weekend experiments

The first experiment worth mentioning is that I tried my new anti-The-Sundays medicine; propanolol - a beta blocker for anxiety. I took it both weekend days because I kinda had the feeling Saturday would be weird as well.

I think it helped. I was definitely sleepier early, so it has a drowsy effect, but I didn't have the tiger-pacing-the-cage trapped feeling I sometimes get. except for a MINUTE on Sunday, I shed like two tears and went off on my own and got better. (Destination: tractor supply, to see the baby chicks, get a new pack of sap bags, and see what else they got. I also picked up cheap welly boots, and a nice t-shirt & plaid button down. dress for the job you want, right? #horsegirl. Also I did not buy any chicks or ducklings, I just want to hug them and not like, raise them and have another thing to deal with all the time).


The other thing is noise-reducing earplugs (Flare) for those days when people just talk to me constantly for hours. I love my family, but in some ways I can picture being attacked by waves of attention, do you know what I mean? And I generally identify as an extravert but there are LIMITS.

THe only other thing with me was kinda lacking in Stuff To Do besides cleaning, which is lame. I downloaded a couple little point-and-click games on my phone, and the first 2 were kinda fun (only kinda. 2.5 stars) and creepy, but the same publisher had a bunch of games and I downloaded another and hated it. It was really unpleasant. I'm still mad about it.

I ended up trying another, cuter game, which helped, but my brain is still going 'yuck' abut the other thing. I also downloaded "Ultimate Sackboy" which should bring back the cute factor into my brain!

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Meg had a friend over on Saturday and it was awesome. They giggled the whole time, traded off with ideas, etc.

She had kinda crashed after, and then again on Sunday due to tired and overwhelmed, though. And she was realizing that at her birthday party back in september, there was a lot of Drama that didn't involve her at all, and she was sick (we didn't know she was coming down with something). It bummed me out that she had that realization but I think she's starting to identify who her real friends are and next time we'll just invite them.

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I do feel a little bit unsettled today, wish me luck and settleation!

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Oh yeah! I forgot that I did another couple experiments worth mentioning; we had tapped the maple tree a week ago, so we'll see how that's going. It'll ultimately yield like, a cup of syrup, if that, but we'll keep going. I just talked to a lady who said even though the weather will permit more sap tapping, when the buds come out on the trees the sap gets cloudy, which explains a lot.

Also - The calendula has sprouted enthusiastically, and the lobelia is emerging shyly, and the celery hasn't sprouted yet but I have faith.

I also attempted a couple 'recommended to start outdoors but you can start indoors in biodegradable pot' things: Lake of Thun pansy from last year, some lupine and some morning glory. BUT. You're supposed to scratch or file the seeds a bit. I had a great technique involving holding the seed under my thumbnail and filing it then, because otherwise they're too small and roll away. I ended up hurting my nail/thumb - who could have foreseen that, she asks sarcastically.

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On Saturday when I was feeling kinda fried, it had been snowing, and then meg's friend left, so I stayed home but I didn't feel like cooking, and I wanted to go out but Dan would not provide a committal answer, so I finally just ordered chinese from a new place. Online ordering! Light and tender sweet & sour! Overly salty cashew chicken! It is a win.

But also it's like, dude. You can't just 'not decide' about going to dinner with me, because that means I'll be waiting for you to commit, and I won't be cooking anything, and then I will be hungry.

Employee Time Off Considerations for the 21st Century

1. There is a category for 'personal time' and a category for 'sick time' and I am not sure where dr & dentist appointments fall. I'm not sick. But I need a filling. Similarly, taking a kid to psychiatrist = is that family sick time? (EDIT: Confirmed with coworker those count as 'sick time' and 'family sick time' respectively; personal time is more fun/break related :) )

2. If a parent needs to attend a parent-teacher conference, or other meeting about a kid, that should just be a sort of vague "fmla" thing. A thing you have to do, as a good parent, and a boss should just wave you ahead without tracking it (says I). Or track it. I don't care. But it shouldn't be limited. Volunteering and chaperoning, that could be limited, but a little should be encouraged.

3. If I'm doing something vaguely work-related (such as rotary or going to a movie screening for educators) and I'm not sure if it's 'for me' or 'for work' and my answer is 'both,' then I'm going to count half the hours spent toward my time. There's an old calculation: would you be there if it weren't for your job? (And if the answer is 'hell no,' that tells you something for sure :))

(no subject)

and another thing

I took the kids grocery shopping on Friday night as a treat for them - because their grades are pretty good (would have been excellent except for Ty failing history) and we were out of dinner and snacks they liked.

They were helpful and hilarious and only destroyed shins with a cart ONCE and mostly stayed out of other people's ways.

And I just basically said 'yes' to almost everything; but held off on too many of each variety of snack.

I'd do it again if they're in good moods like that.