Monday: Finally, I Can - Relax?

If you follow me on Google+, 'never mind.' I posted most of this on G+ a little earlier today. (May 6, 2031)

Last week wasn't hectic for me, but not dull either. I was catching up on sleep lost to a 'need it fifteen minutes ago' task when my wife reminded me that we were going out of state for the weekend.

No problem: I wrap up Friday and Sunday's posts, schedule them to show up at the right time, and drive to North Dakota. While there, I enjoy time with #2 daughter and daughter-in-law, and start catching up on the previous weekend's sleep: plus what I'd borrowed for the current weekend.

Surprisingly, the cold I'd been dodging didn't catch up with me until today. It must have gotten winded in the process, because it's a puny thing.

For most folks with 9-to-5 jobs, Monday is when they trudge back to the cubicle for another five days of toil. For me, it's the day when I get to relax: except for a Knights of Columbus bulletin that I would have been finishing on the weekend, if I'd been in Minnesota; and the next set of posts; and - - - at least my life's not boring.

Not-completely-unrelated posts:

• "Sin, Outrage, and Making Sense"
  (May 5, 2013)
• "Prayer! Meditation! Science!"
  (May 3, 2013)
• "Antigravity Experiments, Quantum Entanglement, and Making Kidneys"
  (May 3, 2013)
• "New Glasses: For Me, a Big Deal"
  (May 2, 2013)
• "Looking Like Santa"
  (April 30, 2013)

My Desk: It Works for Me

Some folks do their writing at an uncluttered desk, with a view of a lawn or garden. This is where I spend most of the day. And quite a few evenings.


My desk on a Friday afternoon. May 18, 2012.

The latest addition is that little gray box by the toy cars. It's a kitchen timer, set to go off every 30 minutes. When it beeps, I get up, stretch, and sometimes walk around a bit. Without that, I'd stay in place for hours.

A garden view would be nice, but there's a window to the right of my desk, looking out on a hummingbird feeder, some lawn, and (almost) the corner of Ash and South 9th in Sauk Centre. My webcam looks out that window, too, and that's another topic.

Not-entirely-unrelated posts:

• "Lemming Tracks: A Change in Schedule"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (May 14, 2012)
• " 'Sleep on It:' Separating Inspiration From Indigestion"
  Drifting at the Edge of Time and Space (January 24, 2012)
• "Making a Work Space that Works For a Writer"
  Apathetic Lemming of the North (July 28, 2010)
• "Monday: Small Town Tranquility and Road Work"
  (June 15, 2009)
• "Medical Meets Creative"
  (January 29, 2009)

So Much For Relaxing

Ha! That "relaxing for the rest of the evening" turned into a post about Halloween rants. ("Halloween's Coming: Why aren't I Ranting?" (A Catholic Citizen in America (October 29, 2009)).

What can I say? I noticed that part of my mind was starting on a topical post, and decided to give more attention to the project.

Monday: Small Town Tranquility and Road Work

A tranquil small town Monday afternoon: Sauk Centre style.

The house has stopped shuddering - for the moment. A road crew has been outside for most of the afternoon, laying another inch of asphalt on the west side of Ash Street. It's offered me the opportunity of watching road-building technology at work.

But Giol, #1 daughter's rabbit, didn't seem to like the noise and vibration. And my wife had me close a window. She said that odors from the tar were getting in, and she's probably right. With my sense of smell, it wasn't at all obvious.



Friday morning, #1 daughter got her raft out of storage, put it on her car, and had it inflated at a gas station. Then, leaving it upside-down on the car roof, she sat inside the tube and patched leaks. She'd gotten a leak kit at Fleet Supply.

Friday afternoon, soon after lunch, #1 daughter headed off to use her raft. Around 4:00, I started wondering where she was. Making a long story short, I called her a couple of times (she had prudently brought her cell phone along), gotten acquainted with three or four young men who were fishing on the 12th Street bridge over the Sauk River, let my wife know what was going on, and parked the van near that bridge.

Meanwhile, #1 daughter was drifting down the Sauk River, watching great blue herons, running into a beaver lodge - literally - and enjoying the passing revue of nature's wonders.

About that beaver lodge: she'd maneuvered around it without incident. Once she was past it, though, she discovered a spot where the current ran in reverse: and got a much closer look at the lodge than she'd planned.

#1 daughter told me that she'd planned to pole back to the Conservation Park, below the dam, where she'd started out. Then, she discovered that the river bottom was too muddy. Her paddles went into the mud just fine: but getting them out meant pulling about as much as she'd pushed. Net movement of the raft, therefore, was just about zero.

Back to the 12th Street bridge: I'd talked with the young men, so they were on the lookout for #1 daughter. Two of them brought the raft up to the street for her. They were quite impressed with the raft. I understand they were talking about building one or two for themselves, so they could fish closer to the river.

Leaving the raft there, I drove #1 daughter back to her car, and eventually we got her, the raft, and me, back for supper.

More must have happened that day, but I can't seem to remember. Actually, I do remember a sort of whirl of research, writing posts, and wracking my mind for something amusing to write for one blog.

Saturday was more of the same for me. Except that I grilled burgers - always a treat - and ate lunch with my wife in a tent that's rigged in the back yard. Quite a few small insects have found their way inside, and try flying out: through the tent's translucent top. They make a sound like a light rain, even - or especially - when the sun's out. Happily, they leave the food alone.

My wife would have taken her nap out there, except she didn't find a sleeping bag. The ground's a trifle cool to relax on. Maybe next weekend.


Eucharistic procession heading out from Our Lady of the Angels church.

I missed grilling Sunday. The two Catholic churches in town had a procession from one to the other and back: and I spent most of the noon hour taking photos.

My daughter spent the afternoon and evening at friends of ours, a bit under ten miles east of town. She went there to do a CutCo demonstration, and stayed to catch up. They hadn't gotten together for quite a while. Some of the family's sons are planning to go into farming, which means finding ways to save enough money. They've got a dairy farm: I found out that milk prices at their end have gone down as prices on the shelf have gone up. The milk on their table is produced on-site: which helps.

Sunday evening, a bit late, #1 daughter and I watched another episode of "Bleach," a cartoon series we both enjoy.

Which brings me up to today. #1 daughter was out on a sales call this morning and has another set up for this evening, my wife's been working on #2 daughter's wedding dress, #3 daughter's been writing - there's a lot of that going around in the family - and I had a few words with my son on the phone. He spoke at much greater length with my wife. He's still having a good time at the farm: chopping wood and doing chores as well as getting to know his new laptop.

Tuesday Night: It's Been a Good Day

We watched "Night at the Museum" this evening - my son borrowed the DVD from the library. It's the second time around for my wife and me - and I think #3 daughter, too - but the first viewing for him. He thought it was great, and I agree. It's a fun movie. javascript:void(0)

Apart from that, I'm still writing blog posts: and getting a local Knights of Columbus bulletin out 11 times a year. And, I'm still re-learning the first parts of Soo Bahk Do.

My son's been feeling better - I think spring allergies bother him.

And, at this moment, my wife's talking with #2 daughter on the phone. She's still down in Louisiana - but will be coming up in the near future. Exactly when, I don't know. I'm expecting to see my son-in-law-to-be in the area in a couple weeks.

My son and I read Garfield, sang the song we sing, and that's as good a place to stop writing as any.

A Damp and Dreary Wednesday, With Bright Spots Indoors

My wife, son, and #3 daughter, are playing "Cue Me" in the living room. I've been "networking" - a fancy word for touching base in an online community and mentioning blog posts I've written and projects I'm working on. It does seem to have benefits: besides being a social activity.

I've started making 3D models for a graphics project I'm calling "Galaxy Cadet" for now. #1 daughter says it's a good enough name to use when it's published. She may be right about that.

And, I've written about dinosaurs and the swine flu - for different posts, of course. I looked at what I've made online over the last month or so: and it's still not enough to run a household on. But, it's a lot closer than it was last year at this time. I'm learning - and more people have discovered what I do.

It's been a gray, dripping day here: I'm planning on turning in early, right after I read Garfield with my son.

Saturday: The Family Easter Get-Together

I think at least one of us went over to my father-in-law's to rest, but at one point around 18 people were here, including the 5/6 of my family who are in Minnesota.

It's the Easter get-together: this time we're hosting it. And, I think it's going quite well. Some of the younger kids are outside, playing in a sandbox, others are inside, #3 daughter and a niece are probably deep in conference, and just about everyone else is in the living room, talking and catching up.

I'm here at the computer by the north window, and one of my brothers-in-law is set up a bit south and east of me. I'm getting the day's writing done, and he's working on a Master of Science degree in Information Technology.

He's been working in the field for years - but this will give him the sort of academic certification that impresses companies. He says he's learning something, too. He's doing the coursework and 'attending' lectures online, though a Minnesota college. He said what it was, but I can't remember the name offhand.

Yesterday I started wearing flip-flops - a sort of informal milestone marking the beginning of my summer.

The hummingbird feeder is still inside, but I'll be setting it out sometime in the next couple of weeks, for the benefit of early arrivals. We had a pretty good clientele last year, and I'm hoping for another good season.

Medical Meets Creative

#3 daughter asked about her guitar this morning. By then, I was able to tell her that it had been recovered.

She's a writer, plays guitar, is right-handed, and her right arm will be in a cast for the next two months. From her knuckles to roughly a third of the way from her elbow to her shoulder.

She's wondering what she's going to be doing, until the cast comes off. My son has offered to type for her: a touching offer, but I'm not sure how well that would work out. I'm sure that #3 daughter will think of some solution.