weekend recap, march 17

1. how my house looks now | 2. field guide | 3. ov parade | 4. westside produce | 5. late-winter light | 6. just like old times | 7. #40bagsin40days | 8. new BFF

Our weekend was both the same and different. The house is louder and messier and more full of life with Cal back home. We love it, for sure. Adjustment? Yes. Everything from getting up in the morning to tripping over baseball gear has been a change. He's settled back into school and Neel and I have settled back into getting him up for school (so much harder to wake up to the alarm at home!), and as a result we were all wiped out come Friday.

Our Ditch Your Gear class got rave reviews, so to celebrate that and Cal's successful first week back and Neel submitting a grant (although, let's be honest, that happens practically every other week it seems) we headed out to Field Guide for dinner. The garage door was open, the music was loud and the food good. It felt like spring might finally be coming our way. Today it's sleeting.

Cal walked in our city's St. Patrick's Day parade with the Lt. Governor, and by Friday night his best friends were back at our house for dinner outside. Felt like old times.

Like I said, it's sleeting and cold and rainy and windy today. We had the kerosene heater out last night, and we're figuring that Cal's game will get canceled again tomorrow. Neel got out in the yard briefly on Saturday, and he's ready. Spring, where are you?

five things, march 14

1. I think that I can't quite believe we survived Cal's first week back. It was rough, I'm not gonna lie. Poor Cal is missing his friends and his work and, quite simply, his life in Richmond. It's hard to blame him. We ripped the band aid off though. Baseball practice all week (that helped), and lots to do this weekend. Fortunately his game yesterday (in 39º temps and 30MPH winds, thank you very little) was canceled. Fortunately for his parents, that is. He's slowly getting back in the groove. We all are.

2. I think I can't believe that today is the last day of Ditch Your Gear. When my friend Kim and I first conceived this class, we worried that there wouldn't be enough information for a full six-week course. We'd even considered a Saturday workshop before opting for a four-week mini course. Now, facing our last class, we still have so much to cover! I've loved every minute of it, and we can't wait to beef it up, clean it up and do it again.

3. I think I can't believe I spent some time looking at CAMERAS of all things yesterday. Gear envy can get you into trouble for sure, and we do have a lot of travel on the horizon. It'd be nice not to lug Big Daddy every where I go. I know a lot of enablers, and that's a problem. Dad, I'm looking at you.

4. I think I had to ask Neel last night if I overreacted last night when someone called us at 10PM to ask an entirely mundane question that could have waited until morning. "It's 10:00 o'clock at night!" I said. All she said was, "Well." This is not someone I know well at all (we've never met), and honestly, I was baffled that she called when she did. Did I overreact? (Neel says no.) How late is too late to call?

5. I think we're all ready for the weekend. It's been a long week, for sure. Re-entry + daylight savings has made for some rough mornings around here. Cal has baseball practice and he's walking in a  St. Patrick's Day Parade (a HUGE tradition in our city) with the LG. Other than that, I'm hoping for a lot recovery time on the sofa. Movies, books, blogs. That's what I need.