tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77748157836573842832012-02-16T03:41:09.157-05:00not-so-sticky notes to my future self.sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.comBlogger1921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-45246161323047010992011-11-02T18:57:00.000-04:002011-11-02T19:14:52.268-04:00

Another fine specimen of a Bob box. This box recently found its way to me from my stepmother's basement.Its contents are mysterious: loose diodes and transistors, carefully wrapped in socks and rubber bands, several books on Calculus, a slide rule, and a half dozen of empty pill bottles with their labels ripped off. Ingrained in my memory, this solidly-constructed box has carried varying

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-55197176191476009082011-11-01T09:55:00.000-04:002011-11-01T09:55:57.611-04:00

Between 1974, when I was born, and 1992, when I graduated from high school, I lived in, at least, 20 different houses. Though we resided, for the most part, in Columbia County, so that I could remain in the same school through graduation, continuity where it counts being of importance to my father, we often relocated to different rentals in the area. Whenever we moved into a new house, Bob

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-41895517052779591732011-07-25T20:54:00.003-04:002011-08-12T15:10:19.707-04:00

"I like the way Indians dress. They had weird underwear," Lil stated, as she stood there in her own. "Well. They couldn't just go online and shop for underwear; they had to make their own underwear out of the materials they had." What? A time before the Internets...? Lili's eyes were open wide. "But who were the Indians?" "Well, the Indians were the people living here when Christopher

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-55228227463905111062011-07-04T21:31:00.007-04:002011-07-12T21:35:03.553-04:00

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-34504749842623515792011-02-24T20:37:00.000-05:002011-02-24T20:37:38.847-05:00

Bob in September 2009. My father, who suffers from the late-stages of early-onset Alzheimer's, has not been able to live with me for some time. Simple tasks I once took for granted - like eating, walking, talking - have become real challenges. A man who less than two years ago walked all the way from Kingston to Bloomington, albeit unintentionally, is no longer able to stand unassisted. Only

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-61327591908544092142011-02-23T22:44:00.000-05:002011-02-28T22:44:35.967-05:00

Postcard of High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. The year was 1988! My father drove us from Kinderhook, New York to Atlanta, Georgia in his Isuzu Trooper, which lacked both an air conditioner and a radio, for our vacation in which I recall as an ungodly hot summer. It was the summer before my freshman year in high school and the last thing I wanted to do was to ride with my father in a hot

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-45714236176523351302011-02-18T16:38:00.002-05:002011-08-24T16:45:18.557-04:00

The @Amtrak conductor announced we’re about to arrive at our “final destination.” What could he know..?

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-33686054637723794222011-02-04T23:18:00.000-05:002011-02-06T11:01:07.686-05:00

"Warm beer, cold food" And they were good.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-51556293759064288942011-02-01T15:57:00.003-05:002011-02-06T18:31:20.750-05:00

Art by Lil, Age 5. Lil: "Their world got killed so they're looking for another world."Me: "They look fairly happy for having just lost their world."Lil: "They're on their way to their mother, who has blankets and food..."

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-1622792758496541962011-01-30T15:47:00.000-05:002011-01-30T15:47:21.789-05:00

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-61200689608026384652011-01-26T16:32:00.000-05:002011-01-26T16:32:20.994-05:00

#14. My Coffee-Making Robot Friend.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-55359730628270753512011-01-23T12:09:00.001-05:002011-01-23T12:10:10.922-05:00

A I S X P O M It's seemingly no more than three lines of jumbled letters. However, it's actually Lil's first attempt at writing one of her stories on paper. Unfortunately, Lil is only 5, and cannot yet write. Unable to decipher the alphabetic code, I asked Lilith for a decoding of the "story" she "wrote." Below follows a condensed version of her tale: It was a dark and stormy night. The

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-43454618781630110722010-05-30T10:30:00.001-04:002010-05-30T10:32:54.300-04:00

Down and Out in Kingston, New York.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-75144556233791130972010-05-24T21:16:00.002-04:002010-05-24T21:18:12.976-04:00

 Authentic + Affordable! How can I deny this authentic Upstate experience? At last, I found a place I can afford to live! I can't afford to buy a real home because I'm in publishing.  This cozy camper is one-of-a-kind! Located beneath the shade of a weeping willow tree, she stays cool all spring, right up to summer! Conveniently located next door to all amenities*, I'm ready to pack it up and

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-69199272413950611602010-05-14T17:18:00.001-04:002010-05-14T17:20:32.788-04:00

Last night, I found myself planted on the couch in my living room with a gummi worm hanging out of the side of my mouth. I wondered just how long before one of my little hell monkeys would wander by and notice? As a child, I maintained the false belief, as I suspect many children do, that my father was an infallible, rational being. Therefore, everything he said must be universally true and right

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-30886036436855691072009-09-09T15:23:00.018-04:002009-09-09T16:30:44.317-04:00

My father is 70 years old. What he owns can fit into a small bedroom.There are hundreds of business cards, wrapped up with rubber bands; soaps and shampoos, collected from motels; beer coasters he habitually nabbed from bars; a large Xerox box full of maps; a variety of adhesive he used during his sock-gluing phase, among a variety of other odds and ends that had somehow called to him. In all of

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-49191945827582876832009-05-04T12:23:00.007-04:002009-05-04T14:11:29.066-04:00

And clearly, I didn't.When I look back at when my father first moved in with me, I cringe.I expected more from him than he was capable.He had only recently stopped driving (a blog, for another time...). He had been home most of the time alone, sometimes for days, nights, while his partner was away at work.I wonder now what those days and nights passed alone were like for him.At first, I thought

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-67738232972777524192009-04-12T19:22:00.005-04:002009-05-03T19:27:07.031-04:00

Sasquatch!

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-59484856923197762752009-03-06T08:59:00.035-05:002009-04-08T08:07:58.402-04:00

Bob's most quiet time of the day is the morning. While words often escape him in the evening, the morning is relatively coherent, when a dialogue is still possible. The panic does not settle into Dad's eyes until the sun begins to set on the day. This morning, his head was resting on the back of the couch, and his eyes were closed. He was quiet.The couch pillows were arranged so that the ones

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-28101946821780208572009-02-02T20:20:00.012-05:002009-02-14T20:33:25.490-05:00

"guy with no arms" by lilith arden soechting, age 3.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-53781198596988099712009-01-18T18:58:00.021-05:002009-01-19T09:14:40.937-05:00

Often Dad's reality is mismatched from the moment actually transpiring to a moment from long ago. In addition to the Alzheimer's diagnosis, Dad has recently been plagued with pneumonia, and other random viruses passed along to him from his goobie grandchildren who are laden with germs so he's been more confused than usual.Sometimes it seems like my father is already gone.In truth, he cannot do

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-57059640969332102492009-01-12T20:42:00.005-05:002009-01-14T20:54:45.320-05:00

Before my father moved in with me, I'd occasionally go up to Cambridge to spend the weekend with him while Barbara was working."So, are you planning on spending the night tonight?" he'd ask.When I'd announce I was spending the entire weekend, he would look overjoyed, "Oh! Good, good! So..., you'll be here all weekend, then? That's great!"Sometimes, he would ask me this more than once and when he

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-44240226194422526402008-12-31T19:07:00.018-05:002008-12-31T19:36:54.432-05:00

For many years, I mocked my father for the trail of enigmatic notes that littered our home. They never made much sense to me so it was easy for me to poke fun at them. But the older I become, the more I appreciate how genius this truly was. His notes were obviously a part of his master plan to overcome his memory loss. Written in his own hand, he was not required to rely on his degrading memory.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-78781264889685285582008-12-25T20:44:00.010-05:002008-12-26T07:21:34.544-05:00

My father had systems that boggled me for years. I didn't understand them and often what we don't understand, we tend to mock. It was much easier to poke fun of his enigmatic notes littering our home than it was for me to try and understand them. Sometimes, I feel angry that he never discussed his memory problems with me until we could no longer have a dialogue about them.Feeling somewhat

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-3367966102781521312008-12-15T20:01:00.041-05:002010-04-22T21:19:19.632-04:00

I would be amiss if I ended the year without telling you about the pool table that now resides in my dining room.At the beginning of the year, I had a dining room. It wasn't a deluxe dining room, but it was big and held an enormous table so that if I wanted to host a dinner party, I could. Of course, I never actually hosted a dinner party in this dining room but I would have. eventually...Eating

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-79642030507758299482008-12-14T19:07:00.015-05:002008-12-19T20:37:25.558-05:00

"Daddy! Look! Someone took the ice cube!"Lil stared despondently into her purple cup as Seth began to snigger."Ha! No, Lily, it melted...""It melted?"

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-83644907641849264042008-12-13T19:24:00.010-05:002008-12-13T20:35:10.086-05:00

"What I would like is a piece of ice, something that would make me hungry right now for at least two hours...oh well..." Bob sighed. "Such is life."Dad and I are sitting on the sofa, enjoying a surprisingly sedate moment. Any moment in my house that is sedate is a surprise. I can hear Lil and Liam pestering Dana in the kitchen. He's breaking open pistachios for them - a tedious chore. Seth is

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-90913454009757452742008-12-07T20:20:00.008-05:002009-01-03T12:27:01.537-05:00

i feel this way myself sometimes, liam.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-85355120686703413392008-11-21T20:06:00.009-05:002008-12-02T20:23:55.623-05:00

The proprietor of Hudson Coffee Traders is awesome, indeed! He kindly acquiesced to my demands for a larger 'Alex' sized cup of coffee!One evening, an anonymous comment was posted on my former blog - Day 188 - simply asking, "What size would give you the caffeine boost you need?"I called Kyrce on the phone almost immediately."What size do you think would make the 'perfect' size coffee cup?

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-65315005756227700392008-11-18T20:36:00.002-05:002008-12-02T20:25:45.068-05:00

My father never knew what to do with me. I lived alone with him from the age of 10 on, and I realize he really did the best he could as a single father with a preteen daughter. I wouldn't have wanted to trade places with him.Now that I'm on the caregiver side, I'm more empathetic with his motives even if the actions sometimes seemed askew. He was concerned with my well-being and success, and

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-53103399658974263112008-11-16T07:04:00.006-05:002008-11-16T07:19:13.547-05:00

Fear not, dear reader! I have not disappeared!However, I am participating in this year's NaNoWrimo. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month of November. There are no claims that your novel is actually 'good'; the only requirement of 'winning' is to complete 50,000 words.January is for revising...With a full-time job, a father with Alzheimer's, two kids under the age of 3,

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-64659652056506037802008-10-06T19:47:00.014-04:002008-10-25T20:04:31.510-04:00

I've been meaning to take Dad sneaker shopping. His current sneakers are a nondescript gray pair that Velcro shut. Dad always had a preference for the plain. The Velcro is very handy but there isn't much in the way of support for his arch. Just a bland, ordinary gray sneaker.Lately, I've been hiding his sneakers from him. It's far more comfortable to lounge around the house without shoes. I also

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-44987720034348340912008-10-05T20:22:00.002-04:002008-10-12T20:24:14.330-04:00

Lil put a new spin on an old nursery rhyme today. We were sitting on the edge of my bed, dressing Liam, when she launched into song.patty cake, patty cake, baker's man -bake me a cake as fast as you can.pat it!roll it!and put it in the microwave!and oh! yeah! put a 'b' on it!Our children (and I mean this collectively) are the product of an expedient age. Expediency, however, is not necessarily a

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-64833478521017227772008-10-04T20:22:00.002-04:002008-10-05T13:24:47.296-04:00

Tonight Kyrce and I wanted Indian for dinner. We generally order a few different things, and share. Garlic naan, palak paneer, shrimp korma, some yummy eggplant dish...I can always count on Kyrce to partake in all of the truly splendid things Dana does not appreciate.To Dana's credit, he has tried Indian on several occasions but he simply doesn't like it. So Kyrce and I stopped at Planet Wings (

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-89912538995033475692008-09-30T17:21:00.005-04:002008-10-03T17:39:22.721-04:00

It should be obvious to you by now that I recently bought a scanner.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-42984592371020813942008-09-27T21:09:00.008-04:002008-10-03T09:25:29.820-04:00

I recently bought a scanner so I've been scanning all of my old treasures. In my scrounging around for fun items, I uncovered the best postcard I have ever received. Postcard writing is a lost art, and my father was a masterful postcard artist.This was a postcard I received from him when I was 11 years old. I was on a Girl Scout bike trip from Fort Ann to Saratoga and back again. It rained the

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-29006050851950866402008-09-27T08:03:00.036-04:002008-10-01T20:52:09.948-04:00

Neither Lil nor Liam have ever had a 'professional' photograph taken in a 'studio'. I currently have over 3800 pictures of my family on Flickr so I think I have it covered...home-grown photo of liam taken by alex at forsythe park.However, my sister-in-law, Christine, has studio photos taken frequently. She has already had photographs of my three-month-old niece, Rae, taken twice! I've never

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-823393942128503382008-09-20T19:35:00.019-04:002008-09-30T20:31:57.314-04:00

Dana and I used to go out every Friday night. Then, we had kids together.These days, we rarely go out more than twice a year, without a kid or a Bob in tow - unless you count stopping at the Getty for a coffee and a scratch-off ticket as a 'date'...I honestly don't miss 'going out'. Qualitatively, our weekends are better - and I remember them...yahoos that used to be at our house every friday

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-63264010188347493822008-09-14T17:07:00.000-04:002008-09-14T17:07:56.126-04:00

I'm not a spontaneous person. I'm sorry if that doesn't make me much fun, but I grew up with my father, and if you know my father, you know that spontaneity not only did not come to him; it angered him. He always said that if he had ever been given a surprise party, he would have turned right around and walked back out the door in the other direction.He said that anytime in his life there had

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-83959918696144987012008-09-04T23:25:00.002-04:002008-09-14T08:12:02.307-04:00

Last year, Seth came home with an English textbook. It was a reading primer and his assignment was to read Ricky Ticky Tavi. The next day, I called the school to make certain Seth had been not been accidentally placed in the wrong class.Nope. Guidance verified he was in the right class. In fact, the counselor confirmed that Seth was in the highest level available for English.What books did he

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-71324203941465132152008-09-03T08:05:00.015-04:002008-09-10T08:24:15.054-04:00

I was standing at the sink washing dishes when Dad made his first round down the hall to the kitchen from the living room. He seemed a bit anxious but the day had been a long one so I didn't think much of it. It would be time for bed soon.As always, he stopped by the sink in his circular trip through the house. Typically, he comments on what a great job I'm doing washing the dishes but today, he

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-59730031304940013562008-08-28T22:44:00.039-04:002008-08-30T15:47:45.868-04:00

It was pure laziness that I brought 2 rolls of black and white 35 mm film to Walgreens for processing. I had Dad, Lil, and Liam in tow and didn't feel ambitious enough to go to the Artcraft, which is sad since this store is walking distance from Walgreens...I could have waited altogether...but I had been holding onto these two film canisters for a few weeks now. They had made several journeys

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-53709287688879300982008-08-26T20:45:00.027-04:002008-08-27T15:03:08.823-04:00

In what universe is it less obnoxious to yell at someone over an intercom 'no talking on cell phones!' than the actual person talking on the cell phone?I am not a fan of cell phone use in public, particularly restaurants, but I'm not a Nazi about it, either. Dana embarrasses me immensely when he answers his phone and starts talking on it when we're out somewhere. It's not so much the cell phone

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-91677265795426070232008-08-25T15:51:00.004-04:002008-08-25T19:19:34.615-04:00

A friend of mine (not Kyrce) recently left her laptop at work and had to go back to work to fetch it. She was ashamed she had forgotten this, though she shouldn't have been. Only a couple of weeks earlier , she was also the same person who reminded me that I was 'human' not 'stupid' when I sought help from her with my head hanging low when I had forgotten to track time against all of the projects

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-27962252377539427442008-08-07T22:37:00.003-04:002008-08-16T22:19:01.761-04:00

Even now, Dad tries to hide the issues with his memory. It's embarrassing to him and I think it was for a long time before anyone could identify a 'problem' with Dad. In some ways, Dad is still very clever so it's hard to tell when he's kidding and when he isn't.And I think because of this, I am uncertain the problems with Dad's memory really began.A couple of Friday afternoons ago, Kyrce and I

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-60464231009476731812008-08-06T19:51:00.034-04:002008-08-15T08:48:34.117-04:00

Trying to be economical, I vied for the generic bar soap over the shower gel I typically buy. 59¢. What the hell. Why not? The savings equaled at least a cup of coffee.The width of the bathroom, between counter and wall, is little more than a 3 foot span. At the far end of the bathroom is a shower, which itself is not much wider than 3 feet and is no more than a stall; there is no basin for

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-13414245161327426342008-08-03T16:29:00.014-04:002008-08-09T19:57:44.815-04:00

The ride that once took you to the future now takes you to the past.I can't do this one anymore, though the Starship 2000, known in ancient times as the "Gravitron", was once my favorite ride. I could go on this over and over again, without feeling ill. I was proud of this.It had been such a mysterious ride. What would happen to you inside of there...?I'm firmly planting my feet in 2008. Since I

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-61960230180576052382008-07-30T21:57:00.008-04:002008-08-06T20:09:15.953-04:00

My food is trying to tell me something. Something happy. Surely, it's a sign...But probably just a sign that I need to get out more. Not only was I amused but I felt a need to photograph it, too.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-14214087377090587272008-07-29T20:40:00.049-04:002008-08-05T18:34:30.817-04:00

It was one of those mornings.One of those mornings when Dad had two different shoes on, in which the the kids wouldn't stop beating on each other, and in which I hadn't any coffee to make. I found Dana and I were arguing about where the kids shoes were left the night before, who had said what to whom in what kind of a voice first, and who was the idiot who left the back window open on the car

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-79444384299626947542008-07-28T21:47:00.010-04:002008-08-01T14:34:39.907-04:00

Locusts. Livestock. Lice.The daycare program which Lil and Liam attend seconds as a synagogue. The walls just outside the classroom in the entrance have recently been covered with children's crayon colorings of the ten plagues of Egypt.Lil feels obligated to draw a new picture for us everyday. I think she believes we bring her to school for this sole reason - so that she can draw a new picture

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-71215361227338515012008-07-26T20:36:00.000-04:002008-07-27T09:58:07.948-04:00

Getting Dad anywhere in the car is not easy. So, I was happy to get an invitation from Aunt Babs to a family gathering in nearby Livingston. It wouldn't be too far - about 40 minutes.Typically, even 40 minutes would be far for Dad but I thought it'd be worth it for him to be surrounded by all the familiar faces he conjures up so often, especially his brother, Leo. Dad would be comforted by this

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-65488285384608226272008-07-13T22:27:00.003-04:002008-07-19T22:37:15.193-04:00

The kids were crying. A lot. So, we decided to take them all for a long walk on the Rail Trail in Hurley with Grandpa Bob.We couldn't lose any of them...Seriously, though, I can't believe how beautiful this place is, and how close I've been to it for so long now. Just beautiful.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-37952967264309314752008-07-12T09:35:00.020-04:002008-07-18T19:42:01.283-04:00

There wasn't enough time to act; I was paralyzed. Dad rode off into the dark abyss.Last night, we went to the carnival. Everything about the carnival was quintessentially carnival, even the part where we got ripped off on admission but walked away from the window before we realized this. I'm not particularly a fan of carnivals much anymore. At least, it doesn't bring me the glee it brought to me

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-33641552089538907292008-07-11T20:17:00.022-04:002008-07-13T13:42:07.226-04:00

Step by step, I walked Dad through the routine."Empty your pockets."He emptied his pockets."Take off your shoes."He took off his socks."Now take off your socks."He took off his socks and looked up at me from where he was seated on his bed."You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked.I sighed."O.K., let's go to the shower," I said."What? But I don't have any shoes on!""You don't need your

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-60917464711389835452008-07-09T21:24:00.007-04:002008-07-10T14:53:11.640-04:00

Last night, your Mum and I ate too much pizza. She deserved it, though. Do you know she actually worked late last night? It's true! Your Mum not only worked up until the day before you were born, but even worked late!Your Dad and I sat outside for awhile, a bit late last night under the moon and stars. Your Dad and I used to do this a lot. We used to take walks around Kinderhook late at night

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-22998139423296011332008-07-07T21:11:00.006-04:002008-07-07T21:35:47.649-04:00

Kudos to Dana for going out on Saturday and Sunday, especially to fetch me coffee from the new place Uptown with the French-pressed coffee. I don't say much good about him here, so I should give him credit for this. :)The problem came up over the weekend, actually. Quite a dilemma, really.The large cup of coffee at Hudson Coffee Traders is not large enough.Initially, I thought I could overlook

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-77867773837708352022008-07-04T21:11:00.009-04:002008-07-05T14:40:42.902-04:00

It's early-ish in the night on the 4th of July. I'm really beat but I don't want to give up to slumber yet. I've been pushing myself a bit lately, trying to challenge my personal limits. I'm not sure to what ends I am hoping this will prove...But I'm sick like this.Anyway, my head is killing me. I'm kind of squinting as I type now because the light of the screen is making my head ache. I am

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-759120160080867532008-07-01T08:13:00.004-04:002008-07-01T20:43:16.906-04:00

A moment ago, I walked into the house and was struck by its awesome silence.It actually seemed peaceful. The curtains were breathing in and out against the screen as the ceiling fans quietly whirred. Not one footstep could be detected and that horrid box in the living room, often blaring mindlessly away, sat silent.Better yet, I held a hot cup of French-pressed coffee and a cranberry-orange

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-21482357538227879292008-06-20T19:06:00.011-04:002008-06-22T21:28:46.728-04:00

Alright, so, perhaps I've given my old best friend, Brian, some undue press. We spent this afternoon goofing off, drinking coffee, listening to music, and being lazy. Brian and I reminded each other of some things we had forgotten. Me, the blueberry beer from the Gilded Otter in New Paltz. Brian, sitting together in the Hobbes class with Heath - but in all due fairness, Brian pointed out that we

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-61729935692217033822008-06-14T12:03:00.004-04:002008-06-22T14:22:19.723-04:00

This morning we were wrangling kids early, trying to get the kids ready for the Farmer's Market in Uptown Kingston. Dana, Lily, Liam and I were wandering around the bedroom, passing each other in circles, as we tried to pull ourselves together. I was looking for my missing Teva; the kids only ever move one on me...Dana was rifling through his top dresser drawer, searching for I don't know what?

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-78848921867546685942008-06-13T21:02:00.005-04:002008-06-20T21:23:18.784-04:00

At the end of a day, for all intents and purposes, I'm done. Mentally sucked. Physically drained. Tired. Done.I tend to retire early. But I don't fall asleep right away. Don't let me confuse you. I adore sleep. I love everything about sleep. I love my bed, I love my high thread count cotton sheets, I love my reversible down comforter. Flannel sheets are nice, too. Fuzzy. Sleep conducive

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-39253040608062694812008-06-10T19:53:00.011-04:002008-06-18T20:37:24.315-04:00

Early this morning, my arms were elbow deep in soapy dish water when Dad took his position at the side of the sink."You're doing a good job there, you know," Dad said."Thank you. I'm very good at dishes. I am a woman of many talents," I replied."Well, of course you are! You're my daughter!...What are we having for dinner?" he asked."I'm not sure, Dad. I haven't even thought about breakfast yet.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-89627007917302907122008-06-09T20:03:00.053-04:002008-07-12T08:33:38.962-04:00

When half of your life is spent as a corporate lackey and the other half of your life is spent as a caregiver, you have no time to spare. You have to take the fun where you can get it. Even lunch at the cafeteria can seem fun...So even though the commute is terrifying, the carpool has become more of a social club. Whoever is driving needs to be kept awake and entertained. Therefore, passengers

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-15582003238755271912008-06-05T20:24:00.014-04:002008-06-15T22:03:03.726-04:00

Thursday in USR, we got one of those weird emails from Facilities. It was a warning that there was a black bear sighted on the grounds so tread cautiously!Oh no! A black bear!New Jersey kills me.Previously, we received a notice about fox sightings on the grounds. I think I've mentioned this before... but the foxes were different from the bears, in that the foxes were not real. They were cardboard

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-65544732878992700202008-06-04T22:14:00.001-04:002008-06-07T20:35:03.141-04:00

This morning when I got to Kyrce's house this morning, I was met with a gift! Kyrce had been digging around, sorting through some of the things she had stored away in her parent's attic when she came across this old canceled library book. Knowing my petrification of riding in vehicles, she thought it would appeal to me. The book was titled The Man Who Loved Bicycles - Memoirs of An Autophobe and

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-56001252303841314162008-06-02T12:29:00.001-04:002008-06-05T12:32:14.006-04:00

3 out of the 5 days of the work week, there is a coffee incident inside of Kyrce's car which results in either of us spotted, if not covered, in coffee or the car sustains upholstery damage. Since we only commute 3 out of 5 days of the work week, this means there isn't a day the two of us share that doesn't result in a coffee incident.Perhaps worse than this is the admission between us that the

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-4956620420376930642008-06-01T13:29:00.004-04:002008-06-05T12:33:24.869-04:00

I was tidying up the kitchen this morning when I felt Dad standing behind me. You would think I'd be used to this by now but I still find it a bit unsettling. Logistically, it's a challenge because I'm often running around the house between chores. Many times when I turn, I actually run into him physically. I know how much better it makes him to follow me around so I try not to get agitated with

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-9488037274639419802008-05-31T21:56:00.002-04:002008-06-01T21:55:26.593-04:00

The last time I recall playing a board game was the last time we lost electricity. I think it was Payday? There's something about a storm that brings all of the family out of their corners and into one room together. Without anything digital. While Seth is far past any childhood fear of storms, the thought of being de-digitalized makes him tremble.The storm didn't blow in until after dinner. And

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-59251861257098842582008-05-30T22:57:00.003-04:002008-06-10T20:40:04.707-04:00

It's been a really long time since I've had a lecture from my dear old dad. But tonight he had it stuck in his head that I needed to go back to college and get my degree (which I already have).My father used to lecture me a lot as a kid, particularly in the car. And he knew every single back road in Columbia County so I heard a lot of them... We often rode around for no good reason - just to ride

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-51320969788097244552008-05-27T20:25:00.036-04:002008-05-30T22:58:47.154-04:00

When my father came to live with me, I wasn't prepared for the fact that he wasn't quite the same person that I thought of in my head when I thought of my 'Dad'. It was obvious that he wasn't well enough to live on in his own; he would sometimes call me over and over again. Sometimes he would relay what was on every channel as he clicked through with the remote control. He thought this very

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-46085217980162646032008-05-23T21:49:00.003-04:002008-05-25T21:39:33.392-04:00

Kyrce often entertains me during the commute to work with stories of her WoW adventures. Recently, she's become a 'guild leader' and most of our dialogues have been about the previous night's WoW raids with her online comrades. This is endlessly fascinating to me on so many levels.First of all, it seems like an awful lot of project management work, just trying to organize a guild to the point

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-37105394911453011852008-04-27T21:50:00.005-04:002008-05-25T20:19:49.047-04:00

Less than a week ago, April 19, was my little sister's birthday. If she were still alive, she would have turned 25 this year. This is hard for me to wrap my head around because in my head, she's still this silly teenager. I can still see her sitting with her back to me, facing my computer, with her head phones blasting. She didn't know I had entered the room and was loudly singing in this

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-87897886755828533252008-04-26T23:48:00.007-04:002008-05-23T22:46:45.225-04:00

Seth passed me in the upstairs hall as I carried Liam to our bedroom with Grandpa Bob in tow a few feet behind me."Are you putting the kids down?" he asked, trying to suppress a giggle. Even though his voice has matured, he still giggles. He thinks this a very clever thing to say because of the connotation of putting someone 'down'; it's become part of our evening ritual. A darker version of the

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-41050107480969495052008-04-25T23:48:00.000-04:002008-05-21T20:18:00.420-04:00

The mailman delivered the prints from the 35 mm black and white film we sent in the mail last week. It was worth the wait. It took me 72 shots but I got a few good ones. My digital camera just isn't of the same ilk as my old 35 mm.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-4873679570210255892008-04-24T20:38:00.071-04:002008-05-19T21:14:14.764-04:00

One of the many unfortunate occurrences of growing older is that you lose the enthusiasm for the simple things.Riding the subway is still an exciting adventure but not for the same reasons you believed as a kid.You wait for the time of your life in which there is no one to make you go to bed at a certain hour. You're going to stay up all night! You realize as you're working the graveyard shift

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-62821460504943077352008-04-23T20:37:00.017-04:002008-05-11T19:59:45.339-04:00

Poor Liam can't say too much yet. Mostly, he just parrots random words that we have taught him.Basketball. Monkey Boy. Quack Quack. Sky.His vocabulary isn't developed enough to respond one way or the other to the queries Lily poses to him. I suspect she views his silence as acquiescence.We were out in the back yard grilling when Liam climbed up into his parked stroller. Like the son of a roof

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-72240645801116648062008-04-22T19:43:00.027-04:002008-05-09T20:27:30.062-04:00

When my son, Seth, calls me on the phone, I'm always surprised, particularly by two things:That a 13-year-old boy would call his Mum just for the heck of it.That his voice is disconcertingly deep.This last point unsettles me. When did my little boy get this voice? There's something about the phone, this disembodied voice, claiming to be my Seth, that really gets me.Growing up happens too quickly

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-36715850178279525732008-04-21T21:38:00.001-04:002008-05-03T21:20:59.921-04:00

I have never developed a love for driving. In fact, over the years I have become absolutely terrified of driving to the point of staying awake thinking about the drive I'd have to make in the morning. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when my job was relocated from Kingston, New York in which I lived in walking distance from my office to Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.Until I hit 30, I had

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-3441080743487275822008-04-20T19:37:00.016-04:002008-04-29T13:00:30.410-04:00

Lilith always manages to find a reason to get out of bed. Sometimes she simply wants Dana or me to pick her up like a baby and carry her back over to bed. She smiles blissfully as we tuck her in "nice and cozy"...again...Other nights, it's not so easy. Occasionally, she demands a snack - a bad habit she has picked up from her bad parents. Night time kitchen snacking has really become a nightly

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-82621462423923660162008-04-19T21:15:00.034-04:002008-04-27T18:24:04.347-04:00

Success means having a strategy in play at all times.If I were really good, I would have a better system in play. I actually do have a lot of ideas for systems but I haven't had enough time to put them into play.Obviously, it's not that I'm totally without personal time. But this very blog itself is a representation of wasted time. I guess that depends on the vantage point which is always

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-76133663220830553762008-04-18T19:09:00.011-04:002008-04-26T20:30:55.465-04:00

"Here baby! Let me help you!" Lil said to Liam. I picture her still calling him this when he's 30...It only appears here that Lil is strangling her little brother. But she was earnestly trying to assist him here.With a smile on her face, she appears to be choking him with compassion.She was trying to assist him out of his little red wagon to save him from toppling over for when he would stand up

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-22052615035760626142008-04-17T17:56:00.016-04:002008-04-26T20:32:03.293-04:00

He might not be climbing trees in Rossman anymore...but he can still climb over a baby gate and sit cross-legged on the floor for yoga! Not too bad for 69, if you ask me!Happy Birthday Dear Old Dad!

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-69196284513233548472008-04-16T21:22:00.001-04:002008-05-03T21:38:53.194-04:00

My youngest children will never know what it was like to have to wait for film to be developed before you can actually 'see' the picture you took. Subtlety, technology has creeped up on us; digital photography has nearly replaced film altogether - at least, for a non-professional like me.I haven't quite given up on my 35 mm completely. Before my trip to Frost Valley, I bought 3 rolls of B/W

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-35068101245602022902008-04-15T18:21:00.000-04:002008-04-24T21:17:02.178-04:00

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-33961239861917608422008-04-14T17:45:00.010-04:002008-04-21T20:17:52.988-04:00

MISSING!Mr. Potato Head was discovered this afternoon in the Brown-Soechting living room. Visibly frenetic from the recent attack, the victim was found smiling deliriously despite missing several key body parts - most noticeably, his arms, ears and nose. Since his ears are missing, interviewing the subject was impossible. The attack occurred during the light of day in a residential neighborhood

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-63524391836859055372008-04-13T21:40:00.002-04:002008-04-19T21:53:20.784-04:00

While Dana and I were wrangling kids into the shower, Dad was sitting downstairs in the living room watching the news. I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I only recently learned of the BBC America news channel. I've been subjecting dear old Dad to CNN for such a miserably long time. It may have irreparably harmed all of us in a subtle, unnoticeable yet mind-confusing, brain-washing way.I

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-52106014526391427282008-04-12T19:33:00.009-04:002008-04-18T20:47:12.419-04:00

From Left to Right: Lilith's, Dana's, Liam's, Seth's.There's nothing better than hand-picked flowers for mum! I remember stealing into my neighbor's flower garden when I was about 5 to pick my own mom some of the her magnificent magnolias! On a separate occasion, I picked her goldenrod and made her quite ill with a hay fever...These flowers are perfect and far better than anything from a flower

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-53540589733799173082008-04-11T10:15:00.033-04:002008-04-17T21:05:43.690-04:00

Vacation is almost over and I'm already beginning to anticipate next week with a certain amount of dread...But - it's still vacation. So enough about that.I have developed a love for photographs of urban decay. I haven't fully evaluated why this is but it's a fascination I've been fostering. Last night, while poking around Flickr, I found this photo which gave me the geebies. It's this photo of

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-54341425001719921912008-04-10T16:33:00.008-04:002008-06-13T19:57:54.872-04:00

Lo and behold! My ex best friend came out of the woodwork for the first time in a half a year and brought me some coffee. We drove around town in his car and had lunch together down on the Strand at Cafe Dolce. I had curry tuna. It was yummy.It's not that Brian and I had a fight. But I don't know if you can call someone your best friend, anymore, if you don't ever see him. Or talk to him.And I

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-68899370057894848372008-04-09T10:36:00.005-04:002008-04-14T17:00:14.359-04:00

Dana and Lily were watching Shrek for the umpteenth time tonight and munching on some Doritos. I heard them talking on the way up the stairs awhile ago. Lily was trying to convince Dana and Seth that she needed the entire bag of Doritos but Dana managed to placate her by putting a handfull on a paper plate.The movie ended, teeth were brushed, and Lil was tucked into bed.But on my bed remained a

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-33078451106629950232008-04-08T09:21:00.003-04:002008-04-14T11:31:52.712-04:00

Day 5 of my vacation. I'm cleaning closets and the attic and sorting through boxes of toddler clothes. I have an addiction to containerizing and organizing things. I often reorganize things repeatedly. It's truly an illness.Today I freecycled. I tried to be creative about my posts:I have a box of books I would enjoy watching leave my front porch in one swoop!Nothing too exciting in here but I

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-11912119190792663392008-04-07T09:20:00.025-04:002008-04-13T20:32:59.223-04:00

Sometimes in our house you have an opportunity of using the bathroom alone. Unfortunately, we only have one bathroom so it's often interrupted. When my father moved in with us, he used to make remarks when he couldn't get into the bathroom like, "What do you mean there is only one bathroom?" as if this was completely absurd.In my childhood, I don't recall many times that we had more than one

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-79503633154298271122008-04-06T21:19:00.025-04:002008-04-13T15:55:11.602-04:00

Aiming for 6:45 yoga, Kyrce and I woke up this morning at 7:20.I was originally planning on an entire day of nothing but yoga but Kyrce was going to Tai Chi at Geyer Hall. Since I've never done Tai Chi before and it seems like a sedate activity like yoga, I thought I would give it a try.Geyer Hall was the one I had been looking for the day before when I was lost. Kyrce took me out the back door

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-39889400739840149212008-04-05T21:18:00.041-04:002008-04-13T14:15:04.382-04:00

If you can believe it, I'm so white noise dependent that I actually brought a portable fan with me to turn on at night so I could get to sleep. Unfortunately, it isn't the fan I ordinarily use at home so I didn't know until bed time last night that it rattles when it's running. Also, it only had two speeds and even the low seemed high to me. Between the rattling and the high fan speed, it was

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-83718424741722645892008-04-04T22:51:00.000-04:002008-04-11T10:01:29.134-04:00

Frost Valley. I have been here about 20 minutes. I love it. Kyrce’s mum had described it as “magical” and after being here only a few minutes, I know she is right. Some places speak. I had forgotten what it is to be quiet. I know that sounds silly but I don't often get quiet. Even in the quiet of night, there is a low buzz of white noise filtered in by a fan I run all year long. If it's cold

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-76962052924033605302008-04-03T09:50:00.005-04:002008-04-10T15:24:17.671-04:00

I have stopped counting the days and have begun to the count the hours to the Frost Valley retreat. I couldn't stop smiling at work all day today...truly, an unprecedented phenomena! I have been unshackled from my desk for the next 10 days...now all I have to do is mentally unshackle myself...

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-90384870110011451662008-04-02T21:08:00.000-04:002008-04-10T14:05:50.986-04:00

Tonight we registered Seth for the Fall semester at Coleman Catholic. They gave us a ballpoint pen that said "Coleman" on it. I gave them a check for the deposit.Seth, Lily and I likely looked a bit lost upon entering and a student a couple of years older than Seth approached us. Looking lost, he correctly assumed we were there for registration and pointed us - unsolicited - in the right

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-82631158890516938622008-04-01T21:07:00.019-04:002008-04-10T09:32:23.697-04:00

Lilith often struts around our bedroom donning my bra which looks totally ridiculous since the bra itself, laid end to end, is nearly longer than she is...This morning as Dana and I were dressing for work, she was seated on the floor next to our bed with a circular from the Sunday paper. Lil pointed at a woman modeling cotton brassieres in a Target ad."Look, Mommy!" she said. "She has a bra!"Liam

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-39375943199660866462008-03-31T21:06:00.003-04:002008-04-09T17:40:21.981-04:00

This represents one of those rare moments when our three children are together and quietly playing. It also marks a moment in history in which Liam has stopped eating the crayons and has begun using them for their real intent.

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7774815783657384283.post-90871204969385363522008-03-30T21:06:00.030-04:002008-04-13T15:22:46.521-04:00

Choosing appropriate activities, given our broad range of household occupants, can be a somewhat arduous task. The activity has to be appealing yet not too high maintenance nor too expensive. Going out to eat as well as going to see a movie is pretty much out due to both the noise and the economic factor.While Spring is here, at last, it's still a bit too mucky and chilly to drag everyone through

sleepjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00011696721266090880noreply@blogger.com0