gloomy Sunday list
It's so awfully dreary outside today. And after a couple nice days earlier this week! Oh, Spring, you are SUCH a tease. Except for being a little cooped up, though, we're all right. When I don't really know what else to write, I make lists, so here we go:
1. My mom is out of the hospital. She went home last Monday night. I think she and my dad are still adjusting to the change of routine, but it's a relief to have the surgery done with and be home.
2. A friend of mine, Rachel, had surgery Friday to remove a cancerous tumor in her thyroid. Any of you reading who know her probably already know this, but I'll share anyway that the procedure (3 hours!) went well, the tumor was contained, and she's home recovering. I'll be taking her family some dinner tomorrow, and probably several times over the next three months while she undergoes radiation treatment. I imagine this is hell for her and her husband and children, but they'll get through it, and they have a lot of community support.
3. We've been bribing Daniel with candy to use the potty. He gets one for using the potty, two if his pull-up is dry, and it doesn't make a difference how many we offer for him to poop in the potty because THAT AIN'T HAPPENIN', FOLKS. But I think it's working (sort of) for #1, so for now, I'll take what I can get.
4. I made the mistake of getting Daniel a BIG bag of M&Ms, pouring some into a clear glass bowl (so he could see them and be further motivated) and hiding the rest where I could reach them. We'll be needing another package soon, and not because of his stellar performances in the bathroom. Ahem.
5. I've got a couple playing gigs this spring. Most requests I had to turn down because I don't get much practice time. There were a few I really wished I could have said "yes" to, like a trumpet recital for this terrific student at the School of Music, but I know my limits, and I know I can't learn a lot of difficult brass rep in the space of 3 weeks. I find it impossible to say no to one of the choir directors at UW (Bruce, for those of you who know him), however, so I'll be doing one piece on the Madrigals' concert next month and a whole pile of stuff on the Chorale concert in May. One piece is a new one by a composer I know, and I think he'll be there, so I'm really looking forward to that. (Scott, it's "Hower-Glass" and once I start practicing it I may have some questions for you...)
6. Brewmaster Stu kegged a Belgian doppel this week. He's having trouble getting the carbonation to work right, even with a carbonation stone. Any brewers out there got some hints for him? But except for that, I think this last batch is all right.
7. Daniel suddenly knows all his letters and can spell all kinds of words, including his name and the names of various household objects. I partially credit the PBS show Word World, which we get on DVD from the library, but this has just clicked in the last few weeks. He can only write a few letters, but he'll spend twenty minutes at a stretch pecking out words in TextEdit or arranging letters from his alphabet puzzle into his favorite words: Daniel, rocket, water.
8. Anya is finally somewhat interested in solid food. She now eats shredded cheese, little cubes of bread, crackers, and peas. This is a big improvement over a month ago.
1. My mom is out of the hospital. She went home last Monday night. I think she and my dad are still adjusting to the change of routine, but it's a relief to have the surgery done with and be home.
2. A friend of mine, Rachel, had surgery Friday to remove a cancerous tumor in her thyroid. Any of you reading who know her probably already know this, but I'll share anyway that the procedure (3 hours!) went well, the tumor was contained, and she's home recovering. I'll be taking her family some dinner tomorrow, and probably several times over the next three months while she undergoes radiation treatment. I imagine this is hell for her and her husband and children, but they'll get through it, and they have a lot of community support.
3. We've been bribing Daniel with candy to use the potty. He gets one for using the potty, two if his pull-up is dry, and it doesn't make a difference how many we offer for him to poop in the potty because THAT AIN'T HAPPENIN', FOLKS. But I think it's working (sort of) for #1, so for now, I'll take what I can get.
4. I made the mistake of getting Daniel a BIG bag of M&Ms, pouring some into a clear glass bowl (so he could see them and be further motivated) and hiding the rest where I could reach them. We'll be needing another package soon, and not because of his stellar performances in the bathroom. Ahem.
5. I've got a couple playing gigs this spring. Most requests I had to turn down because I don't get much practice time. There were a few I really wished I could have said "yes" to, like a trumpet recital for this terrific student at the School of Music, but I know my limits, and I know I can't learn a lot of difficult brass rep in the space of 3 weeks. I find it impossible to say no to one of the choir directors at UW (Bruce, for those of you who know him), however, so I'll be doing one piece on the Madrigals' concert next month and a whole pile of stuff on the Chorale concert in May. One piece is a new one by a composer I know, and I think he'll be there, so I'm really looking forward to that. (Scott, it's "Hower-Glass" and once I start practicing it I may have some questions for you...)
6. Brewmaster Stu kegged a Belgian doppel this week. He's having trouble getting the carbonation to work right, even with a carbonation stone. Any brewers out there got some hints for him? But except for that, I think this last batch is all right.
7. Daniel suddenly knows all his letters and can spell all kinds of words, including his name and the names of various household objects. I partially credit the PBS show Word World, which we get on DVD from the library, but this has just clicked in the last few weeks. He can only write a few letters, but he'll spend twenty minutes at a stretch pecking out words in TextEdit or arranging letters from his alphabet puzzle into his favorite words: Daniel, rocket, water.
8. Anya is finally somewhat interested in solid food. She now eats shredded cheese, little cubes of bread, crackers, and peas. This is a big improvement over a month ago.
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