Networking... Yeah, That's What I'm Doing.

I'm a blur, alright. I'm just flying around town. Haven't you seen me?

I actually have been biking and walking. Funny how I don't feel thinner. Don't look any thinner, either. What's up with that?

I am happy to report that I've gotten lots done. My thesis and all of my end-of-semester paperwork went up to Vermont without a hitch--not even overnighted, either! All the little quirky things that I forgot to add were added, and I got Katie's nod of approval. Yay! I can almost graduate.

Not that I don't still have lots to do... and again, blogging is not on THE LIST. You know, The List of Never Ending Chores and What-Not? That list. It goes on and on. Critiquing Katia's story is on that list, which I've been doing, slowly but surely. (There are a lot of pages, Katia.) Finishing my grad lecture--another item, right up near the top! Getting my party invitations done, cleaning the house, doing some bills, mundane boring old chores that never really end...

Ok, note well: Joining a social networking website? NOT on the list. But hey, I read some folks were discussing it on one of my email lists. It was intriguing. And I couldn't resist the temptation. So, I am officially a Facebook member.

Oh my. Oh the hours I could waste there, just reading Andy's posts and checking out his 100+ friends .Wait, 100+friends? I need some friends. So, I went hunting friends. Found some of my friends on there already. Cool! Then I needed to send them all some Flair. Then I needed to make my own Flair to send them. Then I needed to check out my friends' photo albums. Wait! I needed a photo album. So next I uploaded photos.

This is more addicting than Neopets Solitaire. Good heavens. I feel so connected and pathetic at the same time. What groups can I join? Who else can I find on here? This is fun and shameful at the same time. I should be OUT networking somewhere.

Soon enough, I'll be back in Vermont, networking there. With live people.
Really. But until then, there's always My Facebook.

Maybe I should put it on The List, too. At least then I wouldn't feel so guilty about it.
: )

-PLB

Shout out to Liz

Growing up, growing old, growing wide... pick one. They're all happening around here.

T & I got new bikes for Mother's & Father's days. We've been trekking all over the neighborhood. But somehow, even with five bike-rides this week (which is more exercise than I've done in months), I'm still Patti-at-large. Or maybe just large Patti.

I've been trying to be good and stay away from my kryptonite, ice cream. But the cookies, cakes, and brownies that are served at every stinking end-of-the-year party are too tempting, especially since I'm not the one baking them. And since we have something going on night after night, those oh-so-sweet calories are adding up. Just a little here, a little there, and suddenly, I've got a lot right there. (You know where.) Time to get that you-know-where into high gear.

Now that I've got 24 gears to choose from, I hope you'll be seeing less of me when you see me. Or, I'll be flying by so fast that maybe I'll be a blur. (A fat blur, but a blur nonetheless.)

In other news,
- I won't be moving to Canada (Yay!) even though my friend Carol B did. (Yay for Carol! She wanted to move there.) Go, Obama!
- I got a promotion and a raise (though neither of those things makes me terribly joyful. The workload increased too much and the pay, alas, not enough. Figures.)
- My creative thesis has been approved and is in the process of being formatted, so I am ALMOST DONE!
- My son's hair is still a mess (old news). He did well academically and, with straight As, he doesn't have to take any finals. Wish they had that policy when I was in school!
- My little one's dance recital is costing a fortune... not really news, is it?
- My older daughter's leg is not broken (two hours in the ER for a bruise... diagnosis: drama).
- My athletic son stole the show in his third-grade chorus concert... the lone "I-don't- want-to-be-a-performer" offspring is finally coming around. (Sorry, honey. He'll still play soccer, I promise.)
- School will be out in a few weeks, and I'll be heading back to Vermont. Yay!
-While I'm in Vermont, I'll miss Laura's drama performance, Susie's dance recitals, Ben's baseball picnic, Tom's class reunion, and I'll miss all of them terribly. Boo!

So, spring has sprung and so have I. A million, gazillion things on my "to do" list (blogging was not one of them, but oh well; Liz needed new reading material) and a hundred events to attend. I think I spend as much energy thinking about getting kids to each event as I do going to said events.

It isn't that I don't enjoy these events, but there are a thousand little annoyances to go with each one. It wasn't until after I went to five different stores looking for lipstick #919 that I found out, ooops, it was a typo. Any bright red will do (I bought three substitute shades for #919). Dang! As we're running in from a dance dress-rehearsal and running out to a band concert, I discovered the camcorder never got charged. Crud! So, Ben's brief moment in the spotlight (doing an air guitar solo) was recorded on the camera, which blinked "memory card full" halfway through the performance. Oy. Life's little nuisances. But, at least I'm here to attend these events. Watching my kids perform sure does make me proud. Kids, I love. Nuisances, not so much.

Look for us around town. We're either buzzing from one event to another, or buzzing by on the new wheels.

Either way, I hope to be a blur :)
-PLB