All posts by Kirsetin

We’ve Come A Long Way, Baby

marriage

I recently perused an old journal from my college days.  There’s absolutely no reason to share much of that drivel here.  I’m trying to decide if it’s even worth keeping.  Do I really want my children and grandchildren to read this stuff one day?

However, I will share this, which fell out of the journal when I opened it:

That’s the boy I fell in love with, all those years ago.
So much has happened in between.  He liked Patty.  I liked Tom.  Formals, Vienna, the Army, Texas, Palm Springs, and Seattle.  I got a job, he got a job, we moved to Green Bay.  We got a dog.  We had a baby.  He became my new job.  New friends, old friends, another baby, another move, still not back east.  New friends, old friends, starting a new company.  Bahamas, St. Thomas, Great Britain, Yellowstone, San Francisco, San Diego, Orcas Island, Italy.  Lots of travel.  Lots of laughs.  A few tears.  More love every year.
Happy 17th Anniversary to us!
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Trying to Remain Calm about the Swine Flu

illness, kids

* Saturday update:  The test from my son’s school was negative.  Hurray for now!  AND the school has been sanitized.  Double hurray!

Last Monday, President Obama told the nation his administration was keeping their eye on the swine flu situation.  He continued, saying, “But it is not a cause for alarm.”

Okay.  I’m not an alarmist.  I can go with that.
On Wednesday, my youngest son’s school announced that they were cancelling school for all students on Thursday.  Another kindergardener had tested positive for Influenza A that afternoon–probably not the swine flu, but they had to send the culture out for further testing to be sure.
As a parent, I tried to remain calm.  I appreciate that the school wants to put kids’ safety first, and that they’re going the “better safe than sorry” route.  They’ll be spending Thursday completely sanitizing the school.
But as a parent, my mind also made those jumps.  You know the ones.  The cough that won’t quit.  The too-fast ride on the scooter.  The ocean, deep and strong.  It’s the what-ifs that get us, isn’t it?
As I Googled away, I ran across this recent article in the Washington Post, and this article on CNN.com, which I decided to share with you.  They provide us with a fairly good summary of what’s happening and what to watch out for.  I decided to share these here not to incite alarm–quite the opposite.  At the very least we can arm ourselves with facts, instead of rumors.
Keep washing your hands, friends.  This whole thing is making me a little nervous.
*Footnote update:  My son’s school decided to close today, also, until they get positive confirmation on the flu strain.  
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Colleges Dump the Cafeteria Tray

food, NY Times

Huh.  So they’re doing away with the cafeteria tray.

I’m trying to imagine it.  As a mother, and former waitress, I have an amazing ability to carry it all in one trip:  load me up with several plates, cups, napkins, and a plate of hot wings, no problem.  

But as a college kid, I hadn’t been a waitress yet.  I couldn’t even carry the tray with one hand – I had the double grip going, one firmly on each side.  
Now I find out that if only I hadn’t used the tray, I’d have kept my svelte high school figure and staved off the freshman 15.  It wasn’t the all-night, any-night kegs in the fraternities. 

It wasn’t the seconds on any (or every) dessert in the cafeteria.

It definitely wasn’t eating pizza at midnight several nights a week.  



It’s all right here, in yesterday’s NY Times article. 
Hmmm….  So what’s my excuse, now?
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