nina turns 40

My fun workplace is rife with politics now. Oh joy. It's certainly the most scheming, gossip ridden place I've ever worked. The good news is that I can usually stay under the radar when that kind of thing is going on. The bad news is that my supervisor is leaving, and she is one of those people who make working there bearable. One of the other ones is a key player in the latest power ploy, so I have to be careful. I have this sinking feeling that rather than promote me into my supervisor's position they are going to try and just dump all of her work on me and leave it at that.

fun with optics

In our bathroom we have one of those heat lamp dealios that glows very red. The kidlet has discovered this and so now whenever he's in there he uses only the red lamp. He explains to me each time what color different items look like in there, and how when he comes out, everything looks green. I haven't decided if this is yet another sign of his innate genius, or if he's just really weird. I'm leaning toward the former, of course.

it's the little things

It makes me so happy that I have a kitchen window.

If I had lots of free time and cash this summer, I'd probably do something like this. I love Lewis and Clark, but mostly I love Sacajawea (insert your spelling preference and pronunciation guide here). I read the book Undaunted Courage when the kidlet was just an infant, and I was totally in awe of the fact that S. had her baby and was shortly thereafter trekking by canoe with a buncha smelly guys, and of course, showing them the way. I could barely say my name in the first few weeks after becoming a mom, so I just can't imagine how she did it. And she was 14! Admittedly, we urban mamas are wimps--this one anyway.

slacker

To show you what a truly bad housekeeper sorta chick that I am, even though way too much stuff is still in boxes, and I haven't accomplished nearly what I thought I would by 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I'm still thinking that I probably should go out soon to do some more exploring of my new 'hood.

One of the newer buildings near my office has planted a rosemary hedge as part of their landscaping. I want to hug whoever thought of this. Most of the time it's pretty nondescript, but when the late Spring sun is shining down on it and you walk by, the smell is just heavenly. Makes me want to rush to the store to buy chicken and potatoes to roast.

And thanks to those who unfailingly offer their support whenever I come knocking. Means a lot.

Funny how some news, though not necessarily a surprise, when you receive it unexpectedly still throws you for a loop.

hit the road, jack

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that the real day of mourning tomorrow will be for Ray Charles.

Dear Neighbor,

I like wind chimes, wind chimes are nice. As the kidlet says, they sound like bells. However, the wind does not discriminate between night and day. The wind does not care that it's three in the morning or that you're trying to concentrate on something else. No, the wind just comes along and plays those things at any damn time it wants, and without much in the way of rhythm. Do you really want the wind playing your tunes for you? Just curious.

Your new neighbor,
nina

advice for parents

Do not, under any circumstances, buy for your child a tape or CD of kids' music. If you do, you will be cursing yourself to a never ending cycle of song induced misery. Sure, Mary Had A Little Lamb is innocuous enough, but certain tunes will bore themselves into your brain and they will not leave, no matter what. Furthermore, no matter what tapes your little one may have enjoyed listening to in the past, he or she will now only want the kiddy music. You've been warned.