Training Log Archive: barb

To school for an interesting parent teacher meeting (all jr high parents and staff), at which we discussed behavior and the means the teachers are taking to deal with poor behavior. They have a great system set up. I tried to make the point that the kids are feeling somewhat disempowered and behavior would improve if the teachers welcome any attempts from the kids to propose changes to the rules. The kids did circulate a petition, but the kids felt their efforts were squashed.

bridge ckt. Very happy to have gotten off my duff wrt exercise, especially as we bailed on the CSU local event yesterday in favor of staying warm and dry and spending time with my family and a visitor from Kyrgyzstan. In addition to running, I cleaned the chicken coop and made lasagna (for tonight's International Dinner at school) before heading off to work. I almost sound like I'm getting stuff done.

I am awfully pleased that Cristina will join me & Peter for the AZ rogaine. Triangles have much more interesting social dynamics than pairs, and just being a pair has been plenty interesting. I tend to think of success in rogaines as being primarily about not having some kind of breakdown (injury, blisters, GI problems, dehydration) and of course with more people you have a higher probability of that happening. But we can offset that disadvantage by communicating well and using all three brains and milking the party atmosphere for morale and having Cristina and Peter carry my stuff.

C • stuff 16

C • primarily about not having ... 5

had to go back home once i arrived at work b/c i'd left my bike bag with computer on the back porch while moving plants so neighbor Brad could borrow the van which was in the garage...

To school for the international dinner. My parents are visiting, and as is not atypical for them, they invited a visitor to visit them while they visit us. Her name is Anara, and she is the sister of an acquaintance of the administrator of the foreign teachers program in Kyrgyzstan where my parents taught a few years ago. She is here to learn English and just found out she got in to U Mich to study social work. Anyway, Anara came along to the dinner, which was served by David & his friends to raise funds for charity and the 8th grade yearbook. Afterward, I dropped Isabel's friend Jessie off at the Porter Square bookstore, where her sociologist father was reading excerpts from his new book on how 9/11 has worked its way into our culture. I bought a copy and had him autograph it to my parents and biked on home in the dusk thinking that I really ought to get a replacement bike light.

Dreams:

(1) Peter and I are doing a rogaine in the Swiss Alps. The map covers urban areas, foothills, and the mountains themselves. We're not very organized. Peter isn't dressed very seriously. He seems to be wearing some kind of Viking costume and maybe dress shoes.

(2) [After listening to a palliative care / end of life story on NPR last night:] Mom and Dad have not decided to join one of their parents in a nursing home. I am shocked that they made this decision without talking with me and Doug. Also, they seem pretty active and healthy to me, although part way through the dream I realize that Mom is breathing from a tank from time to time. I ask questions: are you going to be able to leave this place ever? to travel, for instance? The doctor for the place shows up, but he is not very communicative. He mumbles.

(This is no longer the dream.) Mom and Dad are actually coming to visit today. They will arrive at rush hour just as I will be taking Isabel to soccer practice and getting ready to host a dinner with a couple people who used to live at Spouting Horn Road with us. So I can't pick them up from the airport. I called them last night to suggest they take a cab and they couldn't understand why they shouldn't take public transport as usual (3 subway trains to Central Square and walk about 1km). I finally came out with it: I'm not sure how frail you guys are at the moment and I feel bad I can't pick you up.

C • Breathing from a tank 1

Chose to do gardening and spend time with the kids (homework, etc.) and more data entry for Obama (!) instead of exercising. Hosted an expanded meeting (with overnight-risen yeast waffles) of the Grape Hero editorial board; we're gearing up for a project to hook up would-be gardeners to people with gardening space on their property. Made arrangements to collect chicken manure for a nearby community garden. Transplanted a bunch of seedlings. The harvest has started: radishes, lettuce. This coming week we'll harvest bok choi, kale. And of course eggs...

Another "don't cluck don't tell" article.