My in-laws are coming on Thursday night and I have Friday off. It’s a nice thing to look forward to – both the visit and the day off. I don’t have any big plans (sadly) for the school-imposed long weekend. Originally it was supposed to be a teacher work day but turns out if we have everything on a checklist done, we can bail on the work day and take the day off. Thank you, Lord. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy (it probably is) but each day seems to be getting longer and longer. It also doesn’t help that it’s 90+ degrees out and it’s the middle of October. I know the weather is funky all over the globe (see this story about marathon runners if you don’t believe me) and that we’re not the only ones sweltering but … still. Middle of October people, it’s supposed to be around the low 70s. That’s right – the AVERAGE temperature for the month of October is 71 in this area. The average so far this month can’t be lower than 80.
And of course, on top of the temperature thing, there’s the water thing.
While the in-laws are here we’re going to hopefully finish up Nattie’s room (getting rid of that hideous yellow and redoing it in lovely lavender), and on Friday and Saturday, I hopefully get to sleep in. I get up on Monday mornings and count the number of days I have before I can sleep in.
And after this weekend, all heck breaks loose. Ready? This weekend, the in-laws are coming, next weekend I have to work all day Saturday (required school day! Boo!), then JJ and I have an event to go to that night, the weekend after we have our parenting class on Friday, then on Saturday I have a staff event with the elementary staff, then the next weekend I will be in Greensboro for a teacher conference, PLUS I have the parenting class (I hope I make it back in time), the weekend after that I have an open house here at the school, and the weekend after that I’ll be getting ready for Thanksgiving, then it’ll be Thanksgiving, then I have the elementary school Christmas concerts, report cards, Christmas parties, oh yeah, and Natalie could be born at any minute after Thanksgiving. If anyone would like to teach me the secret of slowing time down, I would be forever indebted to you.
Categories: Life unscripted · Natty
I did not realize our water situation was so dire. Since JJ and I don’t water our lawn (we actually, technically, have a lawn. We do not, however, have grass. We have a lot of weeds. At least that’s what it seems like) we haven’t noticed a big difference since Durham imposed the watering restrictions on the county. There are rules that say we can’t do things like wash our cars or porches or patios, or water our lawns more than once a week. But again, since we don’t do any of those, we’re not really impacted yet. I have heard, though I don’t know how reliable the source is, that if we don’t get some rain soon, and it doesn’t look like we will, restrictions will be imposed on things like showers. Now, I can live without watering my lawn. I can live without washing my car. Don’t take away my showers. I don’t take particularly long showers, though. My two showers a day (I have to take one before bed – I sweat all day – from the moment I walk into my classroom until the moment I get home) add up to less than 15 minutes of actual running water time. I know people (*cough* JJ *cough*) whose ONE shower a day takes more time and water than my two showers. Also, I am not a bather. I’m a fan of things like hot tubs and jacuzzis, but sitting, stewing, in steaming water? So not my thing. I was actually thinking about ways that I, personally, could conserve water during this whole drought thing and I guess I could give up one of my showers. Realistically, the one I take at night could be significantly shortened. I really just want to rinse the “ick” of the day off of me more than anything else which means I could probably do it in 2-3 minutes instead of the 5-7 that I normally take. I could also fill my sink with water, do my dishes, then drain. Instead of using running water. But beyond those two things, I’m out of ideas. As a whole, our household could probably save a few gallons a day if I shorten my 2 showers combined to 10 minutes, and JJ shortened his one shower to 10 minutes, and we made some other small cuts here and there but we really don’t use water in any of the ways that the regulations are talking about like pools, fountains, lawns, etc. so I don’t really know. I know that we’re in for another dry winter, which stinks. And we’re also in for another warm winter, which also stinks. *sigh* I sometimes wished I lived in Colorado.
Categories: Life unscripted
