Random

I got my husband to join Facebook!! Bwahahahaha! This is absolute proof that resistance is in fact futile. ;) He resisted it for a long time, but he's taken to it like a duck to water, and been posting smack talk with all The Guys.

It is still cold here, although not as cold as it's been. I could really do without seeing temperatures in the 30 degree range for a long time, though. I'm also still not enamored with waking up while it's pitch dark. I do not like Daylight Savings Time coming this early in the season. It doesn't save us any money around here, that's for sure- the heat has to go on earlier so I don't freeze my ass off when I wake up (we turn it way down at night), and I'm using lights in the morning so I don't trip over all the toys my son leaves all over the living room! I actually read an article recently about one state, I believe Indiana, that only finally began using DST about four years ago, and their usage of electricity has gone up since they began using it, not down!

I'm dying to get outside and work on my various gardens. It seems that my beds that frame the front walkway have flowers in them- it looks like tulips are coming up! I bought crocuses to plant, but now I'm glad I didn't plant them last fall, like I was planning to- I can see what flowers I have and where. I'll eventually plant them somewhere, of course, but I want to rip out a bunch of bushes and rearrange things first.

I also bought seeds for a vegetable garden. I think I want it right underneath my kitchen window; I think that'll get the best sunlight of anywhere in the backyard. I want to plant cucumbers, peppers, and of course, tomatoes. (This is Jersey, after all!!) I have no idea how to rip up the grass that's in that spot, though- do I just use a shovel on it? Then I'll have to get fencing for the entire perimeter, to keep the critters out.

Speaking of critters, the bears haven't been back yet. Not that I miss them, mind you. I just worry about them whether they're here or not. I love the idea of the swingset Frank will have out in the backyard come late spring- Mom, Aunt, Uncle, and my sister got him one for Christmas- but I worry about being outside during the day with him, when there's no one else around- what if the bears show up??

Today is a lazy Sunday. I interpreted this morning, came home, made a pizza for lunch, and we put Frank in for a nap. Darrel and I have a live draft tonight for our fanatasy baseball league we're in with my brother, among others. I have no clue what I'm doing! Should be fun.

The Amazing Race

Okay, yes, it's a "reality show", and normally I hate the whole genre. But Darrel got me hooked on this show several seasons back. We mostly giggle at the draaaamaaaa that goes on, but we really do like being able to say, "Hey, we've been there!" occasionally.

This season (number 14) is different, though: There's a deaf guy on it, with his mom. A really deaf guy, who doesn't really use speech much, unlike, say, Marlee Matlin. Whom I adore, by the way- I think she's a really good actress, and it's nice for the kids to have someone so high profile to look up to. She's quite sweet, too- we took the kids to hear her speak (okay, see her speak) a few years back, and she took plenty of time with each student, especially the deaf-blind kid, at the autograph signing afterwards. Oh, and I got my picture taken with her interpreter, Jack, who is also quite nice.

Anyway, I think it's cool that they have this guy, Luke, and his mom, Margie, on the show. They're doing very well, so far, too- they've come in first twice and fourth twice. I also like how their thing is "the deaf guy and his mom", (for those who don't watch the show, every team of two people has a thing- this time around, there's two brothers who are stuntmen, a gay man and his gay dad, former NFL cheerleaders, flight attendants, etc.) but his deafness doesn't seem to make much difference in the race.

I'm kind of surprised more of the kids aren't watching the show, though; they certainly tuned in when the deaf woman was on "Survivor"! But the interpreting staff discusses the latest episode every Monday morning. ;)

Wednesday

So, I've been pretty busy the last few weeks, as you may have guessed, since I didn't update much. The primary reason is the spring musical at school. We had three deaf kids in the cast this year, the first time I think we've ever had deaf kids in the cast, and I was doing most of the interpreting for them. For much of the rehearsal time, I was only doing two days a week, but the last two weeks, I was there EVERY DAY after school. This is because I had to learn when the kids needed to be onstage and when they needed to come off, about costume changes, etc.

I didn't need to know all that so I could tell them- they all knew what they needed to do. I needed to be there because one of them, B, has Usher Syndrome. US is a genetic disorder in which one is deaf and eventually goes blind. It's never predictable as to how much vision one will lose, either. B has lost much of his peripheral vision already, and his night vision is very poor; this means he's legally blind, and will never be permitted to get a driver's license. B wanted me with them during all performances so I could serve as his sight guide getting him on and offstage- when the house lights go down, he can't see anything.

All around, it was an incredibly positive experience for them and for me. The theater kids proved very open to the idea of having deaf kids in the cast (B even had one line- he signed it while another boy onstage voiced it.) and to the idea of learning to sign. It's one of the few times I've interpreted an activity where the deaf kids didn't cluster together in a corner- they totally integrated themselves with the hearing kids! It was wonderful.

The performances went great as well; the Sunday matinee, the final performance, was SOLD OUT. It became standing room only because more and more people just kept showing up!

In a way, I'm kind of sad it's all over, but at the same time, I'm quite happy to have my life back. Darrel was picking up Frank at daycare every day, which meant he was there until 5:30pm most nights, as opposed to when I pick him up, when he's usually out of there by around 3pm. I got home most nights well after Frank was in bed, so I saw him for maybe a half hour in the morning.

I calculated how much OT pay I'll be getting, and I'll have plenty to get the powder room redone! Yay! :)

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I'm home today because Frank gave me pink eye. I am waiting for my doctor's office to open at 9am so I can call and get an appointment. I have been sick kind of the last several days, trying to fight off a cold, and I think it's bordering on a sinus infection, so I probably would have tried to get an appointment before the end of the week, anyway, but it annoys me that I have to take a sick day for stupid pink eye.

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We have an Army base about two miles from my house. Every once in a while, we hear a BOOM from that direction; I don't know what they set off, but it's pretty loud. We also have blasting going on out on route 80, for construction. So I get the BOOMs from both directions. Anyway, I don't know which I just heard, but it scared the crap out of me, and it shook the house!

Hm, maybe it was another earthquake...some people said the first two felt simply like an explosion...

!@#$%^&*&***((!!!!

We have snow. Again.

I measured two hours ago, and it was at seven inches.

It hasn't stopped.

The wind is blowing, too, so there's really no point in shoveling- it'll al blow right back onto the driveway.

Did I mention it hasn't stopped?

Oh, and yeah, I have no school today, which means I get to go in Monday of my spring break week. Well, not just me- me and all the other students and staff in district. Yay. Seriously, though, the families in town always go away for spring break; I wonder if we'll have enough kids for it to actually count as a day.

On the plus side, the school musical I've been interpreting for is this weekend. It means a madly busy week for me, with 12+ hour workdays all week, but the OT paycheck I get next month will be NICE!!

But I frigging hate snow with the white-hot heat of a thousand suns.

Too bad that won't melt all that white shit I have out there right now.