Backlog

I'm totally backed up. I've got a serious backlog going of crap I need to get to and wonderful things I want to get to. The list of crap includes the following:

1. Clean out the pantry (The chopped macadamia nuts in there have, in fact, been there since last Christmas for the Paula Deen Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies I never got around to baking.)
2. Paint the bathroom. (I prepped the ceiling and bought the shower curtain for color selection, just need to buy paint and bang it out.)
3. Take dog to the groomers. (He seriously stinks.)
4. Move giant Love Sac from downstairs to attic. 

Last week (see above) began with an all day lacrosse showcase with the boy at Endicott College. Then cooking, errand day with the Pug, and the bi-weekly hair appointment in Brighton. The week ended with a serious bang. The light snow that utterly depressed me on Friday was nothing compared to what was coming the next day. I drove Connor to a Halloween party on Saturday night just as the snow started moving in. When we couldn't find the house and the branches started falling into the road, we bagged the whole adventure and headed home to ride out the storm. Sometime around 2am, we lost power completely and although he slept soundly, I barely caught a wink what with the sound of tree branches snapping and the house shaking when they hit the ground.

When we finally got up on Sunday morning, it was an unbelievable sight. We weren't in Wrentham in October but the house had obviously been picked up and planted in the middle of a winter wonderland snow globe. My parents hadn't lost power and when Connor heard they had cable, he couldn't get in the car fast enough, so, with The Man out of town, we packed up and headed to NH. Three days of fun was had by all including the pugs, but school was back in session on Wednesday. Back to the cold reality of Chestnut Street. But the gods were smiling on me that day and by noon, the National Grid truck pulled up and restored the power. (Insert angel choir here) On Thursday, I headed out for the volunteer knitting gig, but the end of the week brought the biggest surprise I've had in a while: a part-time job!

Since closing the Pilates studio, I've been able to duck and dodge getting another job, but that was just not going to be sustainable for the long term. I'd been trolling Craigslist and the local papers fairly regularly for something that wouldn't make me totally miserable, but as U2 said it the best: I still hadn't found what I was looking for. On Friday, through a series of fortunate events, I had a conversation with my friend Cheryl who owns my local (and favorite) yarn shop. Next thing I know, I've landed myself a part-time job  including my first paid knitting teacher gig. (Insert gulp here) I went in for training on Saturday and of course I had to make The Boy snap a pic.

Better get to the laundry...it's not going to fold itself (contrary to what the people I live with think).

7 for 7...I'm in Heaven

Woo Hoo! Seven pictures taken 7 days in a row in my Project365 venture. Now, I know I said to myself when I started this that although perfection would be lovely, it was not, in fact, the goal of this exercise. Frankly, I've had quite enough experience with the pursuit of perfection in my earlier days and it was highly overrated. Here's a lovely bonus of getting older: I'm started to not give a crap about the "shoulds" in life and that is NOT overrated. Not even a little bit

In case you're interested, my week went something like:

• Sunday: Transformation through Expressive Art at Salve Regina. The tree was outside our building.
• Monday: Submitted first homework assignment (first time in a loooooong time) for class
• Tuesday: While searching for AA battery, I realize Real Simple mag maybe right...my junk drawer might need organizing
• Wednesday: View from window at Mr. Dooley's for lunch. So cute and yummy.
• Thursday: Loved this little tree that was keeping me company while waiting for an appointment. (I'm thinking I have a thing for trees. I take their pictures a lot.)
• Friday: Big Apple Farm for apples (Photos of first pie of the season to come)
• Saturday: Lunch with Hubby and Son (Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! Fun with the teenage Boy) You'd think he could smile. We are feeding him after all.

Well, it's Sunday night and there are no Pats on. The team has the Bye Week so the Hubby is home and we got to go to a Lax Showcase with the Boy at Endicott College today. Is it just me or are these campuses like resorts? I sooo want to go back to college if not for the access to unlimited Captain Crunch cereal 3 meals a day. (They've probably removed the unhealthy food from the dining hall anyway.)