Besides having the net knocked out (which took out my phone service, too!), the party planning for S6's birthday bash is underway. I'll try to get back here on Monday with the promised replies, but in case I don't (but I will say I need to look at pricing on flights to Alaska!), there's wine chilled downstairs, cold beer in the frig, and here's the key to the liquor cabinet. Help yourselves!
Thanks,
Joe
My sitch More importantly, Light A Million Candles
Bud in a frosty mug for me! Obviously, I am not as sophisticated as others around here, but, hey...I like an icy cold beer on a beautiful September day.
Each experience in life has formed me, become part of me, made me stronger.
The thread had languished for days, wandering unguided and creeping ever closer to the twilight dwelling of the Lock Monster.
So I started this one. It doesn't seem unguided at all anymore over there, thanks to the careful minstrations of GBK Thread Maintenance, Inc. Maybe the floors are a little scuffed, and the beer's running low, but hey, that's why we get these nice shiny new threads (or sparkly new threads, as in Wonder's case).
Gabe,
Quote: You may be able to file violations of the custody agreement in your family court.
I'll have to ask the lawyer about that. It'd certainly be easier, so I hope it's available to me. Right now I need to get paid so I can pay the L for the QDRO processing. The joys of being an independent contractor!
Betsey,
Quote: I'm sorry to hear about all the antics XW is pulling. You're doing a great job not taking her bait, so keep at
I'm still basking in the glow of my realization about how I can refuse to join the "relationship of conflict." I presume that XW will be at D11's school's open house Thursday, so we'll see if I can do better than the small backslide at S6's school's open house last week.
Quote: Hope you're having a great week and that the wine was what the doctor ordered.
The week was great, and the wine was tasty! But I'm gettin' a hankerin' for some beer, something flavorful like, say, Guinness. Mmmm. Guinness is good! (Where's the "licking my lips" smiley when I need it?)
Glenda,
Quote: By the 8th, you are back at the Irish Music Jam
That sounds right up my alley, and it would fit with my work schedule and the impending deadline on my voucher. I need to go look at ticket prices once we get S6's b-day celebration out of the way.
I could use a T-shirt from there to win free Guinness in the "how far have you traveled for Irish music?" competitions.
Kev and Glenda
Quote: 3 fingers of Glennfiddich, please!
I'll second the Glenfiddish and just "be good at it.":D
Help yourselves!
Barb,
Quote: hey...I like an icy cold beer on a beautiful September day.
Yeah, this is the time for celebrating the harvest, isn't it? I need to go get some Pete's Oktoberfest before it's all gone. And some Guinness.
Now if my check would just show up!
April,
Quote: I just want to add that I also love autumn
It's great, isn't it? The weather has been fantastic for about a week now, except for too much rain, but the temps have been perfect, IMHO. There's a tree across from my street's intersection with the "main road" that has started turning yellow, and it has me thinking about what the mountains back in PA will look like this year. After so many years of droughts or storms that killed "the show," I'm really looking forward to a brilliant display. I love color!
Q,
Quote: I love Paris in the springtime......
Which Paris is that? Did you ever see the episode of Night Court where John Larroquette's character's parents come to NYC? They're from Paris. Paris, Louisiana.
What passes for an update these days:
OK, gang, sorry for the delay getting back here. Ya know how hard it is to find Godzilla party decorations these days? Fortunately, the original Gojira came out on DVD this week, so I have a cool present for S6. Since he saw it already, I can pop it into a PC and get some frames to print as decorations, or at least to prepare the goody bags. Now I just need the time to do that, as well as do some more cleaning, get kids to the C, etc.
Tonight will be a challenge. D11's at her volleyball clinic this afternoon. The clinics started almost two weeks ago. I asked about them in the office when I was picking her up for the C appt today. They told me that there had been announcements about the clinics, three times a day, before they started. D12 never mentioned it, so she's missed the first 6 or 7 clinic sessions by now. She told me that they said it was for kids who had completed the paperwork, and she figured she hadn't. Yeesh! I had all the paperwork for all the kids finished back in August. Oh, well, we'll see how it goes today.
But this evening is the open house at her school. She borrowed my phone to call XW while S6 was seeing the C this afternoon, so I suppose XW will be there, too. She was very unpleasant at S6's open house last week. She sat at S6's desk and took the parent packet, then demanded that I return "her papers" when I read it after the teacher's presentation. D12 will be there tonight, and who knows what XW will pull.
Breathe. In, out, in, out. OK, I'm feeling much better now. Seriously, I just need to remember why I'm there and all the blessings in my life that she can't touch.
I don't have any idea how many people will show for S6's party on Saturday. So far I've only heard from one classmate (we invited the entire class) and two friends from other classes/last year's school.
Work is extremely busy, and getting busier up until late October. My check did not arrive again today, and my client said it was supposed to go out Sept. 1. He's going to check with the bank. Meanwhile, I have bills to pay and I don't want to dip into my meager savings, but it looks like I'll have to go there.
The weather is gorgeous, and forecast to continue mostly gorgeous right through S6's party. There was some fog and a hint of autumn in the taste of the air this morning. I loved it.
Anyway, that's about it, disjointed as it is.
Thanks,
Joe
My sitch More importantly, Light A Million Candles
I have complete confidence in the choices you will make tonight. It's a wonderful thing that you realize you don't need to play into the role she's cast for you.
Breathe in and out... (And BTW, I like the part of you realizing she can't steal your blessings. Right on.)
Quote: The clinics started almost two weeks ago. I asked about them in the office when I was picking her up for the C appt today. They told me that there had been announcements about the clinics, three times a day, before they started. D12 never mentioned it, so she's missed the first 6 or 7 clinic sessions by now.
Well, for different reasons, last year D12 missed the first half of the clinic sessions too. They continue to build on skills they need or need to learn and typically they continue at an individual pace. D12 got a lot out of them, even if she didn't attend all of them. So I think your D11 will be fine.
Whatever she takes away from them when they're done is going to help her during tryouts. It will give her an edge over girls that didn't attend any sessions or didn't work hard... and from what you've told me, v-ball is as much a passion for your D11 as it was and is for my D12. I truly doubt she's going to show up for tryouts and not give things her absolute best.
And now that I'm in the know, I'll share a few things about tryouts with you. The coaches do like seeing obvious skills. But what they really want from the younger girls is to see them try (and I mean TRY) to execute and to not get flustered when they ask them to make changes. So equally important (if not more so), they're looking for girls who can be team players, take criticism for constructive reasons and not personally (unless it IS personal) and to put 110% into the entire tryout session. It tells them that they've got a kiddo who can learn, be motivated and work hard for good results. They pick up skills as they go.
My D12 has a nice serve. Not an awesome one (which we all love floaters in our house and she hasn't been able to perfect that) but a good, hard and direct hit over the net. They nicknamed her "The Arm" at her middle school last year.
She's working on her jump serve in clinics and her fall league practice now. She's not consistently getting the ball over the net yet (I'd say about 1 in 8), but the serves are powerful and straight and she slams them into the net. Both her fall league and clinic instructors told me her form is excellent--that once she figures out where she needs to hit the ball and consistently nails it there, that ball is going to sail over and she's going to be a good jump server.
When I first saw her try it, I winced. But she didn't react to the outcome, picked up the ball and tried it again, with the same results. Inwardly I was wondering why she felt she was ready to jump, but I kept my opinion to myself. After she did about 25 of them (with similar results), instead of getting frustrated, I realized that learning to jump serve was a goal she set for herself. It wasn't a wish ("I wish I could do this without failing"), but a legitimate goal. And she's kept at it ever since.
There was a lesson there for me. I tend to give up after a few failures--even if it's a goal. I figure out if there's another way to get the outcome I want. That's not necessarily good. What IS good is that you keep trying and perfecting a move that continues to improve. Damn, I wish I were 12 again! (Not really. The thought makes my stomach lurch.)
Okay, back to you. I know you'll do fine tonight. At the very least, you can always ask yourself if your desired reaction is what you used to do... that will keep you flustered all night and prevent you from doing anything rash.
I'll make sure Kevin has a Guinness for you on Saturday. I'm sticking with the Glenfiddich.
Bets
"There are only 2 ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
Hi Joe...Just popping in to say I hope tonight went well. I'm finding out that somehow these X's seem to try to get us to lash out...but it's always better to try and not let them get to us. You do great work with that!
