Random Notes from a Holiday Week-end

--Lately I have read too many books that tell part of the narrative from the point of view of children.  O.K., only 2, by Ann Packer and Jane Smiley.  It's two too many.  While I recognize the skill that this takes, I want to read about grown ups from a grown up perspective.  Does this make me shallow?  So be it. 

--S'mores made in my back yard are not as tasty as s'mores in a campground or at Lutheridge, even if I did buy Special Dark chocolate.

--I now have more marshmallows than I will ever use--my wonderful fudge recipe takes 12, and that leaves me the rest of the package, minus the 4 that we ate last night.  Why can't someone sell marshmallows in a 15 pack?

--Staying outside on the 4th of July will lead to stuffiness of nose and dryness of throat in the middle of the night.  Too much smoke.

--Our Independence Day celebrations make a lot of money for Chinese companies who make fireworks.

--We have spent too much time wrestling with technology over the last few days--and it's not new generation technology.  We bought a wireless speaker, a new laptop, and of course, there's the old technology of e-mail and Learning Management Systems.  Not one of these has been plug-and-play.

--My spouse teaches 2 new classes for the month of July.  We have spent a few days creating syllabi, assignments, and other parts of curriculum. 

--I've also spent time working with my own online classes.  We have often been sitting at the dining room table, laptop by laptop.

--In some ways, it feels like we've finally arrived at the future I thought we were planning when we were in grad school.  In so many ways, it's all so very different from anything I would have expected.

--I am slowly learning to operate the smaller of my spouse's motorcycles.  It still feels huge.  This motorcycle project is bigger than I thought it would be; I have underestimated the time it would take.  I may not have that much time ever in my remaining years.

--I have spent a lot of time in the pool over the last 5 days, and I feel a smidge more flexible.  Is that because of pool time or because I've gone to fewer spin classes to make my hip flexors tight?

--And with this week, it's back to regular life, except that at my workplace, we've had departures and rearrangements, and I suspect it won't be the last.  It makes it easier to be Zen Kristin, living in the moment.  But it's hard to plan, and Anxious Kristin doesn't like this upheaval.

--Anxious Kristin is so very tired.  Maybe I can just have her sleep through the week and leave Zen Kristin in charge.