Democratic Process

Democracy: The practice or principles of social equality.

Today is one of those days we'll see the democratic process in action. After work, we'll head to the polls to elect (among other offices) our new township chairman and a new county judge (hopefully a friend of ours). As the one definition of democracy points out, there is "social equality." Every vote counts.

We'll also be witnessing democracy on a different level this evening during baseball tryouts. Every kid has a chance to make a team. And frankly, in the true spirit of democracy and social equality, every kid will make a team. Carter doesn't even have to try out. Since Daddy will be coaching again, he's automatically on his team. I guess it's like running for office unopposed.

Jim's coaching partner, Mike, is in Vegas for national bowling this week, so the onus is on Coach Buttermaker to draft a non-Bad News Bears team this year. Their strategy: Pick kids who can pitch! That may make all the difference in the world.

Carter is technically the oldest kid in the 9-10 year olds divisions because the cutoff date is your age on April 30 (and Carter turns 11 on May 1). So we expect big things. Last night Coach Daddy asked him if he thinks his new glasses will help in baseball this summer. "Definitely!" Carter says.

That's good to hear. Just like our votes, he better make every "at bat" count!

Openers

Things are feeling back to normal today. Carter is in school again and baseball season is under way.

Back to school meant it was the first day Carter's classmates got to see his new specs. "There was lots of names being thrown around today," he said. I expected something along the lines of "four eyes" but he said they were more like "genius" and "Einstein." I said that's not so bad. "Mom, they were being sarcastic." Duh.

Today marked the fourth-quarter "opener" so Carter brought his third-quarter report card home. I was thrilled to see the grades in almost all of his classes went up. But, of course being a mom I had to ask why the math grade went down. Carter didn't really have an answer but Daddy pointed out, "I don't think that will keep him out of college." True. Guess I should keep it in perspective.

Baseball season is officially off and running. Neither of us got to see our teams in action, though. Hubby's Reds were on TV -- but during the afternoon, so he couldn't watch them (lose, unfortunately).

The Twins opened at home in their last season at the Dome. They are rarely on TV over here in central Wisconsin so I hope to see them in person this summer. Tonight they lost to the Mariners, which likely will be Carter's new favorite team since Ken Griffey Jr. moved over there from the White Sox in the off season. I don't dislike Seattle as much as Chicago, so I'll probably be OK with that. I will not, however, be content with a Twins' losing season.

Wait, what was that lesson I learned earlier today? Oh yeah, I need to put it in perspective. We've got 160-some more chances for wins. Go Twins!

Outgrown

I love when the weatherman predicts 3-5 inches of snow the first weekend of April... and he's WRONG! We expected an awful, sloppy mess today and got nothing really. That's fine with me!

Got to sleep in today and skip early church since Carter and the Sunday School were singing at the late service. That was nice (both the sleeping in and the singing for Palm Sunday).

After church, Carter and I picked up a few groceries and had to find some "grown up" clothes for him -- nice pants, a dress shirt and tie -- since he's got his first communion coming up this Thursday. We realized he's already outgrown his dress-up clothes from 2 years ago. And later realized he's outgrown just about everything.

Even though the weather was nice outside, I still put Carter on the task of finding the clothes he no longer wears -- either because they don't fit his body or his "style" -- so I could price it for the garage sale. I pretty much spent the afternoon on the chair in the livingroom, lamenting over all the cute shirts we'll never see him wear again and wondering why it is we buy him so much stuff! I have to admit, though, that a lot of his clothes come from his older brothers and cousin so it's not like we intentionally bought him 300 t-shirts sized 10-12. Honest.

While I was pricing away, hubby flipped channels between golf and the NASCAR race. I can't imagine a Sunday afternoon without sports in this house. The golf sure made me itch for summer -- or at least for spring to stay put!

After supper, since I no longer had my pre-planned excuse that it was too cold and snowy out, I went for a quick 2-mile walk. Now I have to have Carter shoo his girl friend out the door so I can cut his hair and he can get to bed early. It's back to school tomorrow! Spring break, for what it was worth this year, is over and done with. Lucky for him, though, he only has to go 4 days this week since the kids get Good Friday off, too. Kinda makes me wish clothes weren't the only thing I've outgrown since childhood!

Work Day

Who cares if it's the weekend? No one escaped a work day around here today.

While I was at the library for hopefully the last time (for work anyway), hubby was painting the hallway and Carter was "organizing" his room so he could move back in there after two weeks in the basement (we kicked him out during window installation and room painting).

By the time I got home from town in the early afternoon, we were all done with the work part of the day and ready to relax. Since the weather was nice again (high 40s), I decided to walk to the gas station and get our Powerball tickets set. This time I just took a direct route to and back so it was just 4 miles. But that felt good and helped ease my guilty conscience after not "moving" all week. Sometimes work gets in the way of the best intentions to exercise. (I know. I always seem to have an excuse!)

Since Carter found a few things to discard from his room, I priced those up for the upcoming garage sale at the babysitter's. Jim ran some tables over there already so next week we can just drive our stuff over. We probably won't have much. On nice sunny days, I'm just not that motivated to be sorting through things and slapping on price tags. Tomorrow, since the forecast calls for crappy with a good chance of sloppy, Carter and I will hit the playroom in the basement and see what treasures we can find for the sale. I have a feeling there are a few toys and games down there that Carter outgrew a few shoe sizes ago!

Tonight, while it still seems like spring, Carter is playing with the neighbor kids outside somewhere (hopefully not crashing into anything in the dark and breaking his glasses) and hubby is drinking a few beers with the guys around a campfire next door.

I actually had full control of the remote for an hour and what did I watch? Basketball! What is wrong with me? If any of you saw the Michigan State game, you'd know it was a good watch. Now, I almost have to watch the second game tonight to see if it's as good.

Unless, of course, Pretty Woman or Dirty Dancing is on. I've only seen them 43 times each...

The Better to See You ...

The numbers on my alarm clock are about 3 inches tall. It wasn't that long ago my vision was so bad, I needed the numbers that big so I could see them in the middle of the night without putting my glasses on. As someone who'd worn glasses (or contacts) since age 5, that was the norm for me.

Five-some years ago, before I had lasik surgery, I literally had to stand next to the wall to see the big E on the eye chart clearly. I remember to my astonishment the morning after my lasik surgery, I awoke to see not only those alarm clock numbers clearly, but the pattern on the wallpaper on the far wall. I was simply amazed. Wow. I can't believe what I was missing.

Carter had much the same reaction yesterday when we picked up his glasses. As soon as he put them on, he was saying, "Whoa! Wow! Everything is so crisp and clear!" As we drove through town, he kept lifting the glasses up to see a "before" and "after" view and he'd be saying things like, "So this is what the world looks like!" And I'm thinking, how bad did we let his eyes get before he got glasses?

I was pleased to hear him say, "This is one of the most amazing things that's happened to me!" Later, when it took the neighbor girl only 2 seconds to call him a "dork," I was worried his enthusiasm would change. But as he watched TV (which looks like hi-def to him now), he said, "Mom, I don't care what people say because these are amazing to me! I bet 10 years from now I'll still be saying 'wow!'"

Well I doubt that, but we'll take it for now and hope he takes better care of his glasses than his cat. Of course, since the cleaning doesn't involve a litter box, I think he'll OK.

A.D.D.

A few years back (OK, something like 12), I did an award-winning (had to throw that in there) newspaper series on Attention Deficit Disorder (commonly referred to as ADD or ADHD). So I know it is a serious matter and nothing to joke about. Still...

I swear I have ADD! This work project is making me stir crazy. Yes, it is more productive for me to be sequestered away in a corner of the library to work on this without any distractions. But, I'm finding that I need those distractions to function! Or I create my own (like blogging in the middle of my project).

I don't know how people who work in factories do it. The repetition would kill me. Right now this project is a lot about labeling pieces of data and hitting "save." I am already dreaming about this -- when I stop coughing during the night long enough to sleep and dream, that is.

I feel like I've worn a groove in this thankfully-padded bench over the past few days working here! But I also know that as soon as I am back in the office tomorrow, I'll be too distracted and I'll be complaining that I'm getting nothing done! So maybe I don't have ADD. Maybe I am just one of those people who always need something to complain about. Nahh. Not me!

There's a new distraction today. I purposely have my back to the windows but I can tell the sun is shining. I think I liked it better the last few days when it was raining. Then everyone was happy to be in the nice dry library!

OK, done whining now. I better get back to data land and stay focused. I can already see my next distraction taking the form of a Mint Oreo Blizzard! Hey, DQ is only a half block away. I could dash over and back and not lose my spot. I can't make any guarantees about not losing my motivation, though.

Yikes. Good thing I know there's medication for this! That is, if ice cream doesn't work first...

Just Jokin'

I was on guard today for an April Fool's joke from the guys, but none were forthcoming. Maybe they feel bad for me and my crazy work situation these days. Or maybe they'll wait to spring something on me when I least expect it!

I'll have to say it was rather boring at the library today without Carter to entertain me with trivial facts and sometimes funny jokes. It sure beats the conversations I have with the committee in my head! My highlight of the day was helping a guy find his wallet he'd dropped in the library. From where I sit in my "corner office" (booth), I was just at the right angle to see it under a chair. He was quite grateful. No reward or anything but he kept saying, "This makes for a great story!"

After "work," I picked up Carter at the sitter's and we headed over to Waupaca to meet up with Daddy for a baby shower for some friends of ours at work. Carter's a big fan of theirs so was happy to be able to go along. He was also in his element, chit-chatting with all the people we work with (he's met them before at various get-togethers -- and some have babysat him).

I couldn't get over how comfortable he felt with the adults versus the "little kids." Like he's getting so old now. He had an arsenal of jokes to tell so he was loving the attention. One of our friends who met him for the first time said, "He's such a little Jim!" I wasn't sure if she meant the physical resemblance or the ability to capture an audience with good storytelling. Either way, that's a compliment! Some of the guys told Carter they'd see him again this summer so he better brush up on his jokes and have some new material by then.

As long as he's concentrating on those jokes, hopefully I can let my guard down until next April 1st. Hopefully.