nixtress's Diaryland Diary

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Snapshots of Life

Ohio has been rather splendid the last several days.
We've dipped into full-fledged Fall weather, with temps hovering in the mid-50's, coupled with semi-overcast skies, the occasional quick shower and gentle breezes.
It's been lovely. It's almost as if someone has thrown some magic switch and it's Officially Autumn. There are tiny but bright bursts of color beginning in the trees, and the crisp taste and smell that is inherent to our Falls.
I'm loving it, can you tell?
Everyone in my house has been bundled up in sweatshirts, sweaters and jeans, making me hug them everytime I see them. Something about boys all bundled up like that just makes me want to squeeze them.
I've been on a melodic quest. I've noted before that music gets stuck on "repeat" in my head. Songs like "Come On Get Higher" by Matt Nathanson (LORD, that one's been stuck, constantly. Woke up this morning with it in my head...wishful thinking maybe? I miss feeling like that) and "Never Alone" by Jim Brickman with Lady Antebellum (good stuff!)
Ever searching for new ear candy.
PTO has been keeping me crazy busy. For whatever reason, the gal who volunteered to be Fundraiser Chairperson (let's call her Carol, for simplicity's sake) seems to never hear a word any of us say. She gives lipservice then does whatever she feels the need to. Example: the treasurer and I have repeatedly told her in the last two weeks that money cannot leave the school premises' in her clutches without having first been verified by another party, be it a secretary, myself, the treasurer or the principal. SOMEONE has to double check it. TheTreasurer even went so far as to come up with a handy dandy sheet that makes recording it all EXTREMELY easy and really, it's a process designed to cover everyone's asses in case there's a problem or even just in case someone asks to see an accounting of funds.
So. That said, without fail, every time Carol has collected funds, she's ignored completely that sheet and has occasionally gotten the cash verified but never the checks.
*sigh*
I repeated myself for the umpteenth time this afternoon and again, she nodded, agreed, and continued on as she wanted to.
*sigh again*
Needless to say, she won't be heading up anything else for us as she can't seem to follow basic bookkeeping practices that are designed to protect our PTO on a basic level.
I'm curious to see how it all evens out.
TheTreasurer and myself had lunch today at the Olive Garden, completely scotfree as it was a meeting for Santa Shop. Yum! I love that place. I'm a simple gal, with simple tastes and a nice salad, breadsticks, and portobello stuffed ravioli will do it for me, what can I say?
Some of the perks to PTO, mixed in with the not-so-perky parts.
Ry-guy had the best interim report home: all A's! I about keeled over. The other two did pretty well too---Trevor had A's and a couple B's, and Bran was A's, B's and one C. Can't complain. Those are darned good grades!
Ryan actually has mentioned more than once that the work is too easy. I told him to keep his grades on the level he has been and if he's able to, I'll talk to his teachers at grade card time and see if we can't challenge him a little more.
Overall, they're doing well. Bran's growing like a weed, nearly 5'10" now!! So odd to have to look up to my boy and I'm NOT short (5'7"). Trev's hitting the angsty-preteen attitudes and we've had a few moments of butting heads but I'm hoping perseverence will cut through it quickly.
Ryan's just Ryan. Ornery but good. He's highly motivated with Boy Scouts right now. Having crossed over in February, he's attained his Tenderfoot rank and is nearly finished with requirements for his Second Class. He's determined to go to Philmont (Google it!) when he's age eligible and has been trucking (with me) up and down streets, knocking on doors as he tries to sell popcorn. It's going to cost something like $1800 dollars but it's one of those experiences that stays with them. It's in New Mexico and he's determined to make money so he can go.
We'll see how it goes!
My Gramps started radiation on Wednesday for his prostate cancer.
Gramps went back into a room, received his radiation and came back out about 45 minutes later. The nurse explained coming visits will be much shorter, in the range of 15 minutes. Gramps said it didn't hurt but today, after 2 days of radiation, is complaining of diarrhea and some discomfort.
I can only think that as time goes on, that might worsen. Hopefully not but how can it not?
5 days a week, 8 weeks. That's an awful lot of radiation.
My aunt K is going to take him Mondays and Thursdays, I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays and my aunt M will have Fridays.
It was eery, waiting for him to come back. He requested that I not go back into the room with him so I sat and looked around a bit. The interior of the Cancer Treatment Center is very pretty, papered in soft blues, lilacs and greens. Comfortable chairs are spaced around the waiting area, very homey-looking bordering on antique-ish. They have this beautiful mahogany table all set up with coffee, cookies and sugar-free coffee for those who have received the therapy as well as for those waiting. The artwork on the walls is very welcoming, the carpet is thick and soft.
It's a very warm place. I'm sure it's comforting for those coming in. It's an odd dichotomy, though, when you think that those entering the building are fighting one of the most intense battles a person can. You'd never know it by the looks of the place.
It's like crawling into my Grams' lap.
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I'm quite happy with Myspace right now. They've added a ton of music to their site, something that warms the cockles of my little heart because I'm always, always, always greedy to have my tunes---especially the ones that aren't so mainstream. I wish Dland would get with the program and figure out how to put music on our diaries here. Maybe I'll just switch completely to Myspace for blogging purposes (hehe, maybe I'm teasing a bit there!)
At any rate, Life continues to flow on. I can't believe it's October already. I'm going to dig out all my Halloweeny decor this weekend and drench my house in spooky goodness. Too bad Halloween can't last all year long...
Happy Thursday!
N.

4:31 p.m. - 2008-10-02

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