Friday, October 23, 2009

Recycle!

I have been busy mothering in the past two days, so I haven't had time to write. I've been very parenty, working over time and everything. I did get some naps in, but mostly I've just been negotiating the amount of TV Leila can watch while she infects me with all her germs. I should get hazard pay, don't you think? Actually, it would be nice to get any kind of pay, but the fact that she likes me better than Rob right now is reward enough.

She's sick. She has strep and an ear infection. You'd never know it to hear her singing in the bathtub right now, in an English accent, but this is her second day home from school. She's on antibiotics, and will be driving me absolutely insane for the rest of the day. She got in my bed with me at 7 a.m. and was wiggling and giggling and trying to tickle me and get my attention. I finally had to explain to her that I was going to have a very long day of making toast and listening to her TV programs, so I wanted to start my day with some quiet time of my own. She finally left, and I felt guilty. These kids just get you where you live, with their sad eyes. And then they make their own breakfast while you're listening to your radio program in bed, and you feel like such a loser.

I had to go get a strep test, too, and I'm on nice big antibiotics. (In case you're a new reader, strep and I are arch enemies with a long, bloody history, which you can read about here) So here we are, stuck in the house, with our 7-up and our soup. I feel pretty good, I'm getting over my cold, and hopefully I'm strep free. I plan on getting my hair cut and going out tonight, so I better be feeling ok. Its not every day I get to go out with my NBF (New Best Friend) A. so I'm going to make the most of it.

Before all this illness, I did another parenty-type thing. I drove on a field trip. Actually, I say it was before the illness, but it was really during; Leila did not feel well, and was willing to miss the field trip, but I really wanted to go. Yes, I'm 38 years old, and I wanted to go on the field trip, okay? It was totally worth dragging the kid out of bed. We went to the local recycling center. It was AWESOME. They have a whole "Environmental Classroom" with all kinds of interactive learning stuff, and they showed a little movie about how they make new bottles and paper out of old bottles and paper, and we saw all the stuff that will end up in a land fill (LOTS of plastic bags, people. We really need to do better than this) and then there is the Flying Can Ranch, where they have pigs and turkeys and chickens and peacocks whose only purpose in life is to eat the produce that passes its prime and that the grocery stores can't sell. They have an employee who spends her whole day prepping this food to give to the animals. The peacocks and the chickens have the run of the place, crossing the street, hanging out on parked garbage trucks, its so cool. One kid said it was better than the zoo; I don't know about that, there are no grizzly bears at the recycling center that I know of, but it was super cool, and I'm now inspired to find a place for a dog waste composter in my back yard. I don't currently compost my food scraps, but I really want to. My friend always tells me that Rob doesn't have the time, and she's so right. I would have fun buying the composter, researching all the composting rules, I would dump in one load of scraps, and then I'd never touch the thing again. I'm so predictable.

The little recyclers

Then, last night, I went to a class at my local Apple store to learn who to make and edit my own movies. Also very cool. Its a little overwhelming, but I figured out how I can edit down the three hour video of Leila's birth and cover up the nasty parts. I'm thinking of using a smiley face or a fig leaf to preserve my modesty. No one is ever going to see these movies but me (sorry, I will not be sharing the birth movie with you, no matter how you beg) but it will be fun to make them anyway.

Next time, I'll tell you all about how Rob is a guitar God and how he's obsessing in a big way. All I know is, its cheaper than golf, so have at it.

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