The Fourth Estate

More layoffs at the paper today. They want to get rid of 12 FTEs this time. The new editor emailed a list of five people whose last day was today. Another reporter quit last week. Boy, I can't wait to graduate.

Snap, crackle, knuckle

Oh my god.

I am up to my eyeballs in research. I did not expect this little job to be so consuming. I spend my day on the phone, trying to coax corporate executives into spilling their guts about sales figures, trying to find a list of women-owned businesses in the state, trying to confirm a business really is owned by a woman or a group of women, trying not to trip over my tongue after hours of repeating myself.

I told my editor to prepare the noose, but apparently they can't afford one.

And now I've just jammed my ring finger and darling pinky trying to block a kick to the back from Kelsey. We get a little rowdy when we're cooking sometimes, and Kelsey and I practice kicks, punches and blocks. I have a tremendous size advantage, naturally. Nevertheless, poor technique coupled with distraction resulted in a delicate *snap* and the swelling of my phalanges.

Ah, well. It's my show night. "MI-5" (known as "Spooks" everywhere else in the world) started last week. The first episode was good, so I'll give it another try. I've only been watching one other show, "Doc Martin," which I watch with my mom on Saturday nights. Someone (Hi, Judie!) sent me the DVDs ages ago, but I'm watching it on TV with my mom instead. It's good to have an excuse to get together.

And by the way--it's not nearly as cold as it's been predicted to be. I bet the kids will be back in school tomorrow, unfortunately. I like having them around.

I just want to know...

Are all receptionists named Nancy?

I've called about a bajillion places for this fact-checking job I'm doing, asking the same question over and over. Ugh. I swear I'm talking to the same person every time. Does Nancy work at a call center? Is that who I'm really getting? I think maybe so....

Ice

Last week, we had a little ice storm. Kelsey and I played soccer with some firewood, which was pretty cool to watch slide across the ice. Some of the pieces were completely encased in ice. We didn't get the wood split and stacked before the snow came early and deep. The snow you see in the video is what was left after our recent melt. Our snow blower is seeing a lot of action this year.

Here is Kelsey skating on our driveway. Eric has since removed the big pile of firewood and leaves and the accompanying shredded tarp.



Judas, these videos take FOREVER to upload.

Sure saves money on grocery bills

I expected a quiet week at home with everyone back in school but me. I had a list of things I wanted to do before I went back to school, and by some curious happenstance, I was getting some of them done. (Not all of them, of course. I mean, let's be realistic about who exactly is writing this.) And it has been a quiet week, aside from the occasional sounds of weeping and retching coming out of my children's bedrooms.

Yes, my kids have gone back to school for the post-holiday virus exchange. Kayleigh was stricken first, coming into our room at 4 a.m. Wednesday saying she didn't feel well. Kelsey returned from school today and headed straight for the toilet. Both are snug in their beds. Kayleigh has visions of rockets and bananas in her head. I guess she's growing into her mother's girl, at least in her wild, illness-induced dreams.

I just got a decent freelance job, too. I was finally settling in, my computer dutifully open, my distracting tabs closed, ready to work. But it looks like another couple days of stressing. I do fret about puke. And given the odd twist in my gut right now, I may be doing more than fretting soon.

But I hope not.

Looking in

My life has changed a lot in the last few years. Some of these changes were anticipated and welcome; others were complete surprises, some pleasant, some not. Sounds like life, doesn't it?

I haven't blogged much lately. It's not that I have nothing to say; it's that I have too much to say. That being the case, I've chosen to keep my mouth shut in the hopes that I won't have to extricate my toenails from my tonsils. I do tend to go on like nobody's business sometimes, and some things are just nobody's business.

Still, here's a safe topic: the new year. I'm not big on resolutions because I suck at following through on much of anything. But here are a few things I'd like to work on this year.

• Get a website up and running. I have some ideas for subjects. I just need to think a bit more about feasibility.

• Get a job. A real job.

• Shrink fat, grow muscle, and increase flexibility and cardiovascular endurance

• Paint the living room and the stairwell.

• Be more patient and gentle.

• Help my mom more. She's not doing so well.

• Stop being such a sarcastic pansy ass.

We'll see how that goes. I graduate in May, so there will be more changes ahead for me and my family. Trying to balance their needs with my own is always a challenge. Figuring out exactly what my needs are is the biggest challenge of all.