We were very lucky and spent 10 glorious days in Tahoe for Christmas and New Years. It was fabulous and I loved being in the
mountains, cozy in the Rice family cabin. One thing it could use is a treadmill, but who is going to pay for that? I think we got in one good walk to the Hyatt, down the street, but after that the walking path was super icy. I didn't feel like getting injured or having a bruised bottom (I always have good luck and fall on my gluts, but after a while it gets sore.). Chris had fun, taking Smally out for walks in the snow (she is more privileged then a lot of people!), skiing, and shoveling snow. Chris and I watched 95% of the Lost series and I got a lot of knitting done.
Sorry to say, I came down with a Sinus Infection and, no thanks to Bluecross, we found a doctor that wasn't hours away. Medication is very good when you cannot sleep.
Christmas: Imagine sitting on a couch with your family surrounded by gifts while a toasty fire crackles in the fireplace. We practiced all our family traditions, such as yelling up the chimney to Santa Christmas Eve, and reading the story of Christ's birth from the Book of Luke. It was unbelievably relaxing. After all the death and drama that followed that it was nice to have Tahoe and Christmas to look forward to.
I invented a new tradition with a gift from Chris.
Amy Grant's old Christmas album with "Eeeemmmannuuelll, Emmanuel!" Well, I think the track that sounds remarkably like the Manhattan Steam Rollers is great, so
improvized an entire dance to it. There is no greater joy, but to dance while everyone just laughs at you, not to mention that your sweats are pulled up to your breasts.
So, as you can imagine, coming back to the Bay Area and reality can be gruesome and ugly. We get
grumpy and don't like life. At least Chris does not because he works regularly. I scrounge for work these days. At my aerobics class I announced to whoever was left (like five sweaty middle-aged ladies) that I babysit, house-sit, pet-sit, what ever you need legally. For some reason one of the ladies translated that as I was a life coach and asked me to help her to focus her life. And another talked to me about organizing her garage. Luckily, no one has followed up on those needs.
Now, I have about two weeks before grad-school invades my existence again, so I feel like I should be doing something, if it's not contributing to society. So I'm reading Opting Out by Pamela Stone - very well written and researched. I also need to read the file full of articles I have on my hard drive about Mother's Rights! Yay! This next semester will be my last. Oh wait - Special Ed teachers are kept on a short lease and we have to go back for our "Level Twos." I think it is a conspiracy to keep us in school and paying tuition - mfs! It's really hard to see a motivating light at the end of this school tunnel because of all the red tape that keeps tripping me up.
After "graduation," I hope to return to Tahoe with my cohorts to party hardy! TGTT = Thank God There's Tahoe! Save the Rice Cabin!
Now, I have about two weeks before grad-school invades my existence again, so I feel like I should be doing something, if it's not contributing to society. So I'm reading Opting Out by Pamela Stone - very well written and researched. I also need to read the file full of articles I have on my hard drive about Mother's Rights! Yay! This next semester will be my last. Oh wait - Special Ed teachers are kept on a short lease and we have to go back for our "Level Twos." I think it is a conspiracy to keep us in school and paying tuition - mfs! It's really hard to see a motivating light at the end of this school tunnel because of all the red tape that keeps tripping me up.