Movin on....Germs!

Good morning! Like Wildcat, I am putting off work and posting rather than answer emails and upload a quiz while grading papers. Why? Well, I don't feel like it.



Is not feeling like it a solid reason for ignoring the mounds of paperwork on my desk? Well, yeah....I believe it is. It is a lame reason but one that I can live with for the next 15 minutes or so....

Then, I will start a project and have to stop since I have Pilates class at 10:30.


I am sure that you are thinking...hey, BP Mom, get a grip. The rest of us start our day with a bowl of Special K and a Starbucks frap and work until 5.


I admire you. Last night a dinner, dad and I were talking about teachers.....real ones not faux like I am....OK, I am not faux, but at times, I feel like I am.


My contention was that I could not teach in a classroom with the same faces for 180 days. It would seem like torture.....for the kids, not me. OK, honestly...me too.....The heroes are the men and women who do this work day in and day out.


As far as my teaching is concerned, I can see the same students for 7 weeks or an entire semester. I can live with this lifestyle. Therefore, I vow.....OK, not vow, will try....
Perhaps, "try" is not the right word....how about "think".....



I vow to think about never complaining about my job again. That's good...


On to Daisy who is headed to NC to visit her daughter....my god daughter for an award ceremony and Bridal Show. You see...my sweet oh-so-intelligent god daughter is graduating from medical school and getting married....then moving to Connecticut. How about that for a little stress?

Anyway, "Violet" is extremely bright and wants to be a pediatrician. How great is that? This is a woman who will work with kids day in and day out....then she will go home some day to more children (her own). Kids will be her life.....Nice.....

I have always loved children but could not work with them in a health care way. I get squeamish when a child is sick. Then I think philosophically about how life is not fair and how little children should have enough food, the tools that they need to learn, and a healthy body.


And as I continue to see children who are sick, I become physically and emotionally ill because my head continues to play games with me. Rather than thinking about how unfair life is to these children, I probably should be thinking how I can make their lives better. Perhaps that is the way to handle my anticipatory grieving when I see sick little faces.


Speaking of sick, the big leftie continues to struggle with his health. He went to two specialists this week and they continue to give him medication. With his allergies and asthma, he should not be working at the baseball center, but he continues to do so hoping that his medication will stabilize his symptoms for a few hours.


What's my take on this?

Well....he is nuts. That's right...craz-eee.

He should stay away from a caustic environment and human petri dishes, his clients who are little leaguers. These kids are walking micro organisms who delight in spreading germs. Naturally, with his weakened immune system, he picks everything up, gets sick, and brings the bugs home. He sneezes, coughs, hacks, and gladly shares his sickness with the rest of us. It looks like he has lost about 10 pounds and cannot shake this infection.  I am not sure what to do short of sending him to the Mayo clinic for a complete work up or Florida for some sunshine and relaxation.

With that said, I have enough guilt built up that I need to start one project....just one...then Pilates....



have a great day!

Peace!

Movin on.....Jack of All Trades...Master of None

Good morning! It's an early one since dad woke the house up looking for his razor.....you see.....



With adult children living at home, they are less inclined to follow established rules such as don't borrow anything without replacing it....close garage door....walk dogs before they mess the floor.....close cabinets after opening them....close the freezer after removing a Skinny Cow ice cream bar.....pick up after yourself....help others....keep a positive attitude and so on and so on and so on.....

Therefore, at 5 am, I decided to get out of bed and start my day since my sleep was disrupted by the missing razor.

What is going on? Well, I guess the adults around here...namely Tink and the big leftie no longer take ownership of property and people's possessions. They borrow or take...never replace....

Is it all bad? Naw.....it's bad when dad has to borrow my pink razor to shave. He was not pleased and encouraged me to spend the extra dollar and purchase better quality ones. All's well....

What else is new?

Well, work has kicked up in a big way. As some readers know, I am the editor of the department's magazine. It is published once and year and generally an arduous project because I have to beg people to write articles, take photos, and make my project their priority...which it is not. Therefore, I am left creating the entire magazine almost alone.



This year with the budget crunch, I was told by marketing that the magazine was on hold. After 8 months of preparation and lots of work in it, the project was moved to the shelf and labeled....."dust collector..."

Just as I was exhaling, 'cause frankly I did my work and if it is not published, so be it.....I bumped into the Provost.

"How is the magazine coming?"

BPM: "Didn't you hear? It's on the shelf."

Angrily, "No, it is not. Get it moving for publication. I will find the money...."



Crud....double crud....triple crud.....



And so....we are back on AND I have a deadline....Crud....double crud....triple crud....

Since there is no money for professional photography, I am carrying my camera around campus and snapping photos of poorly dressed and unprepared community members who scowl at me. Last year, I was told that my photos were terrible....this year I got the job because I have taken lots of birthday and holiday photos with my Nikon. Yep, my job qualifications are being a mom and snapping pix of the kids with cake on their faces. Hey, you never know when life events qualify a person for the big time.....I should add "mom duties for 28 years" on my resume....

Let's see, I am qualified based on past experience as a:

nurse (boo boos, headaches, stomach viruses and vomit are attended to with a kind word or gagging)
chauffeur (I have logged thousands of miles in car pools)


cleaning professional (cleaning up dog poo and pee plus pulling out the vacuum, dusting, and making beds)
plumber (I unclog toilets like lightening)
landscaper (I plant the flowers and weed.....)
carpenter (got my screw driver to tighten knobs on cabinets)
artist ( I color in the lines)
sculptor (check out my Play dough figures)
counselor (BP mom's attention is yours when you need it as well as the sentence "What are you going to do about it?")
bartender (we know what happens at 5p)


secretary (Controlling schedules....except the time when I put Tink on the bus when she did not have school....that was bad)


financial adviser (no, you cannot buy a Corvette with $98. 24.....)
mathematician ( I can figure out a tip with my trusty calculator)
singer (itsy bitsy spider is my signature song...kind of like Sinatra's New York, New York)
waitress and cook (yep, my recipe for noodle surprise has won lots of local awards....NOT!)

With that said, I am also qualified as a personal shopper and have to get my body to the grocery store to buy some razors. I would like more than 5 hours of sleep tonight....



Peace!.

Getting ready

Good evening! I'\m back and ask forgiveness for not posting. The reality is that we are in a holding pattern until the surgery on November 2. Until then, there is no good, juicy baseball news....except....

The guys from Seattle contacted the Big kid. It seems that the Czar and Psycho contacted them for more information about their program. if you are a regular reader, you know that to do these exercises and programs are taboo. The guys could be cut from the team....Yet......

Over the summer, one of the frosh, now sophomores contacted the big lefty to ask for advice. He sent films to him and wanted to work out using his techniques. Being a softie, the big guy gave it to him. Then he analyzed the sophs films and sent him advice. During fall ball, this kid hit 95 consistently.

When asked by the coaches what he had done over the summer, he told him that he followed this program. Figuring that he would be cut, the coaches contacted Seattle for more information. Remember, my son was not allowed to mention other protocols for fear of reprisals. Times have changed a bit, eh?

Anyway, the lefty is in a good place. He is ready for surgery and has a job at a baseball and fitness center when he recovers until he heads back out west. All things plus the stars and moon have aligned as he is ready to go.

Hopefully, I will be able to post more before the surgery. Unfortunately, work has been crazy. With the online format, I have doubled my work. In other words, my face is always looking at a screen....except today, when I took the afternoon off to take the pups to the vet. They are healthy and a good weight. They got their shots and after their appointment, Tink and I took them to Petsmart for bones and toys. Yes, I know, they are dogs, but they received two shots in the rear ends....so they got a cute toy for their troubles.

Ok, I have to go online to read my students' posts and grade some quizzes.....

OR.....

I could go to bed and watch television.....

Later!

Yes, the gelato was good

I'm baaack......and backed up.....like nothing before. I guess that I have been denying that I am really back at work....the work will go away if I ignore it. Yet, this is not the case and I have to put my head down and begin to think....

Although....my mind wanders and wants to chill because it really did not chill this summer, at all....all I could think about on my time off was that I was going to have to return to work...lo and behold, rather than relaxing, I was stressing myself out. Now, it is here. The moment that I dreaded.....OK, not dreaded. I think that I need one more week...in solitary confinement, not in a Louisiana prison (more about that later), but in a spa...massage....facial...reflexology....solitude tank.....no television, cell phone, iPad....

Actually, I am glad to be back at work. Now I can focus on what has to be done and can go back to counting Weight Watchers Points to fit into the fall and winter clothes.
 

On to what has happened....first, BD had a bit of a spill in a parking lot...twisted an ankle, visited the good folks in the Er via an ambulance....and is now working to retrieve her mobility. Honestly...it was an accident...a gelato accident. We were finishing our gelato and there was a hole in the asphalt and poor BD found it. This made for an interesting few days as the pups tried to nurse her back to health. Although, as Christina would sing..."thanks for making me a fighter..."

On to the big kid.....some of you know that my wedding anniversary was a few weeks ago. Immersed in jury duty, dad suggested that I do not purchase a gift for him and that he ordered something to be delivered south where we planned to spend Labor Day weekend with BD and the pups. OK, so be it....

When I arrived from my flight to join the family (I came last), a car pulled up to pick me up. It looked like the car, but dad was not behind the wheel, but a young man, so I waited. I stepped away from the car and looked for another car to pick me up. Then the young man honked the horn. Looking around, I thought that he was there for another person, then the window came down....."Hi mom!"

Yep! The young man was mine and I was floored. "You are supposed to be in Seattle! Are you OK? Why are you here?"

"I am your present."



Oh my goodness. I have never ever been given a nicer gift in my life. I lost it, ran to him, hugged the stuffing out of him, embarrassed the big kid....and could not stop hugging him. This was a moment I will never forget. I still get misty thinking about it. I definitely needed a lift and a half after this horrific trial (more about that later, since I have to go to work).

We spent the weekend together and I could not have been happier except for poor BD's ankle. And yes, the gelato was pretty darn good.

The gang spent the weekend fishing and I was able to hit a few tennis balls and hang out with BD. All in all, it made me more restless about returning to work. Oh well, no complaints....

The last story that I will share is the big lefty's conversation with me the night before we returned.
"Mom, I do not know if I want to do this any more...."

Huh? Wha? Seriously? Really?

Hey, he can do whatever he wants BUT he has to finish this process. And so, he continued to explain that he is tired of working out....tired of hurting....tired of being poor.....OK, scratch the poor part....the bills have been paid by his momma. He has been put on a budget by his dad in the last few weeks and therefore has limited access to cash.

Back to the conversation....we left it at.....he's going back....going to finish what he started....coming home and working out at a local baseball facility. He also wants to work as an intern at a cousin's corporation to earn money and 'take the burden of supporting him off us." Nice.

My BP Mom take on it...the flame thrower is not up to where he wants to be, he had a nice weekend of fishing, eating, and sleeping and reality hit as he prepared to return.

It's OK. He can be frustrated and impatient BUT he has to finish, because he will never forgive himself...ever....if he walks away as he closes in on his goal.....never.....

Got to work.


Peace!

Preparing for Seattle

Oops....If I say that I have not posted because I have been busy, would you believe me? No? Yes?



OK, I have had a few down moments, but nothing to write until today. Soooooo, here we go....

First, Happy birthday to Big M who is the toughest guy that I know as he battled the foes on the gridiron and now the big bad cancer cells that have invaded his body. I am looking forward to seeing him today to share a DQ Dilly Bar or some birthday cake. Yeah, I know....I don't need either, but it is a national holiday-it's Big M's birthday!



Another shout out to BP Grandmom who needed some medical attention on Tuesday. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the diagnosis is vertigo. She had a cat scan of the head which was 'negative'. This is something that we have chuckled over. BP Grandpop is now the Florence Nightingale of the household. I wonder if he can create a four cornered sheet on the bed? Shall I try to drop a quarter on it? It had better bounce!

On to the extremely big guy who came back from the south with me over the weekend ten pounds heavier. Ooops, when a person does not work out 6 hours a day and eats the same amount of food, the pounds can creep up on you. I should know as the pounds creep up and can then bite a person in the butt....if you know what I mean.

Anyway, he went to Jersey with his pal, Righty to have his body realigned. These guys work with professional athletes, especially hockey players. As he was examined by the experts, they concurred that his college training damaged his body, albeit not permanently. This was good news.

The better news was that they will work with him five days a week for four weeks for $89.00.

Huh? Does this mean $89.00 a day? Sheesh!

Nope. This price tag covers all five days a week for four weeks. Did he have a coupon? What's the deal? Is this training on the clearance rack? Really? Are they mad scientists? Why the low invoices? Don't they know that I have a stash of change under my sofa cushions?

The answer will surprise you. They responded that the low price tag was to build their new business. And lo and behold, I am super pumped that he got in on the ground floor. They also told him that he is never and I repeat 'never' to lift weights for the upper body. Huh? Is this a best practice model? Covered by research? Do we have data on this policy?

We do? Really? We read research and abide by best practice models? Such a novel idea!

After he worked out for two days, his body is looser and is beginning to recover. Yesterday, he was throwing and was gunned. He hit 90 mph. Yep, he has not really pitched in two months and he hit 90!

Excited? Uh, yes.

Last week when he stopped by Tampa to analyze their program, he sat in a chair and was gunned sitting at 80 mph. That's right. He could not use his legs, so he sat in a chair and could hit 80. According to the big lefty, his speed was the third highest among the group of participants and he was sitting. Cool, huh?

All of this has renewed his hope in things to come. After he finishes his Jersey work outs, he will head west to Driveline which is in the Seattle suburbs. From there, he and Righty will work with the experts and hopefully catch someone's eye.

And so, here is where we stand....southeastern Pennsylvania to the mountains to Ohio to Illinois to Texas to Tampa to Seattle...then who knows?

I will end with this thought....I am proud of the big kid who has overcome tough hurdles and focused on his goal. He will succeed no matter what he does. My hope is that he can find something in life that he is passionate about that will excite and motivate him to do his best. Finally, I pray that he is a good and kind man who gives back to his community and  finds contentment in life. This is a mother's prayer.



Amen.

Peace!