Went to a fabulous party in an apartment on Central Park last night. The living room was about the size of my apartment. The whole thing was done up beautifully with art and antiques. Jeeeealous.

Today, baby shower for a church friend! Very excited to be the smug know-it-all new mommy in the room :D

Tomorrow, church in Queens.

This afternoon I'm training at the local no-kill animal shelter to be qualified to socialize the cats. (Yes, I have to spend two hours learning how to pet cats.) I get to learn how to play with the dogs in a couple weeks. The shelter has a drop-in volunteer policy, where you can just show up any time and for as long as you want during their business hours, which is awesome.

My father and I are going out to dinner with my aunts this evening to celebrate their anniversary at a REALLY good Italian restaurant downtown. I should probably figure out something to wear that will hide the cat scratches I'm likely to come home with this afternoon.

Mostly I am enjoying the break from the heat and humidity by opening the windows and cuddling up in a sweatshirt and slippers with my cat on my lap, and drinking green tea. I had forgotten how miserable summers in the Midwest can be.

1. Today E17 Art Trail.

2. Tomorrow more E17 Art Trail.

Mail stuffed lion toy to dutchland, hit DM renfest, sit on my ass.

Mainly working all weekend to make up for a complete lack of productivity during the week. We have moved into our new home on about 4 acres and I'd like to finally take a walk around the property today. At 35 weeks pregnant, just walking around the house gets me winded sometimes, but I'll give it a shot.

Tomorrow going to a baby shower for my husband's cousin, who I have met once. Coming from a tiny family, it's new for me having so many family events to attend.

Also hoping to see my parents this weekend (mom is in a ventilator rehab facility after recently getting a trach, and I meet up with dad there for a visit and we often get lunch or dinner after).

so far i've finished an ebook (steampunk with vampires!) and have started cleaning out the 3rd bedroom.

i probably will spend the rest of the weekend finishing the 3rd bedroom, going through boxes of paper crap (toss! shred! tear into tiny pieces!) currently stored in the 3rd bedroom and reading.

Tonight's race at Richmond will the last chance for drivers to make the Chase in Nascar. I will be at a sports bar trading in my Good Boy Points (accumulated at the gym) for a few beers and a plate of onion rings. I have already decided that this will be the last season I follow racing to any major degree.

My only plan for tomorrow is to hit a couple specialty produce shops that are within (my) biking distance.

I'm pushing down the cranky about weekend plans. The Fella had planned to take the weekend off, friends of ours in Boston picked up Red Sox tickets, dim sum in Chinatown, and a weekend with two of our favorite people.

Then the co-worker who was scheduled to cover his weekend fell through, so we had to cancel. Everything. The Fella feels guilty even though it's not his fault, so I put on a bright face about it while I explained and apologized to our dear friends, then reassured him that it's FINE, but secretly inside? I am whiny like a spoiled little baby.

But! This is how it is, so let's make the best of it! When The Fella gets home at 11:45 tonight, I'll have a nice dinner ready. We'll have the new Doctor Who tivo'd. I'll chill a split of wine and a six-pack. I did the laundry and freshened up the apartment. And we'll have pancakes for Sunday breakfast.

Otherwise, my plans are: write. Do laundry. Write. Watch "Grizzly Man" (which I have been putting off for a week because YIKES). Research. Write.

occhiblu, socializing cats sounds like it might be the right speed of volunteer work for me these days.

My sister's family fosters kittens, which sounds to me like the ideal way to have but also not-have cats. Ever since my niece first rhapsodized to me about the ever-changing cast of in-home kittens, I've wanted to foster kittens, but our apartment doesn't allow pets. Spending an afternoon a week "socializing the cats" sounds like a pretty good substitute.

New USB turntable works, now struggling to master Audacity. Too many buttons!

Otherwise reading, keeping a half-interested eye on the tennis, maybe a nap. I often do not leave the house during the weekend. Might go somewhere tomorrow.

Finalizing the refi on my mortgage this week. Lower monthly payment, and not a moment too soon.

"Grizzly Man" is fascinating.

Elsa, yes, I'm really excited about the cat volunteer work. It feels both productive and decadent. I like that combination.

Oh, I look forward to hearing about the USB turntable. My sister offered to loan me hers so I can digitize The Fella's record collection but I haven't gotten around to taking her up on it.

I've been deep-cleaning and vacuuming the house today. I really let things go this summer, with many days of heat and high humidity, mr. init traveling a lot, and I just didn't feel like coming home at night to get dripping wet in a matter of minutes. But now it's time to face up to it, and oh! it's nasty. I've probably cleaned out a winter's worth of meals for many spiders just on one staircase. I am momentarily ashamed to be such a poor housekeeper, but looking forward to having a clean house again!

Tomorrow: cookout with friends, catching up on DVR episodes (the new BBC America show Copper) and starting a new book, City of Women by David Gillham.

1. Grocery shopping

2. Laundry

3. Bungee jumping into a live volcano

Currently home and waiting for the dishwasher to finish running and the storm to pass.

Received notice today that I've passed my East assignments. (Technically, I have to do the physical assignment, but the person said she was going to pass us because she's not sure when her schedule will allow her coming down to do that with us.) I'm on the hunt for red accessories now.

Work tomorrow, along with a blood mysteries class in the middle of the day. I am quite curious about it.

Yesterday, went to a new dance class that is not very far from me (but more expensive than my Tuesday night one) and I quite enjoyed it. It was more technique than choreo, which I desperately need. And then the teacher (a friend of mine) convinced me to go to $5 drop in zumba. With no shoes. And I've never done zumba before. Have I mentioned the whole plantar fascia thing?

...

Yeah, I've done dumber things. But it's definitely getting better. My calves are still sore as fuck.

occhiblu: I've done shelter volunteer work and if you have the disposition for it (meaning: if you can leave feeling like you've done good and not stressing about taking ALL THE BABIES HOME!!!), it's really fulfilling. Even after I had stopped volunteering there for life and general lack-of-time reasons, I went back and adopted my dog from them when I was in the right place to do so. It all worked out really well. Good luck and have fun with it!

Me, Just studying and working and procrastinating on studying. Boring and busy, as per usual.

Pretty much everyone I know is at Hopscotch (a music festival in Raleigh) this weekend, but I am not, so today I went and got brunch with a friend and then we went to THE MALL, because we needed mall stuff. I needed a necklace and some lipstick, also got nail polish, a pair of flats, and two cardigans. (You can really never have too many cardigans.) Now I am reading and waiting for new Doctor Who!

Tomorrow is errands and laundry day. Are dry cleaners open on Sunday?

Movie glut and bed early Sun because I'm seeing the retina opthamologist 1st thing Mon. I hope what's been going on with my eyes can be reversed because if I can't read or have my independence I don't want to live.

Don't bring up Helen Keller. She lost her sight when she was a baby.

Dutchland? said the Dutchie perking up his ears

Today: I went early to the Ocean Grove Flea Market, a twice a year huge event. I went early due to the spotty weather forecast. It still sprinkled off and on, but I had a great time.

Tomorrow: Unknown. I Should clean the house, but I just am not motivated that way, recently.

Tomorrow my mum is picking me up so we can go to the King Tut exhibit, yay!

Had to work today (though the program was extremely cool). Grocery shopping, boring domestic crap, was in a bad mood all evening. Argued with a libertarian on Facebook.

I'm hoping tomorrow's better. I'd like to get out for a long bike ride. Go to my garden and harvest stuff. Pay my next semester's tuition. We'll see how it goes!

redvixen, sounds amazing. I love Ocean Grove (lived there as a kid). Maybe we can meet up some year for that yard sale.

Sounds scary brujita. Sterkte!

Yesterday was mostly a day of rest, by default. Too tired to do too much. It was a good tired, though. Actually had a good first week teaching and even helping a colleague resolve a minor conflict with administration to everyone's satisfaction (I aim for the win-win, whenever possible). I feel like I got off to a good start with my students so far, trying to head off issues with good class structure and policies, strict but fair. I have one what I'd call challenging class (behavioral/emotional difficulties mainly and a history of failing in school) that meets for two periods (100 minutes) each day that I'm working really hard to have a good rapport with, and so far so good (though ten have yet to show up, since it was a short week, so we'll see). Clear expectations and a light touch and sense of humor, as well as taking the time to explain things and ensure everyone feels they can be successful in the class, all go a long way. My other classes are easy -- self-motivated students I can just relax and have fun with and teach and know they'll be with me wherever I want to take them in terms of literature and writing and class discussions. I tell ya, after ten years of teaching, this year I may actually know what I'm doing. (Don't ever let anyone tell you experience in teaching doesn't matter.) Of course, it's only the first couple of days.

Yesterday rest, today a nice long list of things to do, great and small. Everything from get the laundry together for Jon to take to the laundromat tomorrow (bless him) to typing up my class attendance lists in my iPad. Still time for tennis, though. Got the conclusion of the men's semi's on now, and later Serena in the women's final against Azarenka (spelling?), which should be a good one. Serena's been cruising so far, and my money's on her, but Azarenka's a hard-hitter, too.

During the week I have my first Chapter Leader meeting in Manhattan, which works out well since Jon and I have ZZ Top tickets that night, and then Maine next weekend!

(Hope things go better at the doctor's, brujita. Big hugs to you--)