Come what May

Just some randoms.

• Got Tsubo Balin peep-toe strappy pumps in off-white using my birthday money. Man, is my skin ever white. Possibly whiter than the shoes. Thank heaven for Neutrogena.
• Here is a hint. If you want to get good shoes without breaking the bank, try on the brand you like in a store to find your size. Then find your shoes on eBay. (How dorky was it to link that?) I can usually find them for 50 to 60 percent off.
• Cinco de Mayo! Shrimp and avocado soft tacos with cilantro slaw at our house tonight. How fast can you get here?
• Thank you, Netflix streaming video, for babysitting my children while I work on fun freelance projects for UC Merced. I am super busy with student spotlights and a political science paper. Not complaining!
• S read "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle in three days. That is quick for him. I think the themes about individual strengths and weaknesses found some resonance. I am feeling kinda proud.
• K is barfy today. There is real Coca-Cola in the house. How much have I had? Too much? Ask me at bedtime. I do not like sick-kid days much. It is almost impossible to get a workout in, and I generally dislike having my plans foiled. On the other hand, the slow pace and an excuse to rest are not all bad.
• Montana springtime: snow, snow, and lots more snow. Stop, I say! Enough is enough! Yet ... after the storms blow through, it is so bright and clear and beautiful. And I really appreciate the no-asthma aspect after living in the Central Valley of California for 6 years.
• We bought tickets to Alaska for Dr. G's 20th high school reunion in June. That's right. When it finally stops snowing here, we will be going north. The whole famdamily. Actually we are really excited. We went in 2007 for G's sister's wedding and it was fabulous. I never blogged much about it because it happened right before Z was reunified with her birthmom for that 30 day trial period. Writing about a vacation was the last thing on my mind. How awesome it will be to go back now that we don't have to get court orders for interstate travel!
• If you're thinking of cheaping out and starting your garden seeds in paper cups instead of the nifty little plastic greenhouse peat pellet things, just don't. I had a whole scary mold experience with paper cups. Ugly stuff.
• Remember when my blog banner had a purple cordless drill? That was based on my real and much beloved yellow DeWalt. I got it when we had our condo in Salt Lake, probably 10 years ago. The kids left it in the front yard a few weeks ago. Now I do not have a cordless drill anymore. I replaced it with a cheap, corded Black & Decker. For me this may actually be better. It's not like I'm walking around a job site all day using it on different stuff. I'm actually usually in one place working on a specific project. So it's nice not to have to switch battery packs and recharge.
• I think S might have dysgraphia. I'm going to try to start the testing process with the school district before he actually is enrolled there in the fall. Stay tuned.