... what a not-so-glorious feeling, I'm soaking again ...
I've been working this week -- working, as in going in to school, versus the work that I've been doing at home for much of the month. With the work comes the desire to ride to work instead of confining myself in a car or subway in the July heat. Or the July rain. Which ever.
So, my utter commitment to riding to work, and then to pick up Little Squid from camp, has led to some soggy rides this week.
On Muesday the weather report was a little iffy but it was dry when I set out for work. By the time I left school for camp the sky was looking a little yellow and, after riding half a block, I turned around, brought my bike back into school, and ran up the stairs to my boss's office (from whence I am working this week so she can get some time off) to close the windows.
Good move.
I then pedaled sedately to camp and, arriving a few minutes early, sat in a nearby park with my knitting until pick up time. Just as I was walking the bike to the camp building I felt the first drops. Hmm, I thought. Maybe just air conditioner shpitz? (We get a lot of that from window units and I was in denial.) I continued on and, leaving my bike half under the overhang, unlocked Little Squid's bike, reattached his wheel, and did my usual parking of it on the side of the building. Not under the overhang. I then took out my knitting and proceeded to wait. (His group always gets out late and I always get there early.)
Then it started to rain. A light, but steady and undeniable, rain.
I moved both of our bikes under the overhang and put away, in my waterproof panier, my knitting. And then my cell phone (it travels in my jersey pocket). And my watch. (I was wearing my good "work" watch versus my summer "can take a beating and some rain" watch.) The other mothers and I sheltered as the rain came down in fairly heavy drops for several minutes.
By the time Little Squid came out, the rain had mostly abated and we decided to pedal home.
It continued raining lightly for the first couple of miles (the ride is just under 6 miles) and then ... with an ominous roll of distant thunder ... the skies opened up. We pedaled pell mell for the nearest shelter, about a quarter mile ahead. The rain was sheeting sideways, right at us and was so fast, hard and heavy that I could not easily catch my breath, I just kept sucking in water instead of air!
Achieving the cover of the West Side Highway (also called the Joe DiMaggio Highway) which runs above a section of the greenway for about 1.5 miles, we rode to the last sheltered pull off before the "point of no return," the end of the highway which spelled the end of any shelter other than the rare awning, until home. Sharing the sheltered space with another parent-kid combo, we waited out the worst of the rain until clearing skies and lighter drops seemed to indicate that the storm was moving toward New Jersey.
We made our way home, arriving with the very last of the rain drops.
When we got home we were somewhat squishy but not "wring out your socks" soaked. Not too bad and nothing to really regret tho I promised to steer clear of the greenway in the future if electrical storms were predicted.
One would think that this was a lesson learned.
Right?
Obviously you do not know me that well.
Yesterday was lovely. Hot, but lovely. And totally uneventful. The only moisture on my clothing was caused but my bodies natural reaction to the day's heat.
Today? The signs were all there. The totally grey skies. The ominous weather report. The fact that Squidette was not riding again this week by choice ... I, however, listened to the voice that said "Squidette is performing in Morningside Heights and you work in East Harlem. The easist way to get from one to the other is by bike."
And so I rode. The ride to work was fairly uneventful except for the usual idiots. Work was not uneventful but I dealt as I must and, leaving promptly, half an hour later than I was supposed to, I rode off to Squidette's camp.
The sky was grey-green but the fates were with me. I arrived just in time for Squidette's performance and was only a little damp due to the exertion and heat. Mostly the heat. I just don't push myself that hard when riding alone.
Squidette performed with the String Ensemble (with bassoon) and then again, solo. I kvelled. And then I left, leaving Mike in the audience, with the thought that I should get moving to "beat the rain."
It was already raining when I got outside. By the time I'd unlocked my bike I was pretty wet and thinking that the subway might be a good idea. But I had no metrocard. But I did have a credit card which is almost as good.
By the time I'd pedaled to the nearest subway station I was already soaked and figured that I could not really get anymore wet. The rain was warm and the thought of schleping my bike underground to the overheated subway platform and then on to the overchilled subway was not a pleasent one. So I rode on. All the way home.
The rain was fairly heavy but was not as driving as Monday's storm. Occassionally I'd see a dim flash of lightening and hear a low rumbling of thunder but on I cycled, counting off the blocks by 10's. The ride was 100 blocks, a little over five miles with the extra east-west blocks.
I stayed on the streets, sticking to a lightly trafficked avenue and rode fairly steadily until 64th street, when, due to a need to breath some air with my water, I took cover in a bus shelter for a few minutes. The rain was still not as bad as that brief episode on Monday but I needed a short breather.
The next part of the ride continued as the first, with water pouring into my bike shoes. I think my brakes were sending the spray directly down the inside of my ankles.
Then the bike started to wobble a bit. I pulled out of the street and looked down and discovered ... a flat tire. Then I looked up and realized that I had only 5 blocks to go. And, it had, mostly, stopped raining.
My clothes were dripping wet when I got home. My socks will take days to dry. I need to replace my inner tube.
And I'd probably do it again. But not tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Knitting?
Yes, there has been knitting and spinning going on around here.
Lots of tiny socks for geocaching swag.
A "don't have to look" sock for Mike. This is where it was in late June after seeing the new Star Trek movie and at the start of Squidette's graduation. It has since seen Harry Potter, a two hour performance at Squidette's camp and been to the ophthalmologist. (Two by two ribbing can be done with my eyes closed. Or dilated.) It now has a heel and about 4 inches of cuff.
There is also a sock-in-progress for Squidette. It gets worked on while I'm waiting to pick the kids up from camp.
Tomorrow we are going to my sister-in-laws' for the day so I have 3 hours of car time and lots of visiting time. My prediction is that I will finish the first of Squidette's socks (it is almost to the toe) and maybe the first of Mike's pair.
And then there is Swallowtail ...
Knit in laceweight, homespun, two-ply, bamboo-silk (I'm not sure if it is a bamboo silk mix or if it is bamboo "silk." The roving (top really) was a gift and the giver was not, at the time, a spinner and didn't know anything other than what was written on the label.) Since it was evenly dyed, I suspect it it all bamboo. It was certainly easier to spin than silk.
I finished the spinning last summer and the yarn aged for 6 months or so before I finally realized that it needed to be Swallowtail, a pattern that has aged on my shelf for a few years.
I do not think I will make another Swallowtail. It is lovely and I am quite happy with it but the nupps seriously annoyed me. That said, I was using my blunt tipped addi turbos and not the newer addi lace needles. The next time I knit a pattern with nupps in it I will make sure to use pointy needles. I also suffered from some brain melting during the final chart and had to rip out half a dozen rows.
More to come as we start our summer travels. Pittsburgh any one?
Lots of tiny socks for geocaching swag.
A "don't have to look" sock for Mike. This is where it was in late June after seeing the new Star Trek movie and at the start of Squidette's graduation. It has since seen Harry Potter, a two hour performance at Squidette's camp and been to the ophthalmologist. (Two by two ribbing can be done with my eyes closed. Or dilated.) It now has a heel and about 4 inches of cuff.There is also a sock-in-progress for Squidette. It gets worked on while I'm waiting to pick the kids up from camp.
Tomorrow we are going to my sister-in-laws' for the day so I have 3 hours of car time and lots of visiting time. My prediction is that I will finish the first of Squidette's socks (it is almost to the toe) and maybe the first of Mike's pair.
And then there is Swallowtail ...
Knit in laceweight, homespun, two-ply, bamboo-silk (I'm not sure if it is a bamboo silk mix or if it is bamboo "silk." The roving (top really) was a gift and the giver was not, at the time, a spinner and didn't know anything other than what was written on the label.) Since it was evenly dyed, I suspect it it all bamboo. It was certainly easier to spin than silk.
I finished the spinning last summer and the yarn aged for 6 months or so before I finally realized that it needed to be Swallowtail, a pattern that has aged on my shelf for a few years.
I do not think I will make another Swallowtail. It is lovely and I am quite happy with it but the nupps seriously annoyed me. That said, I was using my blunt tipped addi turbos and not the newer addi lace needles. The next time I knit a pattern with nupps in it I will make sure to use pointy needles. I also suffered from some brain melting during the final chart and had to rip out half a dozen rows.
More to come as we start our summer travels. Pittsburgh any one?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Squid on Wheels: Riding Around Manhattan
It has been two years since we last attempted to circumnavigate our home island and, in reality, on this trip, we actually circumcised the island ... we cut off the tip after encountering heavy tourist traffic at the southern end.
We started by meeting a friend and his dad and rode up to Fairway to buy the fixings for a picnic breakfast for later in the morning. We then made a brief stop at the base of the George Washington Bridge. I am always amazed at the size difference between the Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge!
After ascending the hill that starts at the light house, we rode a bit more before stopping to admire the view from Inspiration Point.
At Inwood Park, while the adults schmoozed, the kids ran out and grabbed a geocache that we'd failed to find on a previous trip.
Little Squid discovered a quicker way back to the path.
Squidette got caught trying to sneak up on the adults.
The view from our breakfast spot.
Starting downtown, we paused to admire the only surviving farmhouse in Manhattan. Very strange to think about farms in Manhattan. Very strange!
As I chatted with our friends, we all commented on the fact that we cannot name a single neighborhood in Manhattan that is not gentrifying. Even those areas with a heavy load of low income housing projects are being inundated with upscale residences and the accompanying businesses. Swindlers Cove is an example of that change.
Amazing change, isn't it.
We continued our journey but after Swindler's Cove I stopped taking pictures and we, for the most part, stopped playing tourist and just concentrated on riding. We worked our way down the east side of Manhattan, pausing to use the facilities at Carl Shurz park, and rode down and across the tip of the island. The last few miles were arduous, mainly because it was now mid-day and all of Manhattan seemed to be out and about on the waterfront. The crowds were such that we had to ride very carefully and spent the rest of the trip concentrating on not hitting runners, pedestrians, roller bladers and other cylists.
Total mileage: 34 miles bringing us up to 56 for the weekend.
We started by meeting a friend and his dad and rode up to Fairway to buy the fixings for a picnic breakfast for later in the morning. We then made a brief stop at the base of the George Washington Bridge. I am always amazed at the size difference between the Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge!
After ascending the hill that starts at the light house, we rode a bit more before stopping to admire the view from Inspiration Point.
At Inwood Park, while the adults schmoozed, the kids ran out and grabbed a geocache that we'd failed to find on a previous trip.Little Squid discovered a quicker way back to the path.
Squidette got caught trying to sneak up on the adults.
The view from our breakfast spot.
Starting downtown, we paused to admire the only surviving farmhouse in Manhattan. Very strange to think about farms in Manhattan. Very strange!
As I chatted with our friends, we all commented on the fact that we cannot name a single neighborhood in Manhattan that is not gentrifying. Even those areas with a heavy load of low income housing projects are being inundated with upscale residences and the accompanying businesses. Swindlers Cove is an example of that change.
Amazing change, isn't it.We continued our journey but after Swindler's Cove I stopped taking pictures and we, for the most part, stopped playing tourist and just concentrated on riding. We worked our way down the east side of Manhattan, pausing to use the facilities at Carl Shurz park, and rode down and across the tip of the island. The last few miles were arduous, mainly because it was now mid-day and all of Manhattan seemed to be out and about on the waterfront. The crowds were such that we had to ride very carefully and spent the rest of the trip concentrating on not hitting runners, pedestrians, roller bladers and other cylists.
Total mileage: 34 miles bringing us up to 56 for the weekend.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Squid on Wheels: Roosevelt Island
We took off today with the intention for riding around 30 miles in about 4 hours. Our route was to be: Eighth Avenue to Central Park, Central Park Drive to 90th Street, 90th Street to Carl Shurz Park and the East River Promenade, East River Promenade to the bridge to Ward / Randall's Island, Triboro Bridge to Queens, various streets to the Roosevelt Island Bridge, RIB to Roosevelt Island, Circumnavigate Roosevelt Island, back over the bridge to Queens, various water frontish streets to the Kosiuzko Bridge to Brooklyn, various streets to the Fairway Market in Red Hook for lunch, and then the usual routes home.
This was the plan.
You know what they say about plans ...
We got as far as circumnavigating Roosevelt Island.
As we climbed up to the pedestrian part of the bridge to go back to Queens, Mike hit an expansion joint badly and his front wheel sank into the joint. He staggered and caught his balance (he was practically walking the bike at the time) and pulled his wheel out of the gap. In his almost-fall, his weight had caused the wheel to bend just enough to make it unrideable. After some discussion we decided that he would take the subway back into Manhattan and the kids and I would cut our ride short and ride back over the Queenboro Bridge.
And so it went. We rode back ino our own boro, stopped briefly in Central Park to munch on some baked goods purchased on Roosevelt Island, grabbed a geocache on 57th Street and then pedaled down Broadway to where the path disappears in Times Square.
The path is lovely up until that point - there, it dumps one into either having to walk through the pedestrian plazas for a few blocks or, to to battle the traffic on 7th Avenue. Unfortunately, the path ends at a west-bound street, which forces the rider to either go out to 9th Avenue or, to walk or ride east the wrong way for half a block to get to 7th Avenue. Yo! City Planners! How about adding an east-bound path on that block to make things a bit safer for those of us who choose to not polute!
Total ride: 22 miles.
We are rather short of last years' total and will probably not come close. The kids have been opting to spend the weekends with their friends instead of riding with their parents. Had to happen sooner or later.
This evening I took Little Squid and three of his friends to see the new Harry Potter movie and then out for pizza. Squidette oined me and we sat a few rows back from the boys so they could see it without "adult supervision." Squidette then abandoned me and went home for leftover pizza instead of getting the good, fresh stuff with the boys. *grin*
Tomorrow we have more big riding plans ... lets see what the fates have in store for us. (Mike will be riding his "road" bike which usually functions as our stationary trainer.)
This was the plan.
You know what they say about plans ...
Lighthouse on Roosevelt Island
Ruins on Roosevelt Island
Ruins on Roosevelt Island
We got as far as circumnavigating Roosevelt Island.
As we climbed up to the pedestrian part of the bridge to go back to Queens, Mike hit an expansion joint badly and his front wheel sank into the joint. He staggered and caught his balance (he was practically walking the bike at the time) and pulled his wheel out of the gap. In his almost-fall, his weight had caused the wheel to bend just enough to make it unrideable. After some discussion we decided that he would take the subway back into Manhattan and the kids and I would cut our ride short and ride back over the Queenboro Bridge.
Sculpture at the south end of Central Park
Site of Geocache
Site of GeocacheAnd so it went. We rode back ino our own boro, stopped briefly in Central Park to munch on some baked goods purchased on Roosevelt Island, grabbed a geocache on 57th Street and then pedaled down Broadway to where the path disappears in Times Square.
The path is lovely up until that point - there, it dumps one into either having to walk through the pedestrian plazas for a few blocks or, to to battle the traffic on 7th Avenue. Unfortunately, the path ends at a west-bound street, which forces the rider to either go out to 9th Avenue or, to walk or ride east the wrong way for half a block to get to 7th Avenue. Yo! City Planners! How about adding an east-bound path on that block to make things a bit safer for those of us who choose to not polute!
Total ride: 22 miles.
We are rather short of last years' total and will probably not come close. The kids have been opting to spend the weekends with their friends instead of riding with their parents. Had to happen sooner or later.
This evening I took Little Squid and three of his friends to see the new Harry Potter movie and then out for pizza. Squidette oined me and we sat a few rows back from the boys so they could see it without "adult supervision." Squidette then abandoned me and went home for leftover pizza instead of getting the good, fresh stuff with the boys. *grin*
Tomorrow we have more big riding plans ... lets see what the fates have in store for us. (Mike will be riding his "road" bike which usually functions as our stationary trainer.)
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Teens!
They make you laugh, they make you cry, they make you crazy!
At 8:20, after dropping off Little Squid, I said good-bye to Squidette as she pedaled off to camp, 10 blocks further north, and I pedaled home in order to change and make a 9:30 meeting. She promised to call once she had locked up her bike.
I head home, coasting down Riverside Drive, grinding out the miles along the Hudson River and, finally, as I neared the Intrepid, started to worry. It had been too long. Had I missed the call? Pulled over, checked my cell phone. Nope, no missed call. Try Squidette's phone ... right to voice mail.
Pedaling on, I get to my exit, go through the cell phone ritual again and start to really worry. Was she hit by a truck? (Very few trucks on our route.) Did she wipe out on the steep descent to camp? And what about the violin on her back ...
Arriving in the apartment, I decide that calling camp is way more important than arriving at my meeting on time and, as I navigate the various options on the camp phone system ... my phone rings.
She forgot.
Oops.
I've forgiven her ... it is only the second time in over a year that she's forgotten to call. But it is amazing just how panicky I got for those few minutes.
At 8:20, after dropping off Little Squid, I said good-bye to Squidette as she pedaled off to camp, 10 blocks further north, and I pedaled home in order to change and make a 9:30 meeting. She promised to call once she had locked up her bike.
I head home, coasting down Riverside Drive, grinding out the miles along the Hudson River and, finally, as I neared the Intrepid, started to worry. It had been too long. Had I missed the call? Pulled over, checked my cell phone. Nope, no missed call. Try Squidette's phone ... right to voice mail.
Pedaling on, I get to my exit, go through the cell phone ritual again and start to really worry. Was she hit by a truck? (Very few trucks on our route.) Did she wipe out on the steep descent to camp? And what about the violin on her back ...
Arriving in the apartment, I decide that calling camp is way more important than arriving at my meeting on time and, as I navigate the various options on the camp phone system ... my phone rings.
She forgot.
Oops.
I've forgiven her ... it is only the second time in over a year that she's forgotten to call. But it is amazing just how panicky I got for those few minutes.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Random Musings
It's amazing how dry my skin gets given that it spends hours and hours each day slathered in greasy sunscreen.
Squidette like humming Schubert's 8th Unfinished Symphony. She says the tune is "fun." How many teens can say that!
I can now say that I have changed the pedals on a bicycle. And the seat (though I'd done that before). And, I have a boo boo on my chest from changing said pedals. Don't ask.
I have survived 3 dinners without Mike and not had to resort to ordering in.
That said, we ate leftovers for two of the nights and I made macaroni and tuna for the third. Tomorrow is a bread, cheese and sausage picnic, weather cooperating. See, I CAN feed my children. Just not well.
It's sugar snap pea season and I'm in heaven! I eat them like candy.
The first skeins of Mike's new sweater are in their final soak in the sink and the next ones are mid-ply on my Journey Wheel. I had to stop to change the water for the skeins in the sink and decided to blog instead of going back to plying.
Squidette now has contact lenses.
The price variation for her lenses (on-line) was huge! There was almost a $200 difference between the highest and lowest priced suppliers for a 6 month supply. Phew!
Little Squid is playing John Adams in the camp musical.
Random enough for you?
Squidette like humming Schubert's 8th Unfinished Symphony. She says the tune is "fun." How many teens can say that!
I can now say that I have changed the pedals on a bicycle. And the seat (though I'd done that before). And, I have a boo boo on my chest from changing said pedals. Don't ask.
I have survived 3 dinners without Mike and not had to resort to ordering in.
That said, we ate leftovers for two of the nights and I made macaroni and tuna for the third. Tomorrow is a bread, cheese and sausage picnic, weather cooperating. See, I CAN feed my children. Just not well.
It's sugar snap pea season and I'm in heaven! I eat them like candy.
The first skeins of Mike's new sweater are in their final soak in the sink and the next ones are mid-ply on my Journey Wheel. I had to stop to change the water for the skeins in the sink and decided to blog instead of going back to plying.
Squidette now has contact lenses.
The price variation for her lenses (on-line) was huge! There was almost a $200 difference between the highest and lowest priced suppliers for a 6 month supply. Phew!
Little Squid is playing John Adams in the camp musical.
Random enough for you?
Sunday, July 05, 2009
A Squidly July 4th
For this year's 4th we put our own spin on patriotism. 
We rode our bikes and had a picnic breakfast at the Harlem Fairway ...
Mike and Little Squid continued learning how to play a symbol of American folk music ...
We all got excited at the prospect of a fire works barge visible from our apartment ...
Mama played her Little Sis in Wii tennis ... (finally, someone I can beat!)
We watched a lovely sunset as the barge floated in and out of view ...
And finally, we enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display on the Hudson River.
(There was also some shopping (Mama Squid, Little Sis, Squidette and Grandma Squid), some show-going (Grandpa Squid and Little Squid) and some computer repair (Papa Squid). All in all, a good day!
We rode our bikes and had a picnic breakfast at the Harlem Fairway ...
Mike and Little Squid continued learning how to play a symbol of American folk music ...
We all got excited at the prospect of a fire works barge visible from our apartment ...
Mama played her Little Sis in Wii tennis ... (finally, someone I can beat!)
We watched a lovely sunset as the barge floated in and out of view ...
And finally, we enjoyed a spectacular fireworks display on the Hudson River.
(There was also some shopping (Mama Squid, Little Sis, Squidette and Grandma Squid), some show-going (Grandpa Squid and Little Squid) and some computer repair (Papa Squid). All in all, a good day!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Start of Summer
For Mike and the kids, this weekend was the start of summer vacation. My summer officially starts on Wednesday, kind of, sort of.
To celebrate the start of vacation, I started the weekend by picking up my new BeBook from the FedEx drop off site.
(Shown with the road atlas for size.)
It came loaded with 150 classics and, after an hour or so of patient fiddling (during which came a point where I almost returned it), I figured out how to read library ebooks on it. That means that I can load trashy novels on it in addition to those mind expanding classics.
I also figured out how to format pattern PDFs and other pattern types so that I can load knitting patterns on it and be able to actually read them.
We did other things this weekend, besides play with my new toy. On saturday we found a geocache that had been eluding us (we have now found over 100 caches thanks to Little Squid and friend) and on Sunday we took an, unintentionally, long walk and then went kayaking in the Hudson River, right here in Manhattan.
No pictures of the kayaking because I did not bring my camera -- didn't want it to get wet.
The road atlas is out because we are trying to figure out our vacation route for this summer. With labor day being late, we get almost all of August for a change -- a full extra week! Possible destinations include: the ever popular Lancaster, PA, the newly popular but still unvisisted Pittsburgh, PA and possibly Toronto, Canada.
For now, however, it is time to put on some sunblock and pedal off to work. Mike will schlep the kids to camp later and we will all reconvene somewhere around dinner time.
Ahh summer!
To celebrate the start of vacation, I started the weekend by picking up my new BeBook from the FedEx drop off site.
(Shown with the road atlas for size.)It came loaded with 150 classics and, after an hour or so of patient fiddling (during which came a point where I almost returned it), I figured out how to read library ebooks on it. That means that I can load trashy novels on it in addition to those mind expanding classics.
I also figured out how to format pattern PDFs and other pattern types so that I can load knitting patterns on it and be able to actually read them.
We did other things this weekend, besides play with my new toy. On saturday we found a geocache that had been eluding us (we have now found over 100 caches thanks to Little Squid and friend) and on Sunday we took an, unintentionally, long walk and then went kayaking in the Hudson River, right here in Manhattan.
No pictures of the kayaking because I did not bring my camera -- didn't want it to get wet.
The road atlas is out because we are trying to figure out our vacation route for this summer. With labor day being late, we get almost all of August for a change -- a full extra week! Possible destinations include: the ever popular Lancaster, PA, the newly popular but still unvisisted Pittsburgh, PA and possibly Toronto, Canada.
For now, however, it is time to put on some sunblock and pedal off to work. Mike will schlep the kids to camp later and we will all reconvene somewhere around dinner time.
Ahh summer!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Graduation Lessons
Everyone should learn a lesson at graduation. Since I sat through two* of them today, I have two lessons.
1. Backless shoes (heels) clang like a bell when worn while descending hollow metal stairs in a stairwell lined in metal. There is nothing one can do to quiet them short of taking them off. And given how grody our stairs are, this was not an option. Think ... thirteen stairs per flight, two flights per floor. My office is on the third floor, the auditorium is on the first floor. I had to make the trip at least 6 times not counting my initial ascent in bike shoes and my final descent in same. Needless to say, I had a headache well before the second graduation.
2. "Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best." This is the lesson shared by my Principal at both graduations. It is a good one, a motto I unconsciously live by, and one that I think I will be repeating for a long time to come.
*We graduated both our 8th graders and our high school seniors in back to back ceremonies today.
1. Backless shoes (heels) clang like a bell when worn while descending hollow metal stairs in a stairwell lined in metal. There is nothing one can do to quiet them short of taking them off. And given how grody our stairs are, this was not an option. Think ... thirteen stairs per flight, two flights per floor. My office is on the third floor, the auditorium is on the first floor. I had to make the trip at least 6 times not counting my initial ascent in bike shoes and my final descent in same. Needless to say, I had a headache well before the second graduation.
2. "Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best." This is the lesson shared by my Principal at both graduations. It is a good one, a motto I unconsciously live by, and one that I think I will be repeating for a long time to come.
*We graduated both our 8th graders and our high school seniors in back to back ceremonies today.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Clueless
I had no clue. Fourteen years ago, when I held her in my arms for the first time, I had absolutely no clue of what was to come.
It's true what teens say, adults are clueless!
Of the smiles she would cause,
Of the tears -- of joy,
Of the laughter,
Of the pride.
Of the tears -- of joy,
Of the laughter,
Of the pride.
It's true what teens say, adults are clueless!Happy Birthday Batya!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Price of Happiness
I left work at 6:00 today. And 6:30 yesterday. I get to work at 7:30 in the morning. And yet ... I am not upset. As a matter of fact, I am quite happy and very mellow about it all.
Compare this to last year when I was working my contractual day (7 hours and 50 minutes) and miserable. All day. Every day.
Boy, what a difference a year and a school makes.
(Oh, and I managed to hit my head on the bottom of a fire extinguisher today. Ouch!)
(Squidette thinks she did well on the Earth Science Regents. On to Algebra on Friday.)
Compare this to last year when I was working my contractual day (7 hours and 50 minutes) and miserable. All day. Every day.
Boy, what a difference a year and a school makes.
(Oh, and I managed to hit my head on the bottom of a fire extinguisher today. Ouch!)
(Squidette thinks she did well on the Earth Science Regents. On to Algebra on Friday.)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Regents Week
Regents week has taken on a new flavor in the Squid household. In past years it has been a time of extreme stress for just me as I juggle the testing schedule of my school. Mike has it relatively easy -- he goes in, proctors and grades and comes home. Yes, he has a lot of grading to do, and he has to actually create the exam for his subject but it is a different kind of stress then his usual day-to-day teaching and he tends to relax a bit.
Squidette has just added Regents Week to her "times of stress." Tomorrow she takes her first Regents Exam -- Earth Science. Mike is helping her study by asking random question from her notes. He just finished the astronomy unit and had me in giggles and tears.
Mike: "Where is Mercury?"
Squidette: "It is the closest planet to the sun."
Mom's (silently): "In the plaza at Rockefeller Center."
Mike: "Where is Saturn?"
Squidette: "..." (something relevant ... I forget what)
Mom: Giggles hysterically since I know where this is going ...
Squidette: "Why are you laughing? ... Oh, I get it." (and silently, to self "my parents are idiots!")
Little Squid (emerging from room): "What's going on?"
We know what was coming next ... do you?
Squidette has just added Regents Week to her "times of stress." Tomorrow she takes her first Regents Exam -- Earth Science. Mike is helping her study by asking random question from her notes. He just finished the astronomy unit and had me in giggles and tears.
Mike: "Where is Mercury?"
Squidette: "It is the closest planet to the sun."
Mom's (silently): "In the plaza at Rockefeller Center."
Mike: "Where is Saturn?"
Squidette: "..." (something relevant ... I forget what)
Mom: Giggles hysterically since I know where this is going ...
Squidette: "Why are you laughing? ... Oh, I get it." (and silently, to self "my parents are idiots!")
Little Squid (emerging from room): "What's going on?"
We know what was coming next ... do you?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The High Line and other Blatherings
I fully intended to show you some nice pictures of the High Line today. As I prepared to load them from my camera chip onto my computer, however, I somehow managed to fling the chip into the vast unknown. And so, if you wish to see the High Line, I suggest you go here instead.
A short while ago I gave up the search for the chip and instead set out to do some actual work -- writing end of year letters and such. It is, however, difficult to concentrate when people keep interrupting my thoughts as they play Zombies or write valedictory speeches. Yes, you read that correctly. Squidette is the valedictorian of her junior high school. Can you see my grin from there?
That said, it has been a quiet weekend with no one up for a bike ride. Instead, on Saturday,we took the subway uptown and hit Zabar's and a crafts fair. Squidette and I got some neat hairclips and then we walked home, capturing a real and a virtual geocache on the way.
Today we walked the High Line and failed to find a cache that was just placed on it. Then Squidette and I went out and bought a new dress for her awards ceremony next week. The Little Squid and I went out and bought a birthday present for Squidette. Then I came home and did laundry and attempted to add pictures to my blog.
I've just gotten Squidette to write silently for a while so I think I will try those letters again ...
A short while ago I gave up the search for the chip and instead set out to do some actual work -- writing end of year letters and such. It is, however, difficult to concentrate when people keep interrupting my thoughts as they play Zombies or write valedictory speeches. Yes, you read that correctly. Squidette is the valedictorian of her junior high school. Can you see my grin from there?
That said, it has been a quiet weekend with no one up for a bike ride. Instead, on Saturday,we took the subway uptown and hit Zabar's and a crafts fair. Squidette and I got some neat hairclips and then we walked home, capturing a real and a virtual geocache on the way.
Today we walked the High Line and failed to find a cache that was just placed on it. Then Squidette and I went out and bought a new dress for her awards ceremony next week. The Little Squid and I went out and bought a birthday present for Squidette. Then I came home and did laundry and attempted to add pictures to my blog.
I've just gotten Squidette to write silently for a while so I think I will try those letters again ...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Rotating Children
I was chatting with the Principal of the Squidlings school the other day, thinking that she had no idea who I was (since I've only met her once or twice) and we were quipping about their rotten trip coordination - the sixth grade leaving the day the eighth grade returned. The timing, you see, does not give parents a child-free night. She sympathized and then I shared a story about Little Squid.
Seems that about 15 minutes after I dropped him off for his trip, he realized that he had forgotten his hat. This led to a typical Little Squid reaction and a cell phone call to me -- who could do absolutely nothing about the situation as the buses were leaving in 15 minutes and I was at work. And his hat was at home. He was not just upset. He was, to quote the Principal, inconsolable. Little Squid tends to go over the top on the rare occasions when he loses it.
Apparently the situation had come to the Principal's attention and she solved it much the way I think I would have done ... she gave him a school hat.
Had I not started randomly quipping about bad timing I would not have known that. Certainly not before Little Squid returned and possibly not ever. Makes me like their Principal more than I already did. And I really like her.
But enough about my younger child.
As the buses rolled up to the school ... and then down the block and around the corner ... I followed to try to catch sight of Squidette. I found her, and she found me, and I followed the correct bus to it's final resting place.
She was one of the last kids to disembark and, quickly, grabbing her bag (which had been unloaded from the bus by the Principal -- told you I liked that woman) came over to me. My comment? "Boy I missed you!" Where upon a teacher shouted at her to remember to tell me what happened today.
I made a quick assumption and said "Oh, I heard about it on the radio," referencing the shooting at the national Holocaust Museum. "No, not that," she replied, "I got dehydrated." Yeep!
Her teachers spotted it before it got too bad and got water in to her in sufficient quantities to stave of further problems. Phew!
Her class, by the way, had visited the museum in question the day before so they were nowhere near it when the shooting occurred. And, n the whole, she had a blast (on the trip -- the museum was somewhat depressing, as it is wont to be).
I try to be blase' whenever I send my kids out into the world but really, I am so very glad when they return home!
Pick up for Little Squid: 3:00 PM today.
Seems that about 15 minutes after I dropped him off for his trip, he realized that he had forgotten his hat. This led to a typical Little Squid reaction and a cell phone call to me -- who could do absolutely nothing about the situation as the buses were leaving in 15 minutes and I was at work. And his hat was at home. He was not just upset. He was, to quote the Principal, inconsolable. Little Squid tends to go over the top on the rare occasions when he loses it.
Apparently the situation had come to the Principal's attention and she solved it much the way I think I would have done ... she gave him a school hat.
Had I not started randomly quipping about bad timing I would not have known that. Certainly not before Little Squid returned and possibly not ever. Makes me like their Principal more than I already did. And I really like her.
But enough about my younger child.
As the buses rolled up to the school ... and then down the block and around the corner ... I followed to try to catch sight of Squidette. I found her, and she found me, and I followed the correct bus to it's final resting place.
She was one of the last kids to disembark and, quickly, grabbing her bag (which had been unloaded from the bus by the Principal -- told you I liked that woman) came over to me. My comment? "Boy I missed you!" Where upon a teacher shouted at her to remember to tell me what happened today.
I made a quick assumption and said "Oh, I heard about it on the radio," referencing the shooting at the national Holocaust Museum. "No, not that," she replied, "I got dehydrated." Yeep!
Her teachers spotted it before it got too bad and got water in to her in sufficient quantities to stave of further problems. Phew!
Her class, by the way, had visited the museum in question the day before so they were nowhere near it when the shooting occurred. And, n the whole, she had a blast (on the trip -- the museum was somewhat depressing, as it is wont to be).
I try to be blase' whenever I send my kids out into the world but really, I am so very glad when they return home!
Pick up for Little Squid: 3:00 PM today.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Need Some Cereal?
So yesterday, I open my email to find the following missive from my father. I sat here reading and, as I choked back my laughter, got strange looks from my son. After reading it through once, I reread it, aloud, to Little Squid to much the same reaction. When Mike came out and asked why we were laughing, all I could say was "my parents are up to it again."
"Ya Gotta Believe,"
as told by my father, Larry Centor.
Kids mine --
So we take one of these little walks that end up in ...
How did you guess?
Waldbaum's!
Where there is a General Mills sale.
You buy 2 8.9 0z. boxes of Cheerios for $4.00 [4X (because with a $16.00 GM purchase of selected products, of which aforementioned Cheerios is one, you get a $4.00 coupon good for your next store purchase of ANYTHING)].
Now for the good part. Inside random boxes [1 out of every 10], there is a Discover card good for $5.00, $10.00 or $25.00.
So Mom thinks it would be great to buy 8 boxes, because with the $4.00 coupon it nets out to $12.00.
But wait, while on line she finds a $2.00 Cheerios coupon, so it nets out to $10.00.
But wait, there's more.
Opening boxes frantically, Mom finds a $5.00 Discover card.
Out net for the 8 box is $5.00.
'Great!' you say.
But wait.
'We have to go back to Waldbaum's.'
Can I argue?
So we return -- and buy another 8 boxes, and get another $8.00 coupon.
And go home. The end! Right? Wrong!
Ripping open Cheerios boxes like a raccoon at a garbage fest, Mom finds -- are you ready? -- another $5.00 Discover card, not once, but twice.
Yes, another $10.00, after the $4.00 coupon, making the net on this batch $2.00.
Can you keep up with the math?
Yes, you're right!
16 8.9 oz. boxes of Cheerios for $7.00.
Life is good. No, life is g-r-r-r-reat!
"Ya Gotta Believe,"
as told by my father, Larry Centor.
Kids mine --
So we take one of these little walks that end up in ...
How did you guess?
Waldbaum's!
Where there is a General Mills sale.
You buy 2 8.9 0z. boxes of Cheerios for $4.00 [4X (because with a $16.00 GM purchase of selected products, of which aforementioned Cheerios is one, you get a $4.00 coupon good for your next store purchase of ANYTHING)].
Now for the good part. Inside random boxes [1 out of every 10], there is a Discover card good for $5.00, $10.00 or $25.00.
So Mom thinks it would be great to buy 8 boxes, because with the $4.00 coupon it nets out to $12.00.
But wait, while on line she finds a $2.00 Cheerios coupon, so it nets out to $10.00.
But wait, there's more.
Opening boxes frantically, Mom finds a $5.00 Discover card.
Out net for the 8 box is $5.00.
'Great!' you say.
But wait.
'We have to go back to Waldbaum's.'
Can I argue?
So we return -- and buy another 8 boxes, and get another $8.00 coupon.
And go home. The end! Right? Wrong!
Ripping open Cheerios boxes like a raccoon at a garbage fest, Mom finds -- are you ready? -- another $5.00 Discover card, not once, but twice.
Yes, another $10.00, after the $4.00 coupon, making the net on this batch $2.00.
Can you keep up with the math?
Yes, you're right!
16 8.9 oz. boxes of Cheerios for $7.00.
Life is good. No, life is g-r-r-r-reat!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Springtime for Squid
I know it's been a while since I posted. Let's just say that the Zombies ate my brains and let it be at that.
Unlike past springs, we have done very little biking. The reasons are simple and few -- too many other obligations, too little sleep (making for sloth-like squid) and too much rain. We are thinking, however of ways to extend the rides home from camp next month.
We have, however, done a fair amount of geocaching and managed to push our finds up from 65 to 92 in little more than a month of searching. Little Squid is going to try to capture a few more today with some friends. (NYC elementary and middle schools have a half day.)
Not only have we not been biking but very little shopping has been done. That said, we are now in an almost desperate state for several commodities that we tend to keep in large amounts. Tissues (purchased in 8 packs and down to half a box ... and I have a cold), dishwasher detergent (actually ran out of this one and had to send a squidling for more), laundry detergent (purchased in 5 gallon buckets, down to a few loads worth), chocolate covered raisins (purchased by the gallon and now gone) and most importantly, toilet paper.
We are down to the equivalent of three-quarters of a roll. Split between two bathrooms.
I won't even use it to blow my nose in any more.
Fortunately we are down one child right now and the one remaining child uses less of the stuff due to biological factors. And the other child is due back at ... 8:30 PM tomorrow night. Earliest. By which time I intend to have gone to Costco and restocked.
Got to do something to kill the hours between work and picking her up.
(I could work longer but keep in mind that I actually do not even intend to leave work until 5:00 or so. And I get to work at 7:30.)
The other child is also leaving us -- but we get no benefit from it as he is leaving Wednesday morning and she comes back Wednesday evening. He returns on Friday, a day on which I get to run to his school, pick him up, drive both of them home (silly to make one take the subway when the other is getting a lift), and then turn around and go back to work for the 8th grade prom. Which will come close to ending this spring's roller coaster. Which started 2 weeks ago with ...
a wedding (on Tuesday), a retirement dinner (on Wednesday), a Squidling (both) concert (on Thursday) and my school's senior Prom (on Thursday).
A week "off" followed. Kind of. It ended with both kids being inducted into Arista on Friday night and Little Squid playing a duet on Saturday.
This week we have ... Squidette Drop-off (6:30 am, Monday), Freshman orientation (my school, tonight), Squidette Pick-up and Costco run (tomorrow evening and night), dinner and a show with Little Sister Squid (Thursday -- can't wait!), Little Squid pick-up and 8th grade prom (my school) on Friday.
Next week ... a late meeting for me on Thursday and a possible awards ceremony for Squidette in the same evening and on Friday ... Squidette's 8th grade cruise. For which I have volunteered my home for female primping and shuttle service to and from the docks. (We live near by.)
Oh, and Squidette turns 14 that Sunday. And Mike is being honored the next evening. And Squidette graduates the day after that.
Eek! June 30th can't come too soon!
Unlike past springs, we have done very little biking. The reasons are simple and few -- too many other obligations, too little sleep (making for sloth-like squid) and too much rain. We are thinking, however of ways to extend the rides home from camp next month.
We have, however, done a fair amount of geocaching and managed to push our finds up from 65 to 92 in little more than a month of searching. Little Squid is going to try to capture a few more today with some friends. (NYC elementary and middle schools have a half day.)
Not only have we not been biking but very little shopping has been done. That said, we are now in an almost desperate state for several commodities that we tend to keep in large amounts. Tissues (purchased in 8 packs and down to half a box ... and I have a cold), dishwasher detergent (actually ran out of this one and had to send a squidling for more), laundry detergent (purchased in 5 gallon buckets, down to a few loads worth), chocolate covered raisins (purchased by the gallon and now gone) and most importantly, toilet paper.
We are down to the equivalent of three-quarters of a roll. Split between two bathrooms.
I won't even use it to blow my nose in any more.
Fortunately we are down one child right now and the one remaining child uses less of the stuff due to biological factors. And the other child is due back at ... 8:30 PM tomorrow night. Earliest. By which time I intend to have gone to Costco and restocked.
Got to do something to kill the hours between work and picking her up.
(I could work longer but keep in mind that I actually do not even intend to leave work until 5:00 or so. And I get to work at 7:30.)
The other child is also leaving us -- but we get no benefit from it as he is leaving Wednesday morning and she comes back Wednesday evening. He returns on Friday, a day on which I get to run to his school, pick him up, drive both of them home (silly to make one take the subway when the other is getting a lift), and then turn around and go back to work for the 8th grade prom. Which will come close to ending this spring's roller coaster. Which started 2 weeks ago with ...
a wedding (on Tuesday), a retirement dinner (on Wednesday), a Squidling (both) concert (on Thursday) and my school's senior Prom (on Thursday).
A week "off" followed. Kind of. It ended with both kids being inducted into Arista on Friday night and Little Squid playing a duet on Saturday.
This week we have ... Squidette Drop-off (6:30 am, Monday), Freshman orientation (my school, tonight), Squidette Pick-up and Costco run (tomorrow evening and night), dinner and a show with Little Sister Squid (Thursday -- can't wait!), Little Squid pick-up and 8th grade prom (my school) on Friday.
Next week ... a late meeting for me on Thursday and a possible awards ceremony for Squidette in the same evening and on Friday ... Squidette's 8th grade cruise. For which I have volunteered my home for female primping and shuttle service to and from the docks. (We live near by.)
Oh, and Squidette turns 14 that Sunday. And Mike is being honored the next evening. And Squidette graduates the day after that.
Eek! June 30th can't come too soon!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Experiments with Yogurt
A few weeks ago this article about yogurt appeared in the New York Times. It caught my eye and reminded me of the days when we used to make yogurt. Back in the days when I actually cooked.
Back then we had a yogurt maker like this one, the purpose of which is to keep the yogurt at the right temperature for a long time. It does not, however, heat, mix or chill the yogurt making it a one trick pony with expensive jars.
After mulling it over for a few days I decided to give the method in the Times article a shot. I heated a quart of milk, cooled it back down to the right temperature for the bacteria to do their thing, and added a few tablespoons of my favorite yogurt (Greek Goddess, non-fat).
I did as instructed and swaddled it in towels and left it for about 6 hours, chilled, and tasted. Yum! A bit loose, though, so I strained it in a Melita coffee filter until it was just right. Even better!
That batch yielded about 3 cups (maybe 2.5) for the quart and I gobbled it up in less than a week.
The following weekend I tried again with a gallon of milk. This took a long time to heat and, due to a longer fermentation time (I forgot about it and it went about 12 hours), it yielded a grainy, very thick yogurt (after a very brief straining), though still tasty. I still have some at work stuck in the bottom of a mason jar.
Last weekend was the third try and you know what they say about the third time. This time I used Stonyfield yogurt as the started and only let it ferment about 4-5 hours. Must I say it? This batch was the best! I strained it a little to thicken it somewhat but the texture was pudding like and just beguiling. I used my new, huge, strainer and had a fair amount of the yogurt escape with the whey, so I restrained the whey with the gold melita filter and used the really fine yogurt for our first experiment with frozen yogurt.
Little Squid and I took the fine yogart and combined it with some maple syrup and froze it.
Wrong move! It turned into a solid slab of icey mapley yogurt. I threw it in the food processor and ate it as a granita. Yummy but not scoopable and not what we were aiming for.
Yesterday we took 3 cups of the remaining yogurt and added about a cup of maple sugar granules that we acquired during our visit to Canada last summer. I ground it up a bit to get some of it really fine and left the rest in chunk form to add some texture. Then we tossed it into the ice cream maker which I had dug out of the recesses of several cabinets. (Its parts were scattered hither and yon.) The initial result, right out of the maker, was good but a bit sweet. It had, however, that great tang of real yogurt and was definetly a Pink Berry contender. There was a bit of a panic moment when, after several hours of freezing, it looked like it was a solid brick, but a bit of power on the ice cream scoop served to extract real, almost scoop like, portions. The general consensus is that it is good, but as previously determined, a little too sweet,
Last night I finally watched the episode of Good Eats on yogurt and, following Alton's recommendation, set more yogurt up to strain for yogurt cheese with which to make frozen yogurt. I was going to use corn syrup to sweeten it but with only dark syrup in the house we decided to go for plain.
There is a reason why frozen yogurt is sweetened.
Mike had some of it for dessert and agreed that even with fresh pineapple on top it needed sweetening.
All of that said, I am now almost out of yogurt and am now in the process of making another batch. We'll experiment some more with the frozen side of it next weekend. This batch is destined for breakfast.
Back then we had a yogurt maker like this one, the purpose of which is to keep the yogurt at the right temperature for a long time. It does not, however, heat, mix or chill the yogurt making it a one trick pony with expensive jars.
After mulling it over for a few days I decided to give the method in the Times article a shot. I heated a quart of milk, cooled it back down to the right temperature for the bacteria to do their thing, and added a few tablespoons of my favorite yogurt (Greek Goddess, non-fat).
I did as instructed and swaddled it in towels and left it for about 6 hours, chilled, and tasted. Yum! A bit loose, though, so I strained it in a Melita coffee filter until it was just right. Even better!
That batch yielded about 3 cups (maybe 2.5) for the quart and I gobbled it up in less than a week.
The following weekend I tried again with a gallon of milk. This took a long time to heat and, due to a longer fermentation time (I forgot about it and it went about 12 hours), it yielded a grainy, very thick yogurt (after a very brief straining), though still tasty. I still have some at work stuck in the bottom of a mason jar.
Last weekend was the third try and you know what they say about the third time. This time I used Stonyfield yogurt as the started and only let it ferment about 4-5 hours. Must I say it? This batch was the best! I strained it a little to thicken it somewhat but the texture was pudding like and just beguiling. I used my new, huge, strainer and had a fair amount of the yogurt escape with the whey, so I restrained the whey with the gold melita filter and used the really fine yogurt for our first experiment with frozen yogurt.
Little Squid and I took the fine yogart and combined it with some maple syrup and froze it.
Wrong move! It turned into a solid slab of icey mapley yogurt. I threw it in the food processor and ate it as a granita. Yummy but not scoopable and not what we were aiming for.
Yesterday we took 3 cups of the remaining yogurt and added about a cup of maple sugar granules that we acquired during our visit to Canada last summer. I ground it up a bit to get some of it really fine and left the rest in chunk form to add some texture. Then we tossed it into the ice cream maker which I had dug out of the recesses of several cabinets. (Its parts were scattered hither and yon.) The initial result, right out of the maker, was good but a bit sweet. It had, however, that great tang of real yogurt and was definetly a Pink Berry contender. There was a bit of a panic moment when, after several hours of freezing, it looked like it was a solid brick, but a bit of power on the ice cream scoop served to extract real, almost scoop like, portions. The general consensus is that it is good, but as previously determined, a little too sweet,
Last night I finally watched the episode of Good Eats on yogurt and, following Alton's recommendation, set more yogurt up to strain for yogurt cheese with which to make frozen yogurt. I was going to use corn syrup to sweeten it but with only dark syrup in the house we decided to go for plain.
There is a reason why frozen yogurt is sweetened.
Mike had some of it for dessert and agreed that even with fresh pineapple on top it needed sweetening.
All of that said, I am now almost out of yogurt and am now in the process of making another batch. We'll experiment some more with the frozen side of it next weekend. This batch is destined for breakfast.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Family Fun and Featured!
My post on Math and Crafts got picked up by a blog carnival. Cool! Given the lack of posts lately, this was certainly a pleasant surprise.
We've been rather busy Squid lately what with concerts,
(the first time the kids have played together on stage).
And plays (Bye, Bye Birdie) of poodle skirt fame. (No pictures, sorry!)
And bi-weekly bouts of yogurt making which, today, morphed into maple frozen yogurt.
Yum!
Tonight Little Squid is at a slumber party and I am about to settle in to some serious spinning.
Next week includes a science fair (Little Squid) and a high school information session (me at work). Which is nothing compared to the following week which includes a weekday wedding, a dinner with friends, a kids' concert and my school's prom. In 3 days.
We've been rather busy Squid lately what with concerts,
(the first time the kids have played together on stage).And plays (Bye, Bye Birdie) of poodle skirt fame. (No pictures, sorry!)
And bi-weekly bouts of yogurt making which, today, morphed into maple frozen yogurt.
Yum!Tonight Little Squid is at a slumber party and I am about to settle in to some serious spinning.
Next week includes a science fair (Little Squid) and a high school information session (me at work). Which is nothing compared to the following week which includes a weekday wedding, a dinner with friends, a kids' concert and my school's prom. In 3 days.
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