Random Bits of Life

I replied to an email inquiring about the general state of my life given my recent silence in the blogosphere, and now will shamelessly repatriate the email for the general audience of my blog. Here goes...

Anyhow, I am doing good. I have just been very busy of late, mostly chasing after a very active little boy who has learned how to climb and is busily trying to scale every piece of furniture in the house. My job is Safety Spotter these days. Oh, and Argument Mediator, since he's figured out how to annoy his sister, and Attention Giver, since DD interprets me hovering around DS (trying to keep him from breaking his skull), as Attention, and she insists on getting Her Fair Share.

Thus my house and yard and other bits have been suffering lately, and it's kind of depressing. I was in a good groove for a few months, the house was reasonably tidy, the clutter was diminishing, the yard was perking up--then Sickness! Calamity! Child Development! And everything changed once again. I suppose I should expect that but it took me by surprise yet again. So I am just now re-equilibrating and attempting to find another new groove in order to keep on top of everything. Blogging went out the window, unsurprisingly. I am sure I will get back into a habit soon, hopefully.

Fortunately I finally managed to plant my vegetable garden (always a source of cheer in the summertime), and now just need to tackle the bed cleaning and weeding tasks that are multitudinous at this time of year. Eventually I might, just might, get my yard looking all nice and clean...when the kids are moved out! I have given up all pretense at organic gardening and am enrolling my new favorite friends, Weed N Feed and Preen, as my gardening companions. Perhaps with their assistance I will finally have a shot at weed-free lawn and planting beds...but I will not hold my breath. It's really more of a war at this stage, as the blessing & curse of very fertile soil makes quite the home for weedy pests like Scottish thistle, creeping buttercup, and brambles of all sorts. I don't mind the chickweed, but thorny/spiky plants are just not welcome with little ones running around the yard and garden. DH is jonesing for one of those flame weeders to keep the gravel driveways clear, and darn if I'm not thinking of getting him one! I am just a tad concerned that he will become overexuberant with it next to our (wood) house.

We have had quite the crew of intrepid birds around the yard lately. The spotted towhees have become accustomed to our presence and talk quite loudly to us when we bumble around the yard, interrupting their vociferous chatter and search for food. The downy/hairy woodpeckers are downright friendly, staying on the suet feeder when I'm only a few feet away. The pileated woodpeckers are doing their own thing during the summer, it seems, but the variety of hummingbirds are making up for their loud & large presence. And we saw a redtailed hawk at the end of our lane last weekend, early in the morning. It was on the ground and flew off as we approached, a small tailed rodent firmly clutched in its talons. It settled in a nearby alder for its breakfast. Alas, no camera! Always my luck on such occasions, I'm afraid.

My friend had expressed some concern over developments in his (formerly, our) workplace, and my take on the proposed changes was,
"Anyway you orient it, it's ugly--and I'm betting it won't work. But hey, maybe he (this would be the former co-worker who made it seem like everything he did worked even when it patently didn't, and our boss swallowed it all because it was easier that way) will get some great results...I doubt it, though. It's a good thing I don't work on it any more. I'd hate to have the discussions with X...and I'd hate even more any "trial attempts" he would ram in, then creatively interpret to make {Ex-Boss} think it worked like a charm. Ugh. See, I'm already annoyed and I'm not even working on it! Good thing I'm just being a plain old adjunct faculty member up here. I just don't have the creative suspension of disbelief that is apparently required for research these days. I'd probably end up labeled "Bad Attitude" like Y and shuttled around between projects at whim. Plus, you know, I'm one of those scientists who think Intelligent Design poses good questions that should be answered, so I'd just be Expelled like the rest, because I probably would say something at some point to get myself in hot water. Yep, I'll stick with Safety Spotter, thanks."

And thus sums up my life at present, folks. Oh, that and the mildew issue in the laundry room, which perhaps I will avoid until after this weekend, but then-again-perhaps-not because I don't want to deal with a VERY mildewy laundry room after the weekend. *sigh* Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow?