Thursday, February 26, 2009

Goal #1 update

Here is an update on goal #1 from my original post:
As it's been getting warmer, I've been walking more. The boys have been very good in the stroller, both walking the mall (about 6 laps yesterday!) and outside (to the post office, about 1 mile round trip, yesterday!). I really look forward to nice weather when I can walk to the park, or campus, or just around the area. I hurt less after yesterday's walking than after the time before, so I'm happy with that progress.
Oh, and updating on goal #2, I've been trying to eat a salad at least once or twice a week, which is an improvement. I've also been buying apples, oranges, bananas, grapes to eat as snacks, although cookies still are a siren call. I'm still trying to get Chris to eat more of the fruit I buy. 
Happily, Wil helped me eat a banana yesterday. This is doubly exciting because 1) he ate something! and 2) it was not a cookie or cracker! His appetite is getting better, so I am hopeful he will start eating more. He ate almost an entire waffle for breakfast today.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Karma

So things seem to fall into place for sometimes. Do I send out good vibes to get things back? Don't know.
I just found out yesterday, from emails that all my access had been removed and that my IU email was being deleted, that I no longer have my part-time work from home hourly job. I figured as much since funding had run out around Thanksgiving and I hadn't heard the outcome of budget talks after almost 3 months. 
Earlier this week, I heard from the gentleman I used to ship books for that he is going to need someone again, starting in March or April. The woman I found to replace me when I left last spring is going to be leaving town. 
Cards are falling into place if I can work out details of a schedule that will work and figure out how to work it with both boys. Sam will be easy since he can play in the Pack 'N' Play like Wil did at that age. Wil is going to be tricky since he will want to run around. Maybe I can use the corral. 
All this on top of the IU work starting last spring when I was pregnant and finding the book packing difficult to do, with heavy boxes and a lot of bending and lifting. The timing then was really good. The timing here is pretty good too. I wouldn't have been up to doing books over the winter with Sam still really little.
So, once again, things fall into place just when I need them to. My goal is to make enough each month to pay for Wil's preschool next fall.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Status report

So here's a status report:
The boys are both sick. They spent the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa, giving us a much needed break and a full night of sleep. But, they came home with colds, which probably had been brewing for a few days. They are miserable today with runny noses. 
We watched Schindler's List Saturday. I know, great pick for Valentine's Day, but it was sitting over our heads. We got it from Netflix around Thanksgiving. And it's long enough that it was tough to watch after the boys were in bed. We did go out to Lennie's for a meatball sandwich for dinner.
We are getting better at veggies. Between soups and salads, we've been eating more vegetables than we had been. Kroger makes really good heat and eat chili and soups. The tomato soup is really good - perfect with grilled cheese. 
We are also trying to plan a menu a few days in advance so we don't have the inevitable "what should we make for dinner" followed by junk because we have nothing ready. Tonight is homemade pizza. Tomorrow is Hamburger Helper. Wednesday is pasta. We haven't planned Thursday yet. We're also trying to eat more economically, since the grocery bill has been horrendous lately. Lots of pasta, beans and rice, etc.
Since it is mid-February, I've been thinking about the garden we are planning. We need to plot it out and decide what to grow. We have some time before we can plant, but in the next few months we can start prepping.
Chris was up very early today for more filming. Just a few more days and hopefully they can get everything filmed. 
Update: The pizza was awesome. We'll have to do that again.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

A third and hopefully final preschool

Thursday I am scheduled to tour a 3rd, and hopefully final, preschool for Wil. This one is Noah's Ark, which a friend found and signed her daughter up for. I was tired of researching schools since few have any information online and calling to get the basics can be time consuming.
So here's the scoop so far on Noah's Ark:
They have  (or at least had last week) openings for next year, so we wouldn't be on a waitlist, which we are for the other two. They also don't require parent participation, which is good because that would be tricky with Sam. The program has a little flexibility; they are a Monday through Thursday program, where you can select 1 through 4 days a week. I plan on doing 2 (Tuesday/Thursday is my preference, but if there are only openings Monday/Wednesday, I'll take that.) The hours are 9-2, so it's a little longer than I had planned. (St. Mark's is reducing Wil's age to 9-11:15, which is hardly worth it.) They have a theme each week, they teach a Bible lesson each week (including a prayer before lunch). While not particularly religious, Chris and I don't object to the kids learning a little about religion. 
So, it sounds like a good fit for what we are looking for, at a reasonable price. I hope it feels good when we visit and we can get Wil signed up. That'll be one thing off my plate.
Update: The tour went well and I signed Wil up for this preschool starting in August. 

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

More randomness

What's the point of a blog if not to collect random thoughts?
First, kudos to President Obama for saying, "I screwed up." Mistakes happen and I have more respect for those who can admit them. If only former Auditor Newman had figured that out - stop blaming your employees! You were the boss, so it is your responsibility. 
I'm tired of being cooped up in the house. I think the boys are too. The snow is not helping. I can't wait until it is warm enough that I can always bundle them in the stroller and walk or bus somewhere if we get antsy. I'm also tired of being cold.
I can't wait until we get our tax refund. I know we should try to be closer to even, but we'll be able to finally get the fridge we need but never have enough for. I like to think of it as the federal savings plan since we would have spent the money in small chunks but can now get a big ticket item. There's dinner out and a massage coming too.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

US history for $500

I've been slowly reading a book for the last couple of months (only about 100 pages left!) that is really very interesting and I highly recommend it - A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. It is history from the masses, the disenfranchised, not the popular history taught in schools. It also doesn't waste time. I have learned more recent history (post-WWI) in this book than in any history class I ever took (damn Puritans!)
Anyway, as I read this book, I get more and more incensed that nothing changes. The people in power stay in power; the power rests with big corporations and the rich and that will never change at the rate things have gone. I hope they do, but I'm not holding my breath.
So here are a few things to get off my chest:
1) Cutting taxes for the rich and corporations has NEVER, I repeat, NEVER, helped and will not stimulate the economy. In fact, tax cuts to the top tend to have the opposite effect. To the bloody Senators and Representatives who have been complaining that the Obama stimulus plan doesn't have enough or any tax cuts for the rich and big business, 'cuz that'll trickle down, you are all delusional! It DOES NOT WORK! We've been trying trickle down for decades and all that has happened is the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. 
2) Historically, every Congress has passed laws to help business and hurt people. So much for We the People. Congress doesn't represent the people. Politicians are too concerned with getting reelected to actually help people. They help business. Even all the laws passed to ostensibly protect workers' rights, civil rights, etc, were written in many cases to protect business and are also not worth anything if they are not enforced. Please explain to your daughters, sisters, mothers, etc, why they make less than men for the same work (and are doubly cursed if black, while black men don't fare much better). I've actually found evidence at a former job that a man hired to a lower level position was being paid more than I was - after I had worked there 3 years and he was a new hire. He was fired for incompetence while I had to be replaced by 2 people. The Lilly Ledbetter Act is a good start, but we shouldn't have to sue for companies to do things fairly.
3) The US has historically done a poor job of backing foreign governments. We have tended to back abusive tyrannies over the popular revolution that would have actually established a more democratic or at last less brutal government in many, many cases, for the simple expedient that it was better for business interests. Who cares about our supposed mission to bring democracy to the world? If Big Business will suffer slightly less profits, we need to intervene and destroy other countries. And we often get it really, really wrong, installing or supporting a brutal dictator that then turns against us and causes more problems down the line.
4) Seriously, what is the difference between Republicans and Democrats? Once they are elected, the only way to tell them apart is by the little R or D after their name and before their state. This is why I refuse to affiliate with a party. The Republicans of small government actually like to spend just as much as the Democrats, only they cut taxes so the deficit runs up. They also get more involved in way too much social legislation - so much for small government! The Democrats spend just as much on military/defense as the Republicans, have just as much culpability in whatever (cuts to programs, tax cuts to the rich, etc) historically. 
5) Seriously, there are parts of some of the 21 of 25 chapters I've read so far that ring eerily of current and recent events. It is really scary that the more things change, the more they stay the same. 
Really, read this book. 

First day of filming is in the can

We bagged several shots for "The Babbling Banshee" last night, and what a night it was. We had some great interns to help and setup four different lighting designs in two different rooms. We did all of Saturday's shooting in location in a house near the IU campus and despite more than a foot of snow, we were still able to keep to schedule. Filming this movie has been a great experience and I'm looking forward to finishing post and delivering a great short movie. We're working on distribution and getting listed on IMDB.com.