Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sunday Salon: Write It Off

 Write it off is exactly what I intend to do to a majority of this week.  My weeks are always generally busy, and sometimes crappy, but this one really took the prize.  

Before we enter The Week That Nearly Did Me In, please bear in mind that I was already hanging on by my fingernails.

My daughter started high school on Monday morning.  She also decided to try out for Cross Country, which required her to start her high school career at 5:30 in the morning with a 6 mile run (that means that she and I get up at 4:50).  My heart went out to her, knowing that the rushed, cold shower and the wet hair in her first class wasn't what she had in mind when she imagined this day.  But I am proud of her.  Guarantee I wouldn't have done it at her age.

On Tuesday, after dropping her off at the 5:30 practice, and going for a run myself, I raced to my jury duty.  I nabbed a good seat next to an outlet and settled in for some blogging time and reading.  15 minutes into it, however, I was called to come up to the "Penthouse Courtroom" on the top floor (the Casey Anthony courtroom) for jury selection.  Uh oh.  I soon learned that selection could take days, and if I were selected, the trial would take four weeks.  That's right...FOUR WEEKS.  I started waving my arms and whining that I had busy kids, no family in town, and a husband that will be gone for the next 9 out of 14 days.  However I was surrounded by people who were probably going to lose their house if they sat on this jury, so my complaints were ignored.  At least for the next three days.  It took me that long to get my head around the idea of HIRING someone to pick up and drop off my kids at their various activities, and begging friends to pick them up if they get sick or fall down and have a head wound.  I almost had a nervous breakdown.  After three long days (four long days for some potential jurors) all but 6 of the 104 jurors were gradually excused, and I reclaimed my life.  It was a totally surreal experience.  And so much for blogging and reading.

So this is what it would be like if I worked full time.  Interesting.  I know I did it once when my kids were little.  Not sure how I would cope with it now.  I guess it would take a village.  I missed my son's "meet the teacher" (my BFF covered for me there), his first day of school, and hired our old babysitter to pick up my kids after school.  

But it kind of imploded my week and put me even further behind where I was on all counts.  Reading?  Are you kidding me?  I DID finally finish "The Snow Child" on audio, and have just started "The Orphan Master's Son" for a tour.  In print, I am reading "The Meryl Streep Movie Club" which is nice and I'm totally sure I'll probably cry because it is that kind of book.  But it is all rather slow and pathetic and unblog-like.  I'm distracted and still playing catch-up from vacation in July.  Don't be surprised if at some point I go from cutting off my Friday posts to just cutting everything off.  I've made my peace with this possibility. It would probably do me some good.  

So enough with the complaining.  That is what this entire post is about!  On a rather positive note, yesterday my husband and I ran with my daughter's Cross Country team for 7 miles, which was a pretty big deal for the old farts.  And last night, my hubby and I celebrated our 20th anniversary (which is actually on Tuesday...prepare for a special event on the blog for that day) at a very nice restaurant.  Amazing food and wine.  Today is action packed, from 7:30 Mass, animal shelter duties, to my daughter having more driving lessons.  Cross your fingers that things maybe turn in a good direction this week, I get caught up on my real life duties and blogging, and I find some peace in my heart.
         

22 comments:

Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Natalie~Coffee and a Book Chick said...

Right there with you. Sometimes I do feel like cutting the blogging off completely because there is just so much going on with work and business travel and life - and I don't even have kids! I see my sister, who once was a lieutenant in the Navy, busy as heck and traveling for work, who graduated from the Naval Academy, retire and become a full-time stay-at-home mother and she is MUCH busier now than I've ever seen her before. Carting around her fourteen-year-old son and ten-year-old daughter to practices, doctor's appointments, then food shopping, cooking, etc., is exhausting for me to watch! I can't imagine. So whatever decision you make here in this part of the universe for blogging is completely understandable! I stopped having a schedule of posts and at one time tried to post every day, but that definitely stressed me out. Now I post whenever I feel like it, and sometimes that would make it two weeks in-between posts. And I LOVE that feeling! No pressure!

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary and on a fantastic running distance!! You are doing awesome and can't wait to hear how the half-marathon in February goes!!

bermudaonion said...

Happy anniversary a few days early! Kudos to your daughter for the cross country stuff. I'm amazed that she let you run with her team!

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Inspired by your 7 mile run, I tried to WALK just around the block today, but I'm too out of shape! LOL

Unknown said...

Wow, what a week! I worked when my kids were babies and until my girls were in second grade, and honestly I thought the same thing, how would I have done it when they were in middle school and HS? Now it's much easier to manage a pt job.
I am not the prolific blogger/reader you are and yet the last two weeks have shown the stress and hectic pace of my life.
Happy 20 years to you and your hubs. So nice you have hit such a milestone and celebrated in style.
Hope this next week is better for you.

Unknown said...

Happy anniversary. I think long trials should have a grand jury structure, myself. There are lots of people who are happy to serve on Grand Jury's which meet for an entire year. Something similar could be done with month long trials.

And why can't these be held in the evenings after working hours, or at least after school? Lots of people could do that, too.

Anyway, happy anniversary.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on your 20th Anniversary and Happy 21st Year!

My "hat" is off to involved and interested moms like you, Sandy!
(I know of/see just the opposite in my Brooklyn neighborhood every day. It's very sad)
Your love and dedication to your children is wonderful and inspiring. It's amazing the amount of tasks you accomplish in a day.
Several years from now you will get a bit of a breather before grandkids show up :o)

Your daughter constantly impresses me. She's an amazing, unique and fantastic child. She's the kind of child who makes a mom so proud!

I'm one of the few who would love to be chosen for a jury, I find it fascinating but I also have the time for it. Busy moms really should be excused. How ever could you be expected to serve on a jury for 4 weeks?! So glad you were dismissed.

I'm so curious to read your thoughts on The Orphan Master's Son and The Snow Child etc.

I hope the coming week is a better one and your sanity remains intact :o) As much as I'd miss your blog posts, taking a break from here is a really good idea

Jenny said...

Oh that does sound like a rough week! I'm glad you got out of having to stay for a trial.

I hear you on the blogging and reading. I'm doing extremely little reading and, clearly, no blogging lately. But such is life I guess!

And wow, your daughter is dedicated! That's amazing!

Anonymous said...

Happy anniversary to you and hubby!

Alyce said...

Oh my goodness, your week sounds completely crazy! I'm glad you didn't get chosen for jury duty. Those early morning sports practices are hard on everybody. I remember my mom and I getting up at 4am in order to have time to drive into town for early morning swimming practices. She insisted I get my driver's license ASAP after that. :)

Peppermint Ph.D. said...

Happy Anniversary! You are running ragged it seems. Just do what you have to do to be ok...but don't let go of the things that bring you happiness just to make time for others. That may sound selfish but I learn time and time again, that making time/space for the things I love/enjoy make me a better mom as well. I think we also teach our kids to take time for themselves as they grow older if we value ourselves enough to let them see us do the same. Does that make sense?
Hang in there, Sandy!

ds said...

Seven miles?! Zowie. I don't know if I'm more impressed that you ran it, or your daughter (okay, it's a tie). Good for her for trying out cross-country, and for being the type of kid who doesn't mind mom and dad joining her team for a bit.

Happy, happy anniversary!!

Carrie K. said...

I hope today included some down time, some reading, and a big ole glass of wine!

Unknown said...

Happy anniversary!

I can't believe that jury service selection. What a waste of time! I'm sure it doesn't work like that here in the UK. Glad to hear you escaped.

Zibilee said...

Oh yes! I am so glad that you got out of that jury! It's been a hell of a week for you, and I am glad that it's over, and a new fresh week has begun. And as far as the blog goes, take your time. If you need to, take a break, and do what is important. We stand behind you as a community. If the blogging is too much, anyone would understand that. Just take some time for yourself, and enjoy life. Happy anniversary to you as well!

The Bumbles said...

You can't be everything to everyone all the time at every place. Give yourself permission to miss some moments every now and then. No one else will think you ate a lessor parent, spouse or blogger because of it. Keep your sanity, enjoy your anniversary and skip life here and there in deference to a relaxing read.

Jenners said...

As always, you make me tired. I'm glad you eventually got out of jury duty … but the fact that your town has a penthouse courtroom is kind of weird and disturbing. And I do think that once you get used to being at home, it becomes very difficult to figure out how you'd manage things if you worked. It makes you appreciate having that freedom more I think -- and it makes others appreciate what you do.

As for a blogging break, I encourage you to do it -- as long as you come back before too long. It can get draining and everyone needs to recharge their batteries!

caite said...

5:30?
that is sleeping in ya whiners. I get up at 4:30.. half the time AM, half the time PM.
Man up! :-)

Beth F said...

A blogging break or just a blogging slow down is sometimes a good thing.

I'm STILL wracked with guilt over not commenting on blogs very much -- even though I warned people in January that something had to give. But still, I feel awful.

Anyway, I encourage you to do what's right for you and your family.

Ti said...

Out here, we can reschedule jury duty once, without an excuse. You don't have that option there?

Can't wait to hear what you have to say about Orphan Master's Son. I enjoyed it even though it wasn't my normal fare.

Beth(bookaholicmom) said...

Happy Anniversary! What a rough week you had! I feel your frustration. I am behind on everything since going back to work. I have given up on getting caught up. It will never happen.

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Your 20th Anniversary, that's wonderful!!! Congrats Sandy!