Category: Random

Lots of things are floating around in my brain right now, but none of them have taken the shape of a real, actual post. So, since I haven’t a) done a random-things-on-my-mind post or b) made up a word for a post title in a while, I thought I’d do both.

In no particular order…

– Is this a mom thing? I am so tired of constantly wheedling my family into doing things they don’t want to do. Or, things they do want to do, just not right at the moment. Or, things they should want to do and would enjoy/would be good for them if only they would listen to me. Examples include going to the zoo to see the holiday lights display and going to swimming lessons that we pay a lot of money for on a regular basis. I feel like I am the only one dealing with the actual space-time continuum that means if Thing A is going to be done, Steps 1, 2, and 3 have to be completed by Time I. Am I alone here?

– My braces and I are in a good place right now. I can eat and talk without too much pain for the most part. This means, of course, that they’re due to be tightened. I have to go next Thursday to have the last set of wires put in – the super-sturdy ones that are going to hurt like a mofo. So, it’ll be back to milkshakes vitamin-infused smoothies and speech impediments for me. Between that and preparing for the hysterectomy to fix a problem that isn’t visibly causing me any issues, I am beginning to question the idea of preventative medicine.

– I guess I didn’t have enough angst when I was a teenager, because I am having it now. I am in a “What is the point of life?” phase at the moment and I’m not entirely sure why or how to get out of it. But really. If you know what the point of life is, please enlighten me.

– In my ongoing attempt to screw my kids up as little as possible, I downloaded this book the other day. Jenny and I have seen Brene speak a few times and she is super amazing. You should definitely download it too.

That’s all I’ve got. What’s going on with you?

So, once upon a time I was a blogger who had mildly-amusing things to say. Sadly, that time is no more. I don’t know what my deal is but I’ve got nothing lately (although I can still find ways to incorporate Happy Gilmore screen shots into my posts, so at least I have that going for me).

Fortunately for the rest of the world, the same thing isn’t happening to other people. I’ve read a few things this week that have really stuck with me, and I thought I’d pass them along.

First up – “Failing Teachers” from Learning Lessons with Mrs. Labrasciano. This firsthand, candid account of what it’s like to be a teacher in 2014 is dead on. It begins:

“A fellow teacher recently told me that this was her last year teaching, I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not. She isn’t the first teacher who has told me she’s done, honestly I’ve lost count of the amazing teachers who have left the classroom.”

YES. So much yes.

I could go on and on about this subject, (I won’t because my husband would kill me. See also: “Teachers don’t like talking about feeling inadequate. We would prefer to quietly work away in our classrooms doing what is best for our students.“) but I will say this – the way we are treating teachers in this country is absurd, and it’s an issue to which we should all be attuned. It is important not just for those of us who are teachers (or who are married to teachers), or even those of us who have school-aged kids, but for those of us who want the next generation of Americans to, you know, learn how to read.

Getting down off my soapbox.

Next, we have “The Evolution of Blogging Complete with Pumpkin Pictures” from our dear friend Jeannett at Life Rearranged. I think Jeannett’s been blogging about as long as we have, and she captured its evolution in that time – and the lingering question of where that leaves us, those who are “not able/willing to put in the time to Go Big…but also not quite sure how to Keep Going Medium.”

So go read it and then you’ll know why I never have anything to say anymore.

Finally, to lighten the mood – “The Default Parent” from M. Blazoned on the Huffington Post. Because who among us can’t relate to this?

“The logistics are on me. No problem. I got this. Sometimes, I get a call from Dan eager to help. These calls typically start out with, “What time does Lily get out of jazz?” I already want to punch him in the face. It’s the same time EVERY week!”

And this:

“I was once in California for work and got a call asking me where George’s sneakers were. And here’s the worst part… I knew.”

And also this:

“The only dream left for the default parent is to contract a highly contagious, non-life threatening virus. But even then, we know the children will find us in our quarantine tent to ask us to open a jar.”

What am I missing – anything else I should add to my reading list?

I had an NPR moment today – you know, I sat in my car and kept listening even after I had reached my destination.

It was a piece on Storycorps (“Sharing and preserving the stories of our lives.”), and it was one of the most touching love stories I’ve ever heard.

“When a guy is happily married, no matter what happens at work, no matter what happens in the rest of the day,” Danny said, “there’s a shelter when you get home, there’s a knowledge, knowing that you can hug somebody without them throwing you down the stairs and saying ‘Get your hands off me.’ Being married is like having a color television set, you never want to go back to black and white.” -Danny Perasa

So go listen to it here. It will make your Friday better, I promise!

And while you’re at it, listen to this one about a single dad who raised his infant daughter while earning his college degree.

If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got things to do now. Like listen to every other story on that entire website.