Filling My Days

On the 10th I made a journey up to see my parents.  On the way I stopped to have lunch with a friend from school days, Susan.  I met her in Kindergarten.  We were casual friends; really never hung out much in high school.  Not that we didn't like each other it was just that she joined other clubs, etc and I was in the music department most of the time...orchestra, marching band, girls' chorus, mixed chorus, ensembles, etc.  She and I really reconnected on FB over a sort of common thing...loss of marital partners.  Only, she lost hers in a different way than I lost mine...he died suddenly from a burst femoral artery aneurysm.  It happened 2 weeks after my divorce was final.  We have been encouraging each other to pick up and move along.  It was really great having that time with her.  I would like to visit more.  My problem is I have my vacation time packed with house improvements/projects.  sigh

After the weekend at my parents' I went to Sandusky to our 2 days of school meetings.  It was basically a waste of time and money (their money, my time).  It is nice to connect F2F with co-workers.  We had a lot of laughs and shared our organization secrets.  It just didn't seem like they were giving us anything new...in the meetings. As a team, we could have done what we did in one day and went home.

I came home for 2 days and took care of the yard, the dogs, the laundry, house, etc then packed up and Bethany and I headed to Maryland to spend time with a close friend that I as of yet had spent time with F2F...we had been friends for the better part of 11 years.  It was as if we had been hanging out with each other all along.  We got along just great!  And Bethany enjoyed the time too.  She has really started coming out of her shell.  She used to be so afraid to talk to anyone.  But she sat there and talked with Karen and Matt like it was a natural thing. 

I have noticed that she has been talking more to everyone.  She didn't even used to talk to my parents or her Aunts/Uncles much.  She said she always felt awkward and didn't know what to say.  I guess she figured it out.  I am pleased!

While I was gone, Troy was working in Michigan.  They were taking most of the weekend off so he texted and asked if he could spend the night at the house so that he could spend father's day with TJ.  I said it was fine.  He did some laundry while he was here and so did TJ.  LOL  Glad I am good for something.

Then I found out that he is still going to be in Michigan the rest of this week.  So, since Bethany was sad that she missed him and vice versa, I volunteered to drive her to Michigan tonight to see him and have dinner with him.  I told him I was sorry I was going to be with her but she shouldn't drive that far on her own.  I told him I could find something else to do.  He said he wanted to see me too,  Whatever.  

Tomorrow night I have to go see my son about changing the battery in his car,  Friday night I am going out to dinner with Jean before she leaves on her Carolina vacay.  Other than that, I have worked out a project schedule for what I need to do around the house...inside and out.  Most of it involves painting.  The inside painting does not matter since weather does not affect it.  However, I need to plan the gutter painting around the weather.  I am painting gray over the brown so it matches the roof,

I also need to put down the mulch.  I know it is late but that's the way things worked out this summer. I wanted my vacation fun.  Now I need to knuckle down.  LOL

I will be receiving my new contract end of next week.  It should be a 2 year contract.  Kind of anxious to see what kind of raise I am getting.  I am not banking on it being too much because they are tight wads.  

I opted to NOT begin my Intervention Specialist classes this summer.  I really did not want to have to mess with it this summer.  I am doing the things I need to do and want to do first.  Not letting someone/something take me off my course.  

I managed to tear up the livingroom carpet before I left for my parents'.  It looks really nice.  The hardwood flooring underneath is in great shape.  The room sized rugs look nice.  The dogs weren't too sure about it but they are used to it now.  LOL

Okay...now it is time to do some work around here.