Poster girls

One project I was able to finish since I returned. To be hung up in the kids' room, which Maya refers to as her room. Formerly known as Naomi's room. Will make 3 more.

We returned home to a sink full of dirty pans and dishes and much less food. The sink was clean when we left. Big sigh from both of us. The next morning I awoke to the dulcet sound of jackhammers on our sidewalk. In the not too distant past, it was the homeowner's responsibility to repair the sidewalk. Conveniently timed to the year we both lost our jobs, we had to repair several squares very arbitrarily selected. My neighbor and I went for a walk together trying to denote reason in their markings. And as it turned out, diligence is not rewarded as the very next year, it was voted to make sidewalk repair the city's responsibility. And the rental property next door that ignored the warnings? Rewarded.
Here are some interesting (to me) oxymorons:
Concrete drying. No just the opposite as concrete hydrates to set. Thus spraying  water on it makes it 'dry'.In our case, mother nature provided the spray.
Common merganser: These are actually quite rare. The red breasted mergansers that we came across are much more 'common.' Perhaps by common, they mean low class. They lack the fancy head pieces other mergansers have and are quite boring looking. Bird blogs (!?) occasionally enthusiastically cite spottings.

As for those mergansers, perhaps they should rethink traveling in flocks. One bird catches a fish; the others spot it and quickly swarm him to steal it. Usually he loses it. But being able to gulp it down in peace seems impossible. These food fights are very noisy but fun to watch.

So what have I been up to? Struggling to be useful. So much to do and diminishing energy to do it. When we got the roof redone a few weeks back, all of my plant holders and patio decor had to be removed. Did I put it back? Did I string up my new lights (which I have quite a few no thanks to my birthday and a buying spree)? I did plant some lilies and phlox so yay for that. Hopefully the super cold morning today didn't kill them. I did finish 2 posters. I am almost finished with yet another photobook. Meanwhile Steve has been working around the clock to finish this huge book. He does not like the way I format things so he wants his own. Unfortunately there is an especially steep learning curve for him to learn all the tricks about making these things so it's been a slow slog for him and he hates to ask me for help.. It has been too cold, windy, rainy to bike though I have been running (one day entirely in the rain). Today was going to be my long bike ride but it's 30 something now. Maybe after Josh's visit today I will go out.

Since the kids' school is out this week, Shanna and her kids visited one day though quickly the boys went to their other grandma's. I was able to see Tessa at least. And I stopped by the next day after an IKEA run (cheap poster holders). And one day my birthday buddy treated me to a very pleasant lunch. He had recently visited some of our former colleagues who happen to be  still employed by our former employer though 750 miles away and at least 2 more moves on their part. It was decided that no one is to have personal space anymore. Furthermore, there are less desks than employees that need them so it's like those mergansers fighting for the same fish day in and out. And do they actually make potential drugs anymore? Not with their hands, they just design them for the Chinese to do it.

We are glad we are gone.