Facie’s Ramblings

I started getting occasional bouts of insomnia when the kid was a baby. I don't recall how often my sleepless nights would occur back then, though I very vividly remember one fall night when I got up to do work. But for the past few years, I would say I have had trouble sleeping anywhere from a dozen to several dozen times a year. Typically it is stress-related, but not always. This latest wave began when I was offered the job for which I have now completed my first month. It was really bad the week before my job started and the first week of, but it has settled down since. Unfortunately, I still cannot seem to go more than four or five days without getting only a few hours of sleep in one night. The good news is that because I have been quite busy at work I don't really notice how tired I am. Surprisingly (and I hope I am not jinxing myself or tempting fate by saying this) I still can manage to react quickly in traffic, something I have to do pretty often. But there are ti...

I wrote almost 1.5 posts this morning. The half post was about revenge, and the nearly finished post was about religion. They were somewhat related. But for various reasons, I decided against either one. Instead, I wanted to write about something more positive and less deep. It is going to sound awfully similar to a post I wrote a couple of weeks ago, but as I continue to work through my life as it is now and "get right" with decisions I have made, sometimes you need reinforcement... On Thursday, J and I showed up for dinner for the last after-school session of the year. As I blogged about previously, I worked with a group of kids one day a week up until I started a job at the beginning of this month. The experience was challenging and rewarding, and something I am glad I had the opportunity to be a part of. Prior to our getting there that evening, I was a tired and in a bad mood as traffic was awful. As a result, we had gotten there later than planned, when half the kids...

Most of the blogs I read contain pictures. At least a few per post. Most of my posts contain no pictures. And that is mostly because I am boring and partly because I am lazy (and I guess partly because most of my posts don't lend themselves well to pictures, because, the posts are, well, mostly boring). But this is one post that I so wish I had not only pictures but also a video. Because I am certain my storytelling will not do this tale (tail!) justice. I typically watch Penguins games with the hubby in our den. And our dog Sadie typically strolls into the room and parks herself on the floor, completely uninterested in watching TV. Just as typically, Sadie is snoring loudly within a few minutes of lying down. I guess it gets pretty tiring sitting around doing nothing all day other than barking at a few cars she happens to hear driving by (when she is not sleeping, of course). Maybe going into the next room to get an occasional drink of water is what is wearing her out. Anywa...

Many people have blogged, tweeted, and commented on Facebook about the horrific bomb explosion at the Boston Marathon and the subsequent days-long manhunt, which included gunfire exchange and additional deaths. Mercifully and thankfully the tragic saga now appears to be over, at least the scariest part. Because there is so much information and misinformation out there, I won't bother to weigh in on the specifics. I don't think I can add anything new or insightful anyway. I do, however, want to respond to people who feel the word is a dangerous, sad place. You are correct; there is really no denying that the world is hardly all sunshine and lollipops. And I think I can speak for the majority of people around my age by saying that "back in the day" we did not have to worry about someone shooting up many people in a school, a movie theater, or at some event, or setting off an IED and injuring scores of people at a sporting event. (Of course I grew up in a small town,...

I am so tired, but wanted to get in a quick post. Here goes a lot of random crap: I hate traffic. I don't imagine too many people like it, but lately it has taken me between 40 to 47 minutes to drive 6.2 miles in the morning (this does not include the time/miles it takes me to get my kid to school first), which seems a little crazy. Worth noting is I have gone several different ways, with and without a tunnel. But, no, I am still not ready to go the route of public transportation. And I don't even want to talk about my commute home.* Job is busy but still going well. I am really liking it so far and feeling more comfortable as the days go on. I actually walk down 240 steps and up 30 steps in the morning. It is the 240 steps I have to walk back up at the end of the day that leave me breathless (but I just may have thighs of steel before too long, so there is that ). Unfortunately, among lack of sleep (cursed insomnia), working all day, and having to cram many things in dur...

I am super tired after my first full workweek since just before my kid was born. (Actually, I think I had a five-day sub stint last year, but this is different.) So how did it go? I think pretty well. :-) Here are some random observations before I head to bed: The work is pretty interesting overall. The teacher in me is fascinated and challenged by the units/lessons I am reviewing, and the editor/proofreader in me is full speed ahead finding typos, wording issues, and layout inconsistencies. I am happy to say that one of the woman I have been working with told me she was really impressed with all the things I questioned/found. It is nice to be complimented during the first couple of days. The people are really nice and friendly. I have not detected any egos, just people who work together and want to help one another (and me). As I was sitting with my coworkers at lunch today, I mostly felt as if I had worked there for a long time. (I also discovered I do not care much for pan-f...