Denver Skies Win. Every Time.

The view of the Super Moon from our street!

We wanted to see it rise, like right over the horizon, but we got caught up making dinner. While this moon didn't look bigger than normal, it was definitely brighter. Much brighter.

Speaking of skies, Denver has the best. Any time of day or night. Here are some pics we've taken lately.

Stuck in traffic. Not actually driving.

Same caveat as above.

They say the next full Super Moon will be in 2034. Do you think we'll be on our way to Mars by then? :) We live in interesting times.

More Like It

Things, at least in dawrighthouse, are starting to calm down. Starting. Normality is still a ways off but we will take what we can get.

This weekend was the kind of balance between work and personal life that I have been striving for, and missing, the last couple of years. I think I've got the hang of it now. We had a couple of lunches together, bought a new Christmas tree (and some more decorations!), got pics for our passport renewal (cue All The Election Jokes here, but we have a big vacay coming up and must renew before then), did chores around the house, watched the Hogs lose, and made fun of Loo Loo Bean.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Doesn't she look like she's listening? She's not.

It's been a while since our last date night, so we switched it up and had a day date - lunch in the Springs at the Airplane Restaurant. For such a novelty restaurant, they serve tasty food. I've never been disappointed there.

They also serve tasty drinks. In my defense, I was getting prepped to go to the game store. While G shopped (and shopped and shopped and chatted and did nerdy things) I read a boat load of Virginia Woolf essays in the car. Not kidding. But first, there was lunch.

Massive eye roll here. Wife of the year, etc.

Yes, the pkg he's holding says 'life stones'. Don't ask. I don't know. I don't want to know.

 Afterwards, we stocked up at the grocery store. This pic is proof that we have a special visitor coming soon. Someone who may or may not consume more creamer than coffee in her cup.

While I threw the ingredients for cream cheese chicken chili into the crock pot, this was going on.

Massive eye roll again.

You may read this post and note that the theme of the weekend was Retail Therapy. And you would be right. We also saw a movie, ate our body weight in popcorn, and managed to adequately process (and deal with) the past week.

Ready for a new week over here, though.

What Really Matters?

I would like to make a few jokes about why I haven't blogged in a while. I would like to poke fun at my crazy schedule and my needy students and all the grading and rabbit chaos (of which there is plenty).

Case in point

But I haven't blogged lately because I've been down, just kind of "bleh" and sad. While I keep this blog positive and lighthearted - while I never "fake my feelings" on here - I do tend to drop off the map when I'm overwhelmed, either by events or by feelings. I much prefer events to feelings. In case anyone (JESUS??) is taking notes. LOL.

In light of the election results, I definitely - definitely - did not plan to blog today. But look at me, sitting here drinking (an alcoholic) coffee, blogging.

I would not have been pleased with the election results either way. And I didn't exercise my incredibly privileged right to vote in the world's leading democratic nation. So, honesty up front and all that. I hope that our next president isn't a racist, sexist, narcissistic, money-grubbing a-hole. Many criticisms could be made of the other side, too. Many people hoped (myself included here as well) that our next president wouldn't be a corrupt, socialist, narcissistic, money-grubbing a-hole.

But.

A-peep's son calls Captain America "my merica." That's what I've started calling my country. Regardless of what I think of it, it's MY MERICA. And, yes, I know that this is Darth Vader and not Captain America. I write this out because, I swear, G would accuse me of not knowing the difference. Captain America has way more...muscles...than Darth Vader. If you know what I mean.

In addition to the election chaos, I'm lost in a world of my own feelings.

I handed out some anonymous surveys in class today and there were a couple of snarky comments. There always are. There were also lots of neutral comments and a few that were just stellar, just feel-good-all-day kind of remarkable. There always are.

But I'm so bleh.

The reason I'm blogging today is that whenever I'm tempted to ask, why does it matter anyway?, that is a signal that I need to process and reflect. Maybe you do, too.

So, in light of being an American, and in light of being a dedicated teacher, here's what really matters to me:

--I'm in the top, what is it?, 5% of the world's population that can read, write, and sustain my own way of life. I'm incredibly lucky to be a 21st century American.

--I was born with a right to vote and no one could have stopped me. I didn't vote. But I could have.

--As Nat King Cole says, Jesus is the true king anyways. And always.

But even beyond those big ticket items, it matters - whatever it is - because life goes on.

In all respects, November 9th is just like any other day. So was November 8th and so will be November 10th.

--Despite negative student comments, it has mattered that I have helped some people. Helped them become better writers or better students. Helped them prevent anxiety attacks and have room to grieve dead relatives and lost jobs and domestic abuse and drug problems. It matters that I have been nice and merciful and compassionate. That has made a difference. It has made the biggest difference ever, truly, when people have been nice and merciful and compassionate to me.

--The example that I set, for the people in my life, for the people I interact with, matters. Because God put them in my path. I'm not ultimately responsible for anything but myself. And how I treat myself (and others) matters.

 --A defeatist attitude steals joy and Satan loves that. If it didn't matter, we wouldn't be here to begin with.

--We won't be here long. Take that literally or metaphorically.

This isn't a gripe sesh or bait for compliments or even a venting sesh. This is simply a reminder for myself. And for you.

What matters to you? Like, really. I would love to hear from you.

Trick Bun Treat

Quick! Give her candy or she'll jump.

 

Fall Into Brunch

I haven't written in a while because real life took over (work is hard). But I am here today to represent. Because today was the fall brunch and it was magnificent.

We had to plan the brunch around Nat King Cole's international travel schedule. I'm glad she could come back from Germany in enough time to grace us with her presence.

Cheers!

We had:
Mimosas (OBVS)
Pumpkin Bread
Homemade biscuits and gravy
Eggs
Cheezy Hashbrown Casserole
Hot Crab Dip/Crackers
Fresh Berries
Curried Sweet Potato Salad

Aaaaaaand I spent the afternoon like this.

Luckily, I got up early this morning to grade before the champagne haze took over. A little productivity in the morning goes a long way, people. Read: laying around all afternoon.

Although I have been reading Edgar Allen Poe stories - just for fun - this weekend and now I have leftovers for dayz. Life is good.

Happy Fall.

Books

This past week I spent a few minutes every day trying to clean up the crap pile in the library. Finally, today, I finished. My blood pressure - not to mention G's - has been lowered.

Part of the crap pile was this summer's pile of books. And part of the reason they were still out on the floor is because I keep meaning to blog about them. So, let's start with this trilogy:

Rick Yancey's Fifth Wave series of YA books (The Fifth Wave, The Infinite Sea, and The Last Star) detail the story of an alien invasion on earth that takes the form of carefully planned and executed waves. These waves consist not only of sheer force but are also designed to take advantage of predictable human behaviors - an interesting twist on Yancey's part. These books are just as much about human behavior (good and bad) as they are about teenage love and angst in dystopian America. The first book is so novel and suspenseful that you won't be able to put it down. The others work to resolve the story and therefore they are heavier on the relational drama than suspense, but you'll want to read them to see what happens in the end.

The plot (especially in the first book) is good, and the writing is OK. Prepare yourself for fragment sentences now; they get old but perhaps that's because they are targeted for a young audience? It's not a bad idea to review these before the kids read them. The language is...really something...and there are some s*x scenes that would have certainly gotten my attention in junior high. When I read stuff like this, I chuckle to myself that Judy Blume books were so controversial back in the day. <eye roll emoji>

That said? Try these. Good story overall.

The Hogs are losing, G seems to be getting sick, and I have a series of difficult presentations coming up next week. Ugh. But the library? The library looks great!

Concert (Or: Night Out on the Town!)

Guess what we did last night? On a Tuesday of all things? We went to see Ingrid Michaelson at the Paramount Theatre!

I highly recommend going to one of her shows. We've also seen her in Charlottesville, VA (back in the day) and she puts on such a good, intimate gig. Her sets always include both fast and slow songs, various covers that she likes to sing along with the crowd, and time in the middle of the concert where her band exits the stage and she talks/sings with just her ukulele or keyboard.

As you can see, our seats were excellent! G surprised me with VIP tickets; we were only about 6 rows from the front, and dead center stage, which is my favorite perspective! I don't know what demographic(s) I was expecting for the audience, but it's worth pointing out that there seemed to be an even split between 20-30 yo's and 30-60 yo's. No joke. G and I kind of half expected to be in the "older" half of the audience, surrounded by people my students' age, but instead, we found that many people sitting around us had silver hair! It was super fun to sing, sway, and bounce along with everyone else to her music.

As adventurous as I may (or may not) be on the weekends, it takes a pretty big deal for me to shuffle around my weeknight schedule. And by "schedule" I mean that bunny mama is usually in bed, deep into a VW novel by - BY - 9:00 p.m. But not last night. And the late bed time and early morning grumbles were so worth it.

Ingrid writes most (all?) of her own songs, plays a variety of instruments, covers a breadth of styles from folk to playful to melancholy to rock, and does it all while seeming - dare I say it? - normal. She seems like a down to earth person who is in touch with the human experience (rather than some delusional state of fame and celebrity) and enjoys her music, performing it, and connecting with people who want to hear it, and who want to sing along!

We had such a great time. Here are a few more pics, if you're interested.

Thanks, G, for such a great gift!