We are in the home stretch. Last 10 minutes of the drive. It was a good trip home. Our flight was delayed, but it allowed for a leisurely morning and slow (agonizing) goodbye. The flight was good and Delta paid for a hotel for us (and made the reservations). We got to stay in the infamous TWA hotel (infamous to randal- I had never heard of it) in JFK and it was fabulous. We then had our last flight home this morning. Mom is ready to see dad. Milo will start 2nd grade tomorrow. I will rush to get my class prepped for next week. Marian will be back to the routine. Randal is scrambling to catch up on work. So, for now…. Ciao. A presto.
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No one can accuse me of complacency. I voted last Friday and wore my special voting outfit. Milo and I encouraged people to vote on Tuesday. I have been talking to my students about voting for weeks and wasn’t sure if anyone heard me, but then I got this email from a student on Tuesday night. So, there’s one.
I had my first class today. It’s a 3 credit hour course, so we meet two times a week for 2.5 hours each time for the remainder of the semester. It’s Stress Prevention and Management. Something that I’ve had extensive experience with… (haven’t we all?) And it went well. My students were attentive. I felt prepared. The topic was interesting. And I am grateful for all of that. Also, for the leaves. They are so beautiful right now. (I don’t have any pictures of those things, so here are my cute kids. They’re great too.)
Today, in one of my classes, the instructor asked how stressed we are: extremely stressed, moderately stressed, or happy. I chose happy. I was the only one. But, I am thrilled to be on this trip with my love- who knows me so well that he booked first class for our flight out. (“It doesn’t take much to make me happy”, I said, “just a decadent trip to NYC.”) The moon is shining outside of my plane window, the free drinks are plentiful, and my favorite person is by my side. I am grateful. For so damn much.
I had a great weekend with the kids, but felt like I was moving the whole time and little got accomplished. So, today I’m grateful for preschools and elementary schools. We are lucky to have wonderful schools where our kids not only are safe, but learn so much and have so much fun. They have friends; they get to be outside; they come home with interesting facts. And also… I get time to do the things I’m working on without a chorus of “Mom?” behind me. I am just SO grateful for that. Here are the kids on Milo’s first day of first grade!
I just felt like I was failing today. I can’t stay ahead of my work or school and I’m tired and no, Milo, I don’t want to play on the playground. I want to lay on the couch. And then I got this message, out of the blue, from a Grad school friend who I rarely talk to. Sometimes the universe kicks you in the stomach and sometimes… this time… it really comes through. Many moments of gratitude today, but especially my spouse who let me vent. And Milo- when he heard me venting, he brought his bucket of Halloween candy over to offer me some so I felt better. So, all in all… it’s pretty damn good.
It is a busy, beautiful fall. We have been trying to enjoy the outdoors before a dreary winter sets in, working steadily, and celebrating birthdays. The kids are still in school, but we wait with bated breath for the first email that says that we have to quarantine for two weeks because someone tested positive. (Someone in Marian's school tested positive last week, but not in her class, which is separated.). They love their schools and I love their schools and everyone is happy that they're there: learning, playing, and getting some time away from their parents. Midterms are over and they went pretty well. Whew! I would have liked a week off, but the classes keep on coming. My birthday was quite fun and Mom's birthday is today. Happy Birthday, Mom! We were reminiscing about our trip to Wales last year for her birthday. I am SO glad we took advantage while we had the chance. And we are following the election. Time is ticking! Ra...
It’s been a busy week for the Popes. And it’s a big week for the Popes! Because for 75% of us, we had our first day of school! I started on Tuesday morning with my Biostats class. Here I am, ready to learn! And the kids started preschool this morning. (A chaotic morning! It is an adjustment to get out of the house before 8am.) Milo has “0% nervousness” and Marian doesn’t either (but also thought she was going to grandma’s). Happy first days of preschool and PhD to us! (And thanks to Randal for coping with all of it.)
Randal and I were reminiscing about what we were doing ten years ago and how we marked the end of the first decade of the 2000s. I thought back to where I was in December of 2009 and then remembered that I had done a blogpost to close the decade. It was fun to look back on it and the one constant of my life... I have no idea where life will take me in the next ten years. So. Ten years ago, I had recently moved to Phoenix. I was lonely, but working at my first job that really paid well and I was really a grown up. I filled my days with reading, educational activities, and actively seeking and securing solid friendships. I embarked on self-improvement projects and worried that I would never meet the right person and would never get married. And today? One, it will be a miracle if I get through this blogpost in one sitting without a kid calling me.* But, as for the rest.. We have relatively recently moved. I...
What a whirlwind! I meant to post about my Indiana fun while I was IN Indiana, but now, it's a month later and I am finally posting. It was such an adventure, replete with loved ones, good conversation, excellent memories, and a lot of laughs. And since then, it has been quite a time in Klamath Falls... but you'll have to wait for the next post to hear about the exciting goings-on here. First thing is first... Randal and I flew into Indiana late at night. Cookie and Michael cheerfully picked us up and stayed up, showing us their charming abode. Miracles of middle-age... they don't even look tired the next morning. (Randal and I certainly did though.) We then met up with Kristi and Andrew in their great new house. We enjoyed a delicious dinner, partially supplied from Kristi's garden, and a canoe ride down the river. It was gorgeous, as always. The next day, Kristi too...
The fun never ends with the Jochim/Pope clan. How many times have I posted this in the past few years: In lieu of packing, I'll write a blogpost! Yep. It is that time again when I load up all of my junk and think, Why do I have so much stuff?? before schlepping it across the country. Except that in previous instances when I have stated that I am moving across the country, I really meant that I was crossing only about five states. This time, it's a literal statement as I go from the East Coast to the West Coast. But, before I start to panic about that, let's recap our last few weeks. Stephanie and my pitch to the VP of Medical Affairs in Klamath Falls went so well that nerve-wracking Tuesday. A few changes need to be made, but we have an excited crew waiting for us in Klamath Falls. They will bring us out sometime in June to pitch to the senior administrative team, the entire board of trustees of the hospital, and to th...