Forever A Fangirl

Mixed Bag

Today's weather was mild--about 70F and it didn't rain but it wasn't sunny either. But it was still enough to lift most everyone's spirits.

I cannot wait until next week...my son goes back to his activities--I go back to swimming. I need routine or structure or something to keep me out of trouble.

In household news, many mini-projects  need to be done before larger projects get underway.
Most of the smaller projects are the responsibility of the two eldest men in the house so I had a honest discussion with both of them and we shall see if any of it got through. I know much of my frustration is that I'm sitting cooling my heels so someone needs to be doing something! (I've done w-a-y too much cleaning of late.)
edit/ I just remembered one little project I got done this week. Assembling a funky chrome (like a grocery cart in the shape of a) workstation and actually finding a place for it without crowding too much of anything. Got all my spouse's household p-work in it's own spot(s) as well as the laptop--which is quite gargantuan in size for a laptop (it's a media laptop)--and needed it's own space. Anyway, that felt good to get done.

I hope he was being overly dramatic (wouldn't know where he would get a trait like that)    but eldest son may end up serving jail time. Possibly 1-3 years.  He needs a really good lawyer--several actually, as he has three separate situations in different towns/counties.
He's been going to court--sometimes a couple times a week--unsuccessfully it seems in getting the underage drinking matter out of the way (he's 23 y.o.). Big, huge lessons here about owning up to responsiblity. It always surprises me that a relatively bright person like him can do so many stoopid things. Repeatedly. Although in fairness, I did not have my act together at all at age 23.
His gf leaves for NYC on Wednesday for her brain surgery. She's to recuperate there for a couple weeks, then back here for about a month, if all goes well. I really hope this all works out for all involved but right now, between both their situations it's kind of scary. Certainly though the two situations couldn't be more different. 

Just bought tickets to Ice Age:The Meltdown as younger son wants to see it and tomorrow is the opening day for the film/last day of his school break. It should be a nice little bit of escapism.

Haven't got much else to add. Hope everyone who is under the weather physically, emotionally, spiritually is very soon feeling much better.
That's one thing we can count on--things will change.

Cheers!

--Cyn

Spring Break

This is my younger son's week off from school and I'm getting antsy.
It's probably partly end-of-winter blahs but having our schedules all fubar--the college is closed so I can't swim, his choir practice is off. That and he's home all day, as well as my recent loss of a three times a week commitment to volunteer--oh and gray crummy weather--still. :sigh: I'm getting impatient to hear from the State of Illinois people. I want my sub teaching certificate and I want to work, darn it! Bah. I hate waiting. We're going to have to start a project of some type.

100 year-old totem poles from British Columbia

Field Museum of Natural History, 03.25.06

(click for some cool detail in this photo)

Our Trip To The Field

... The Field Museum Of Natural History, that is.
Haven't been in a bit; they've done a tremendous job of updating the exhibits--bringing them into the 21st Century. Our main reason for going was to 1. See the Pompeii exhibit, which closes tomorrow and 2. I wanted to see "Lucy," a recreation of the most recent starting point for our part of the evolutionary process.

Sights seen from the car on the way to the Field...

Daley Plaza Picasso

Cheez borger, Cheez borger! Make sure you click the photo above album link at the end of this post to read what's on the menu at the Billy Goat Tavern--immortalized by John Belushi in Saturday Night Live.

Frank Gehry's Pavillion as seen whilst approaching the Lake.

The "Jelly Bean " is looking good on this blustery March day.

Driving past Millennium Park ... not too long now.

Queing up in the main lobby of The Field.

As promised...

The Field Museum's "Lucy"

She was way smaller than I expected.
The real Lucy is displayed nearby and she is just fragments.
Anyway, she's a close cousin of the human race--like the most ancient.

See more here: http://cyncity.typepad.com/photos/chicago_2006/

Went to the Junior high school's quarterly band performance tonight (Spring show is in May). They do traditional stuff, then make sure they acknowledge at least one culture (sometimes several), and then the last song is usually something more contemporary. Tonight it was a medley from the musical currently playing in most big cities, "Wicked."
They did OK. The show was split in half as there are two 8th grade band classes at the Jr. high so my son was sitting off to the side with the other grade 8 Blue band class half the time and he was not visible from where we were sitting. But, during his band class's half of the show, he just happened to be only about 25 or so feet from us (in folding chairs in the gym/lunch room--all of us at the same level). He just had to look over and their we were--so I had to be bad and try to make him smile. He looked so somber.( I wasn't trying to be disruptive as the trumpets sometimes only play for half the song. Sitting there looking like he'd rather be home playing computer games and chatting on-line is not the look IMO, one is supposed to going for when "on-stage.")

Need to tally-ho. Have some important travel stuff to do plus I need to check into how big an impact my forgetting to have my spouse put my SS# on the money order that the county took for me to renew my sub-teaching certificate. It was all in one envelope with my other p-work but this is Cook County (very corrupt) so I need to call tomorrow to see if things are square. I need to be working to pay for CA in August!!!

Okay then, cheerio!

Happy Vernal Equinox!

My spouse took this photo at the 12th Annual Chicago Flower & Garden Show. He's gone to most of them. He and my youngest son were there togethr for years--not me because I like to sleep in on the weekends and having to go on the weekend, spouse wanted  to head out early. Anyway, this year "we" went on a Monday--with Chris in school and the crowds "about half" of what they are on the weekend.

Spouse says the quality of the displays has diminished. I was not disappointed because I really had no expectations. There was a lot of vending going on--many vendors--and we bought a nice size bag of real vegetable chips for only $4.00--that was a good choice--nummy. Most vendors were at least tangentially garden or flower-related--but some were a real stretch ($150 non-garden or flower earrings? WTF?).

Northern Illinois University Music Hall~03.18.06

Reherarsal for the Invitational Choral Festival, held later that night.

With several children's choirs doing their thing, the day got kind of long for this chaperone. Whilst the kid's were on-stage I ended up staring at the ceiling every now & again. The childen's reflections, though distorted are quite visible.

Though it was sedate when they were on-stage, when off it was controlled chaos--all kids had to have a chaperone at all times. When you figure upwards of 100 of our kids--The Palatine Children's Choir--each had 2 changes of clothes (shown is their casual garb "red & blue") and that they were a mixed group (girls & boys), it made the time off-stage move very quickly. No time for staring at the ceiling nor for taking photos.

The Group Of Forty

I am in a rush but had to mention: got a phone call today from the high school...they invited my son into the gifted program (the group of forty)!!! OMG, OMG, OMG! I am so happy for him! And proud. :me bursting:

This is sooo good to hear because I've been hearing more and more from him about how bored he's become in some of his grade 8 classes.
Been getting some of that attitude about being smarter than his maths teacher...which may be true in math class but is irrelevant to the big picture. He's ticked her off a couple times by seeing other ways of solving the equations besides her way... smart is great but it's stoopid to hit people over the head with it--at least right now.

From what I'm getting so far about the high school gifted program--it's more individualized yet they are taught the social/leadership skills part of things, too. I seriously doubt that he'll be bored next year. :exhales in relief:

Cheerio and Happy Humpday!

Edit/ Not much of anything to report since earlier today. The look on my youngest's face as he listened to the answering machine message from the high school inviting him into the gifted program was a hoot. The look of disbelief, then the sinking in, then the woo-hoo! moment--priceless.

Navy Pier Stained Glass

A weakness of mine and besides the lake, my favourite thing at Navy Pier: The Chicago Museum of Stained Glass.
I missed getting her name (I'll try to remember to do that next time).

A Change in the Weather

When I checked the online Weatherbug weather service tonight in anticipation of tomorrow's trip to The 12th Annual Chicago Flower & Garden Show (woo) this is what I saw as our weather right now. Sheesh. The thunderstorms sound kinda cool but I'll take a pass on the tornadoes, please.

Ugh. In the orange zone. Not so good.

Just t-storms--no tornadoes...oh large hail, too. :/

That looks about right for this lovely, "active weather" (nice euphemism, eh?) time-of-year. Feeling kinda good that I live in a brick buidling, feeling kinda anxious about my baby (the Mustang) out in the rain (and hail). :want a garage:

Anyway, Happy Monday!

I really "do" try to be spontaneous

My life is kind of like the weather--rather ho-hum, atm. I am so ready for a change (for the better, please).
It'll help a lot when my teaching p-work is processed by the county & district so I can get my "shot." Don't know what I was thinking when I said tetanus shot last I mentioned it--that the little buggers were going to bite?! It's a TB test anyway. Then hopefully to work as I'm gettting antsy about getting the California trip financed. I am such a control freak. Have to have all the little details planned out even tho' I really "do" try to be spontaneous...

Going to the 12th Annual Garden Show on Navy Pier on Monday. Spouse is taking the day off of his day job. He goes every year--I've never been. I really just want to see and smell something green and growing but any excuse is good enough to go down by Lake Michigan.

There's a rumour that the sun may come out in the next few days. If it does and the temp is 55F or so my Mustang's top is going down! My attitude should change for the better, too.

$4000 Cash In My Boots

Situation here is less out of kilter than before.

My brother & sil took pity on my down on his luck son and threw in $1200 for bond--it was all very last minute and Keystone cops-like, beginning at 2 in the afternoon, rushing, rushing, anxiety about making it here and there on time. Me and "L" running off to our banks. Anxiety about walking the gang infested streets alone around the prison at night with $4000 cash in my boots. And finally, at 12:20 a.m. my son was discharged from jail.

Both his roommate and his gf want to have a "sit down talk" with him about being a responsible grown-up now that he's 23 y.o. (I think she didn't wait and gave it to him last night--roomie probably today) Perhaps what two of the most important people in his life--peers--have to say will reasonate with him. I hope so. He's pretty well sprung in action since Saturday morning, applied for unemployment on-line, is going to the courthouse tomorrow (before his court date) to take care of who knows what, moving on things he's put off. He's facing a felony conviction so he needs to get his act together and lawyer up. My brother's bro-in-law is an attorney and offered up a referral. But now that the immediate crisis has passed, I'm stepping back. I was there to support the poor girl that's sticking with him. I'm completely blown away that her dad put in $2000 for bail. All I can hope for is that the kid acts like a man and doesn't burn anyone. :fingers crossed:

Have I bragged about my youngest getting his placement scores and the high school asking him back to test in the high school gifted program? Well, he did. :me very proud:
The freshman class of 2010 must be about 900 kids and only 40 will be in gifted ("the group of forty," as they've been referred to, lol). I'm happy if he's happy--gifted or "just" AP classes. Damn, I'm hoping for a little financial aid for college.