Tag Archives: Work

Whatnot – 07/28/21

Cotton candy sky.It has been a little humid and cloudy where I am but not bad at all. There’s even been rain in some places, just not by me. The clouds make for a spectacular sunset though. 

How have you been? I opened up my work inbox this week to a “return to work” memo. I was offered hybrid flexibility but it’s the week that I am moving my daughter to Missouri, which I guess they forgot about so I will ponder that scenario and try to figure out a schedule that works best all around. I have so many feelings about it. They announced the other day that the state of California will require state workers to be vaccinated and since I work for a State university that means us. As you know, I got the jab so I am good but I would say about 25% of staff have not. I have no idea about the students. It would be nice to see people but the commute is such a nightmare. Since the shutdown, they put in an Amazon fulfillment center along my route home so there is even more traffic now. I will start queuing up my podcasts in preparation.  

Reading has been going really well. Count The Ways, which I will have reviewed by this Friday was just too good. I know I keep talking about it but it was THE book of the summer for me. It’s not even what I would call a summer read. It’s just really good storytelling and I want everyone to read it. I am now reading The Paper Palace which is the current Reese pick. It’s pulling me in but it started off a little on the crude side. Not a big deal but I actually checked my Kindle copy to make sure I was in fact reading the right book. 

My son is still living between two locations in Kansas because the house he is supposed to be in, still needs some work but it’s coming along. His apartment is about a 1/4 of a mile away, so not far. He picks up a rental car today. He’s been without a rental because we had to wait for the dealer to officially submit his repair claim and that has finally been done. 

Want to see the space he will be transforming into a community arts center? This is in St. John, Kansas. This is their “downtown”.

Kansas

There will be contractors to manage the actual renovation but he is there to re-imagine how the space will be used and come up with ideas for community gatherings. As you can imagine, he has plenty to do. 

You all had such good suggestions for my daughter’s room sorting. She wanted to do it on her own and for the most part, did. She didn’t tackle her closet filled with dolls and tea sets but I suppose I can do that later. I do like a good organization project. 

I’ve not been watching anything besides the Olympics here and there. Instead, I hole up on my living room couch, under a blanket with the AC cranked, tucked into whatever book I am reading at the moment. Before the pandemic I never spent any time there but it’s become my little reading nest. The Pup joins me there too. 

I hope you are all doing well and reading something great. If so, let me know. 

 

It’s Friday and I am Packing…Still

Happy Friday! This has been a long, long week. Why does it feel so long? Could it be, the impending office move and my need to pack boxes when I still don’t even know where I am going? Could be.

Today, I packed up my Murakami collection. Let me tell you, that hurt a little bit. I’ve been gazing at those titles and news articles for some time now. They were just above eye level and while working, I would occasionally raise my gaze to say hi. See that picture below? Trish sent me that article. Thanks, Trish.

Murakami

And then, there are photos like this one:

The Kids

I have been working here a really long time! Going on twenty-one years to be exact. I am going to miss this space for many reasons. I still don’t know the exact location of where I will be, but I know the area and it’s sterile. Very sterile and… lacking character. I don’t think I will be able to display my things like I did here. I am going to have to have a renegade shelf for my prized possessions.

Going through all of this stuff makes for dusty work so I am a weepy sneezy mess. I am not a keeper of things but some things, because of my line of work require me to hang onto stuff longer than say the average employee. If it were up to me, I’d dump half of it.

But, it’s Friday and I am having lunch with a work bud which improves the day quite a bit. Tonight The Teen has his last driving lesson on the freeway! Give me strength.

Tomorrow we have a track meet at a high school far away. The Girl chose to drop an event so that we can get home at a decent hour so she is only doing high jump, long jump and 4×100 relay. The Teen and his girlfriend have a date at the zoo and then later the Observatory but that is on the opposite side of  where we will be for track so we are trying to figure out how to get them there and back.

I think the read-a-thon is this weekend, right? Maybe I can get some reading in at the meet but I doubt it. If you are participating in the read-a-thon, what are you planning to read? If I can get any reading in, I want to finish Blood on Snow and The Children’s Crusade.

Oh! I just remembered that the LA Festival of Books is this weekend. I sometimes go but the venue just doesn’t do it for me. I probably won’t go this weekend since I am totally booked Saturday,  but I will take a look to see which authors I’ll be missing. Any of you going?