Some desultory photos

Everything's fine around here; we're just tired and fighting off various viruses. Spring break is over. Duchess loved horse camp. Skipper loved reading all the books. Neither of them are very happy to be back at school. Cook got a sinus infection and actually took a full day off work and actually didn't do any work while at home.* So he was probably almost dead. But he's recovering now.

We dug up an old jersey of Cook's. It's very trendy; Duchess might even wear it to school.

*He watched part of a biopic about George W Bush. Because even though he was taking time off, he's still a weirdo who doesn't understand that sick days are for watching things like Parks and Recreation, or superhero movies.

Family viewing

The TV/movies we've been able to watch as a family is a pretty limited universe. Things that we've managed to enjoy together:

• Mythbusters
• Amazing Race
• Horrible Histories
• Great British Baking Show
• Master Chef Junior

And now, the thing we currently most enjoy watching together, the thing that makes Skipper laugh uncontrollably in a way that nothing else ever has...

Total Wipeout

This is a show in which normal British people go through an obstacle course while the hosts mock them. It's really mean, and actually seems like it might be a little dangerous, and it is SO funny. The best thing in our lives is a pizza on Friday night, eaten while laughing at the Total Wipeout contestants as they bounce off giant red balls, get punched in the face and fall in the mud.

In other news, the girls have spring break this week. Duchess is off at hippie horse camp again. Skipper is planning to Do A Lot Of Reading.

Spring, 2019 edition

Hey, it's spring!















































Duchess went to a regatta.









































Cook celebrating his 39th birthday again, insisted that we all play a goddamn game together to celebrate. (It's a really fun game, though the girls were not feeling it at the time.)


















What else is up? Lots of feelings. The girls have lots of social feelings at school. I have I-will-never-have-another-job feelings. Cook has too-much-work feelings.

But it's spring! And we busted out the hammock. It does help with the feelings.

I took the train to Seattle

 It was a nice but brief trip. And I didn't take photos. Except these two.

Three-day weekend! Updates.

1) We had a temporary dog this weekend.

2) Skipper has begun playing futsal. Jury's not out yet on this.
3) Duchess continues to row; they have returned to the water after a winter of indoor rowing and lifting weights. The appeal of this is lost on me, but she still loves it.
4) Cook got promoted, and is now more stressed and slightly richer.
5) My job is going away in July. I have two interviews for other jobs in the next three weeks. I am more stressed and anticipating being poorer.

That's the news!

Um, hi.

A coworker recently gave me this card. It felt apropos.



















Work is crazy right now; due to pending layoffs at a different department, we are likely to see a bunch of "bumping" through the union contract, which allows people who are laid off to bump out other people with the same job classification and less seniority. (Not bump OFF, just bump.) I am exceedingly likely to get bumped, due to having only a few months of seniority in this represented position. I'm pretty resigned to it, because my bleak worldview generally gives me a helpful perspective on this sort of thing. (I AM dreading being unemployed again, but at least I'll get unemployment benefits for a while, and we're financially okay.) However, the uncertainty and the anxiety of the people around me at work is making me anxious. I did have a big surge of anxiety before I learned more details, because I was afraid my boss was just going to show up at my desk without warning and escort me to the door, which seemed awful.* I have since been reassured that I will get at least a little advance notice, so I feel generally better about everything. I haven't even been eating very many cookies.

What else? Not much. It's raining. The girls have been spending their clothing allowances. To my disappointment, Skipper did NOT purchase this furry thing.

























* Cook suggested I bring a boombox to work, cued up to play some kind of triumphant song, and just press "play" when I was escorted to the door, so I could leave in a blaze of glory. I found some comfort in this idea, but I'm still much happier with a quiet advance notice. I'm really more of a sneak-out-under-the-radar kind of a person.

Resolutions

It's time to do end-of-year lists, right?














Here's what I liked this year:

• half-assed bullet journalling
• Skipper's bangs
• better lighting
• liquor in my coffee*
• yuppie salads for lunch
• my favorite co-workers
• no screens after 9pm** 
• bridges over the Willamette
• The Good Place & Schitt's Creek
• music on demand

Here's what we expect and/or hope for in 2019:

• Scandinavian adventures
• Skipper wraps up her first decade
• Duchess starts high school
• I get a new job 
• Cook gets a new job

So... here's to 2019. Let's see what it holds.

*Only occasionally, to be clear.

** One of my sleep-improvement efforts that I can actually manage to usually do...

Christmas!

The girls and I went to Seattle to see the Rockstars and my mom before Christmas, and returned to have Christmas proper with Cook and Papa Big Cook.





















































































































































































































































































































































































































Cook bought Skipper refill pellets for her beanbag chair, and the refilling process amused me enormously. Notice Skipper lying on the floor, enjoying her holiday sloth very thoroughly.

photo dump

We are very busy! (Not with anything interesting, to clarify.) Okay, Cook and I are busy. The kids are not. Duchess has to go work out at the boathouse every day, but otherwise there's been a lot of this:

We bought a perfect little tree. I think it's our best yet.

I forgot to report that Duchess made it into the last seat in the worst boat to go to San Diego

And she had to wear a unisuit!

Been a while

Yup. I don’t have much to say, these days. It’s dark and rainy and cold, and I’m pretty short on vacation days. However, there’s a new season of The Good Place on, it’s almost time to set up the Christmas tree, and the Month of Sugar Cookies is upon us. The girls are playing Minecraft together in the living room like the modern children they are, but they’re actually getting along and mildly enjoying each other’s company, so that’s a rare and delightful treat. (“Oops,” says Duchess, “I just pissed off a dolphin.”

The girls are thriving. Duchess is struggling with relationships and identity as all 14-year-olds should, with some painful moments, but generally she’s thriving. She’s still rowing, still loves rowing. (It’s the off-season now, so instead of rowing six days a week, she goes to the boathouse six days a week to row on a rowing machine, lift weights and do other fun workout things.) Skipper is finding some ease in fourth grade, with teachers who aren’t scary, and seems to be feeling more comfortable with making mistakes and trying new things. Cook and I are slogging along with work, both feeling a combination of bored and wildly under-qualified, depending on the moment.

This is Duchess flauting in a parade. It was cold. And also pretty boring.

 This is me in Pittsburgh for a work conference. I really liked Pittsburgh; I spent all my extra time not chit-chatting with other participants, but poking around Pittsburgh by myself. Schmoozing has never been a strong point of mine, but that just means more time riding funiculars, so whatevs.