When Your Feet Hurt, It's Hard to Sleep

Apparently two days of painting makes my feet hurt really, really badly. And just as apparently, I have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep when my feet do hurt this bad. I'm sitting down right now and they hurt without any pressure on them. Yikes.

Shani, her mom (M), and her sister-in-law (A) came over Sunday and yesterday to help me paint the laundry room and kitchen. Oh, what a chore. But it really needed doing. I had taken Friday off, and really wanted to start that day and go through Sunday. I knew it was a big job. But I couldn't convince the others. Mostly M.

Too Many Thoughts

I've had so many thoughts lately I want to blog about. But when I actually sit down at the computer, my mind's a blank. Things that have skittered through my mind -

• Sotomayor hearing/confirmation
• Health reform
• Returning home
• Books I've been reading

and more I just can't remember. I managed to listen to the Sotomayor hearings while at work. And watched some of it on television. I have to say, I was impressed with her performance. The way she just wouldn't rattle or lose her temper, etc, was great. She came across to me as steady, thoughtful, intelligent. And frankly, someone willing to acknowledge that we all have biases and it's good to recognize that in ourselves and understand our bias for what it is, well...she has my vote. And while I'd love someone who would stand there and say reproductive rights for women come hell or high water (ie, no overturning R v W) it's okay with me that she's moderate. It really was quite the contrast seeing her facing down a table of white haired men. I've long felt that congress doesn't have a clue where I'm coming from as a single female in her thirties. It's a frustrating feeling, really. Am I really represented? Who knows. Oh, and every time someone said (or says even now) "legislate from the bench" it drove (drives) me nuts. They are interpreting based on law and precendent. And people's interpretations/definitions change as culture/society changes. Really. Otherwise, whites could not marry blacks, women wouldn't have the vote, it would be legal to not hire minorities (including women) because of their minority status, abuse would be accepted...Legislation doesn't always keep up with changes in societal beliefs and thinking. It's often controlled by congress pandering to the loudest voting blocks in their districts, not what's best for the majority of the people in their districts, regardless of party affiliation or votes. Or it's motivated by fear; fear of something or someone different, of losing something, of that great unknown change signals. I find it hollowly amusing when legislators complain about the courts and judges not doing what they want them to do when it comes to legislation. In other words, saying that their legislation isn't legal. For Pete's Sake. That's what they were designed to do. The justice system is supposed to be a check and a balance against the legislature. They are supposed to be independent. Did nobody get taught about the deliberate checks and balances of the US system? He-llo-oh...

Speedy Gonzalez, That's my name!

Sitrep: 1/2 lawn mowed. Last night. At 9pm. Even under a full moon (barely up!) and outdoor lights, I did a lousy job. Note to self: don't mow after sunset.

Well...I have no idea what happened to last week. After Tuesday it's all a blur. Except Friday afternoon. Our boss decided to do a staff outing. Normally cause for the grumbles, but not this time. They took us up the road to "Tons of Fun". An arcade/mini-golf/go-kart place. We had BBQ ribs and chicken for lunch, then a round of truly hilarious mini-golf. Then we got on the go-karts. That was a hoot. I might keep to the speed limit on the real road, but get me on a go-kart and the pedal is to the metal. [g] I was standing on that gas pedal hollering in my head "Faster dammit, faster!" I was fourth to start, right after two of my coworkers and my boss. I could not get past him. He was hugging the curves and going flat out...But I'm smart. ;) I saw that one of my coworkers, P, was not going as fast as us, and after a few laps we were catching up. D and N blew past her, but I could tell my boss B was going to keep on going until the last minute. So I started to pull out and go wide around the curve...Then K (who'd been right behind the whole time) thought she'd scoot between me and B and get past us. Hah. She fell right into my trap. B got too close to P and she panicked, moved left. Too late, I was zooming right in there so she zoomed right, cutting B off. He had to brake, then K had to swerve behind me to miss him. And I just flew right past all of them. [g] I came in third. :) One of the best moments, though, was when W blew past J (who just became a grandma for the first time), screaming "Move over Grandma!!!" Too funny. Then a quick trip to DQ, and we got to go home an hour early. Naturally, it being payday, I stopped at Hast.ings to browse the books. Didn't do much this weekend...read a lot. Lounged around a lot. Sigh. Worked some yesterday, last minute. Ughhh. Argued with Shanni some. That girl has got to learn how to deal with disappointment. Geez. So what if the store doesn't have the locker lock you want...they'll get more in or she'll find it at another store! No cause for pouting, etc. Today I feel like a ping pong ball...one of our annual seminars we do for a local company is today and tomorrow, and the instructor is in town from Florida. So I'm doing the chauffeur thing, and popping back and forth from the hotel to the office and back again to make sure everything's okay, the instructor doesn't need anything, and so on ad infinitum...I went home at lunch to let the fur baby out because I have to do the dinner thing after work today. At least I'll eat nice. But now I have to go home tonight and clean like mad because I didn't this weekend and the sun room is looking more like a junk room and I'm having someone over this week to look at the gas valve I broke (part 1 and part 2) beginning of last winter . They have to be able to get to it to fix it. Sigh. I also want them to quote how much it will cost to move the water hookups for the washer & dryer up to the main floor, so I can seal that darn floor instead of keeping that huge hole for the hoses to run through. They'll kinda need to go down into the basement. So the stuff parked on top of the access door has got to go... Gonna be a fun night. Not. ;)

Perfect Day

Sitrep for last week: 1x Swimming, 1x Walk (30 min w/little sis), 1x Yard Mowing, 1x Moving Furniture (Sofa, ugh)

Goals: 2x Boot camp, Daily Walks w/Dog (weather permitting)

I didn't want yesterday to end. Maybe my idea of a perfect day is different than others' ideas, but yesterday was so wonderful, so relaxing. I got up at my usual weekend time, 7 am (thanks fur baby-that-must-eat-on-schedule-or-else), and then crashed on the couch for a few hours. There was a wonderful breeze coming in the windows most of the day. I watched a few home decorating shows, then logged on to check the library website to see if a book I wanted was in. It was. So I showered and dressed, and then worked on my puzzle book "Brain Games" (I love this thing, and am always so impatient for the next issue to come out!). I headed to the library around 1pm (that's when they open) and found my book, "Susannah Morrow" by Megan Chance. (VERY GOOD BOOK, as is "An Inconvenient Wife".) I also picked up "The Timekeeper's Wife" or whatever it's called. Can't remember right now.

I went home and read the rest of the day. Didn't turn the TV on, just sat in my recliner chair under the window, with the fresh air flowing over me. It was great. The house was spotless since I'd cleaned for the party on Friday. Laundry was done, I had dinner already prepared. I just sat there and read. Late afternoon I stopped for a bit and mowed the yard, tended to my plants (chives are growing nicely, tomatoes are doing okay - one is actually ripening, no sight of the basil yet, and the lime tree is thriving in it's new pot). Then I went inside and read some more. It was just one of those peaceful, perfect days. The light, the air, the quiet, the soft sounds of summer drifting in from outside (distant lawnmowers, children's voices, a dog bark here and there). I love days like this. :)

Here's wishing you all have days that renew you as much as yesterday did for me.

PS - If you haven't read it yet, check out last week's guest post on Charlie Mike. It's wonderful!!!