not sleeping parts. hope you get some nice quiet no-stress time, somewhere soon.
Glad the health quotient of liz's household is improving so quickly.
AW: got a drastic new haircut yesterday. Still getting used to it, but I think I like it.
W: Tired of talking about new haircut already. This is a large part of why it took so long to get the darn haircut. Not so comfortable with the attention.
AW: Now I know how Michelle Obama felt about the bangs discussion. Except for, you know, the President doesn't give a jelly bean about my hair.
JenR- I'll email you. I am solo mom (with lovely divorce complications)
Esperanza - love the horse riding story! And the hair! And good luck with the OT.
Liz - oh my. Get well.
KathyA - hooray for the good win!
Sue - sorry for wanting the white flag of surrender image and the insomnia! Ugh.
W: I need to find a job so I can get a divorce and stop letting me ex's petty things dive me insane. I feel controlled. Ugh!
AW: I'm doing OK.
Whine: my parents are out of town and I have the kids alone for a few days and...you'd think the SAHM thing for 7+ years would mean I didn't wake up a little freaked out... But whiny-whine, I was. It'll be fine, but the feeling of fear was...interesting.
((( sarah ))) you can do it! but, a person does get used to the backup.
esperanza -- i desperately need a haircut. can't do anything too extreme (that pixie cut in 3d grade scarred me for life), but i seriously had to have a discussion with my beloved about how everybody on earth besides him can see that my hair is a disaster, and no i am not just going to keep growing it because he thinks it is cute. (which i guess is kind of romantic, right?)
so, this week is a real mixed bag. win! then found out my colleague died, the one who raised this issue; and that his first baby also died (a boy born a month after my daughter). and now, the wife of a good friend probably has metastases after doing so well, but they won't know for probably a week. fireplacing universe does not play fair.
Oh kathy - the universe is definitely not playing fair. Any one of those situations is hard to imagine, but to hear of all that in one week is so sad and so wrong.
Hang in there Sarah - you can do it!
W: Yet another visit with someone struggling with Seasonal Affect Disorder aka "Is this fireplacing winter EVER going to be over???"
AW: January - it's GONE! Yay!!!!!!
well, but go see this: former eagle scouts turning in their badges because of BSA's policy of discrimination: http://eaglebadges.tumblr.com/ those darned kids, they turned out well. and, crossing fingers that national gets its act together already.
very glad january is over!
there will be prizes tomorrow.
kathy a, I had been *way* overthinking this haircut business for *way* too long and finally lost patience with myself. Mr E didn't get a whole lot of say-so; in fact, I got it cut while he was out of town for a couple nights. He claims to like it, but he didn't really have a choice now, did he?
good for you, esperanza! truthfully, the real problem with my hair is that i just have not gone and gotten it done. (but we did have this tiny pre-emptive spat, since it is better than talking about the SILfH. i guess it has been a mixed week for him, too.)
i made a really nice soup tonight! someone unloaded the dishwasher! the crazy-cat-run is happening at a decent hour!
Kathy a. thanks for the link to the article about scouts. Brought me to tears at their eloquence and bravery. Hope national listens, as you said, because Neighbor Boy would love scouting I think, but we won't take part as it now stands.
Thanks for sharing the link.
--Neighbor Lady
That's the second spam comment I've deleted in as many weeks. Isn't that more than we used to get? Did Blogger change their filters? Or are we (ha) more popular than we used to be?
I'm glad it was just spam--I was worried I had started something with my comment!
--NL
Just spam. And to answer my own question, the spam folder was full of recent catches. So I'm not sure what's going on, but there's a definite increase.
Yeah, there is an increase in spam. I also deleted one, and found stuff in the spam folder a couple weeks ago. (I also disappeared the notations of deletions.)
Well, I've gotten carried away on the book club, and STILL have not done awards. Soon! But I am enjoying the book club -- thanks, Liz! Please excuse the abundance of comments.
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