Hanging Around

Hanging Around, originally uploaded by Corbie.

No more Raccoons were spotted inside the storage room, but I did find a small Black Widow in the laundry room. I obligingly paused in its rapid ascent to the ceiling so I could take some pictures.

The three older kids are staging their first performance as characters in their school's Aladdin play tonight (with Alex in the starring role). I'm going to see their Sunday performance, because tonight I'm heading up to Berkeley to see A.P.P.L.E. play at Gilman Street, a venue at which I spent many a weekend during the eighties, but haven't been to in years. I'll probably post a review of the show on my music blog (see link in the sidebar).

A couple of nights ago, I managed to encourage the second Raccoon to leave the storage room, but, somewhere in the shadows, a third lurked. He was spotted inside the room last night. Maybe they're spontaneously generating out of old curtains or unused office supplies.

Also, sometime yesterday afternoon, a number of campers (and cabin leaders) were the victims of an old-fashioned panty raid. The first I knew of it was this morning when a couple of cabin leaders reported most of their underwear missing. It seems like some of the kids must have seen some of those old seventies camp movies, and being unthinking subscribers to the idea of herd mentality, have taken it upon themselves to copy this dubious scenario. It makes me wonder if kids ever act on good ideas they've seen in movies. Of course, for that to happen, they have to watch movies containing good ideas. That said, I'm not ruling out the possibility that this was merely an idea handed down by older siblings who've been at camp in previous years. The teachers are going to corner the boys thought to be responsible, so by the time I get to work tonight, hopefully everybody will have their underwear back.

Raccoon in the Storage Room

Raccoon in the Storage Room, originally uploaded by Corbie.

My routine was interrupted last night by a pair of raccoons who somehow managed to get into the storage room. I encouraged one to leave by using my camera flash again and again, but the other one managed to get up into the central heating duct that runs along the ceiling. The last I saw, it was looking down at me imperiously from its lofty perch. It vanished a moment later. For all I know, it's still in there somewhere.

I also saw an impressive buck on the front lawn. It vanished like a ghost. There was a small Chorus frog on the wall by the camp office too. During the day, I've been watching the pair of Ravens who hang out in the dead birch trees out front. They're always in conversation with each other, either croaking or using elaborate body language. There's something perfect about them - they look like bird-shaped holes in the fabric of reality. With their supernatural blackness, it's no wonder they figure so heavily in myth.

As for the kids, a bunch of them went home this week, either for not following the rules or because they were ill. Last night began and ended with fevers and vomit. One girl started throwing up on the doormat in front of the camp office (or "hub", as we call it), and I had to quickly redirect her to a nearby bush. There's definitely something going around. I don't think I've ever seen so many kids get sick in the space of a week.

At home today, I took Willow over to pick up her new glasses. She says she can see much better now. I hope her excitement lasts. Pictures will follow soon.

I got the introductory package from my new health care provider yesterday. It arrived in a box - you know, the kind with the perforated triangle that instructs you: TO OPEN: PUSH DOWN PULL UP.

I followed the directions and got a paper cut.

The irony is not lost on me.

I took the girls to a birthday party at a jumphouse place in Sunnyvale yesterday, where they had inordinate amounts of fun launching themselves down inflatable slides and propelling themselves ceilingward from rubbery surfaces. There was also cake and balloon animals. Unfortunately, as we were leaving, Willow's balloon animal, attached to a helium balloon, made a break for it. It was last seen drifting north over the rooftops.

Since the rooftops belonged to apartment buildings that I used to deliver the Wall St. Journal to, I figured I'd try to distract Willow from her loss by showing her where I used to work, which just happened to be right around the corner (actually, more correctly, where I used to pick up newspapers so I could then go work). On the way there, we passed a trailer park called Willow Estates, which excited the girls. I also couldn't help noticing all of the new apartment complexes and condominiums that have sprung up like strange fungal growths (although much less useful than fungus) in the years since I stopped delivering papers. My one thought, as I peered up through the rain-spattered windows at all of the new buildings, was I'm really, really glad that I'm not still delivering papers around here. I'm sure all of these new buildings would have added hours to my route, not to mention the fact that they're damn ugly. In fact, Sunnyvale is damn ugly. The founders only named it "Sunnyvale" because nobody would want to live in a city called "damnuglyvale".

Anyway, we passed my old drop site, and then hit the road for home. Willow was still upset. Later, I bought her a small stuffed animal to make up for the lost balloon one. This made Sophie upset. You can't win.

Planning A Trick?

Planning A Trick?, originally uploaded by Corbie.

There has been a Coyote hanging around camp for a few weeks now. I even used that fact to help a homesick boy feel better after he told me he'd seen one during field class - I told him that they are trickster spirits in the legends of many Native American tribes, and that seeing one means that you'll have an exciting week. He kind of half bought it, but left the camp office feeling better. Later in the week, his teacher told me that he'd confided in her that he wished he could be homesick again so he could come hang out with me. That's high praise.

Anyway, the morning after I'd talked to him, I saw the Coyote too, just hanging out in the road near camp. I followed it and took a few pictures, wishing all along that my zoom lens was better. My camera is great for macro shots, but the quality diminishes rapidly as objects become more distant.

It's raining outside right now, as it has been for most of the week. The nights have been cold enough that a dusting of snow briefly blanketed the higher elevations, temporarily causing the closure of the main freeway access to the coast. This no doubt was a wise precaution, since Californians don't know how to drive in the snow. Of course, Californians don't know how to drive in the rain either... or in the fog... or, come to think of it, in any other sort of condition.

Willow went to the eye doctor today. They recommended glasses for her, saying that it wasn't absolutely necessary, but might be a good idea. Willow liked the glasses she tried on.

This week I spent a fair amount of time functioning as a nocturnal therapist for troubled children - there was a boy who spent a couple of hours in the rocking chair in the staff room, comforting himself with repetitive movement, there was the girl with general anxiety problems who just needed somebody to listen to her... this all lead to me getting less sleep than usual, but I was glad I could help in some small way.

Soon, I'm going to be working in a real classroom with one of my old co-workers. I'm looking forward to it. The school is the one Alex went to for kindergarten.

We had the chimney man come and look at our fireplace, and he deemed it clean enough to light fires in. We haven't had a fire since 2002, because that last fire filled the house with smoke. In other words, it has taken us nearly 6 years to have the chimney inspected. Apparently, the problem was most likely caused by either too many logs or improper placement of said logs. The only thing the chimney sweep actually did to improve things was to put a new ember guard on top of the chimney. Now it's up to code, apparently. Oh, he also gave me his number in case I ever want to get any more tattoos, since that's what he "really" does. Reminds me of a Simpsons episode.

Currently listening to (appropriately enough): Anxiety "Bleak"

Reports of the DVD player's death have been premature. It lives.

This just in: the kids have apparently killed another DVD player.

The first work week of the year went by so fast that it didn't even register. When it's a four day week at camp for the kids, like it was last week, it's a three night work week for me. Still, in those three nights, I was visited by 7 homesick kids (some of them all three nights, although I suspect these particular girls just liked staying up late and talking), and one boy who couldn't stop puking. At least every time he puked he managed to do it outside or into a wastebasket, which means I didn't have to deal with any vomit-coated bedding. At least Mr. Puker went home before he could continue painting our camp with the contents of his stomach.

The rain was fun as well, especially since I no longer have to teach class while standing in it. This year, the obligatory large tree down in the road happened over the weekend, so there was no problem getting to and from camp. All I really had to worry about is the power going out. It didn't.

I started the next four-month school term too. I'm trying to arrange to teach some lessons in a more traditional classroom setting this term, but nothing is finalized yet. I foresee very little sleep in my immediate future.

Over the weekend, we went to a birthday party for one of Willow's friends, which included Thai food for the adults. Now, all of a sudden, the weekend is over. Sometimes I feel like I live life in a daze. At least sometimes the daze lifts enough to admit Thai food.

A storm blew through and tossed around anything it could gather up. The kids and I went out to play in it. Umbrellas turned inside out. Willow got scared, but got over it. The boys attempted to hire out their services as yard cleaners, and in one case were successful. Water and mud were tracked inside. A couple of days after the fact, it is still raining, and will supposedly continue to do so for a few more days. This is good.

My old friend Devon visited yesterday. We, along with Willow, hung out all afternoon, going record shopping, eating falafel sandwiches (fries and a milkshake for Willow), and basically catching up. It was a good way to start out the year.

Tomorrow, the kids and I go back to school. Two days from now, I go back to work. No more sleeping in. Willow, who slept until 10 this morning like the rest of us, is going to have a hard time going to sleep tonight.

The Blob, originally uploaded by Corbie.

We spent New Year's Eve watching Charade and, like the last time we watched this, it put me in the mood for watching more old movies. I was reminded that there was a time when mainstream movies depended on actual plots and witty dialogue, not just special effects.

Coincidentally enough, the only 2008 calendar in the house at the moment is the one pictured here. It features monster movie posters from around half a century ago - back when special effects weren't so special yet. Of course, in those days the special effects were physical, rather than pixel, and the people involved did the best they could with what they had. Still, the art on the posters often surpassed what was portrayed in the films themselves. Because of this, it is still a joy to look at old movie posters, if not always a joy to watch the films themselves. This may seem to contradict the first paragraph here, but remember, I'm talking about two different genres. It seems that nowadays, no matter what the genre, things have become less nuanced, less clever, and, despite the fantastic special effects, more mundane. Admittedly, and fortunately, there continue to be exceptions to this.

It makes me wonder what film will be like in another fifty years.

The more something is repeated, the less meaningful it becomes - at least sometimes. At the risk of sounding meaningless, Happy New Year to everybody (all three or four of you) who reads this site.

Sisters

Sisters, originally uploaded by Corbie.

The main new thing to enter our house over the holidays was a new computer for the kids. Being new, it's much better than the obsolete one I'm currently using. In the picture, we see a peaceful moment of computer-sharing bliss. This will probably be an exception to an endless succession of arguments over who gets to use it when, but we enjoy the moments of peace when we can. I still wish the kids would spend less time entertaining themselves electronically, but we did get a basketball hoop and a couple of basketballs as well, so hopefully that will provide a little balance around here. Plus, in all fairness, the computer will be a great tool for homework and other educational pursuits.

The year is almost over, and we leave 2007 with the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto, as well as the much closer to home escape of a tiger from the San Francisco zoo - an escape that ended the life of a teenager and the tiger. I'm always of two minds about zoos - I really appreciate the educational and conservation work they do, but it is sad to see so many animals in artificial habitats (of course, it doesn't escape me that many of their real habitats no longer exist, or are in danger of disappearing forever under the continued onslaught of the ever-expanding human race). I also can't really talk, because I've got some animals living in artificial habitats around the house. I've been to the zoo several times over the last few years, including the trip Willow and I took on her birthday this year. We probably spent some time looking at the tiger - a tiger that could have at any time jumped over the shorter- than-it-should-have-been wall around its enclosure. Of course, we weren't doing anything to enrage it at the time, as it may turn out to have been the case with this particular incident. The jury is still out on that one though.

The New Year is coming. I'm not sure if this will be my last post of the old year or not. You just never can tell with these things. I generally don't voice aloud any resolutions of any kind, but I always have a few things in mind to quietly work on (or not, as the case often is). We'll just have to see. Right now, I'm feeling lethargic - probably from an overabundance of sleep (how often does than happen these days?) and chocolate. The boys are at a friends house. The girls are watching a dvd, and Jen is at yoga. I've still got a week to go before I get back to work and school, but Jen goes back to work this coming week.

Currently listening to: Susanne Rosenberg "Uppa marmorns hoga berg"

I've been sleeping in this week, and accomplishing very little. I'll get back up to speed in a week or two, I'm sure, but for the time being I've been enjoying the absence of the ringing of alarm clocks.

I posted the obligatory "best cds of 2007" list over at my rarely updated music blog. Go look at it and disagree with me.

December Frost Prints

December Frost Prints, originally uploaded by Corbie.

Happy Solstice! Let the light return!

I went down to "the main office" this morning to keep an appointment to "get processed" for my new permanent position at work. This means that I keep doing the same job, but now actually get benefits (health, dental, vision, etc.). I now make more per hour too (although it is a salaried position), but due to the vagueries of bureaucracy, union dues, and spreading my ten month per year salary out over twelve months, many of my monthly checks will be less than I've been getting. That said, I can elect to not "work" during the summer and still get paychecks for those months. Hmmm.

This whole process has gotten me thinking (again) about how I'm not a practical planner, but more of an optimistic hoper. Things generally work out okay for me, but I've come to the realization that this is because Jen does all the real planning. I'm often mostly talk and little action. It's a problem I'm working on. I think that working my way through the teacher credentialing program will help me with this. Perhaps it already has.

Currently listening to : Stone Breath "Songs of Moonlight and Rain (expanded edition)" It's good to revisit this one.

It's 45 degrees outside, and raining, with gusts of wind up to 30 mph. I'm pleasantly surprised that the power hasn't gone out up here at camp. I love this weather. This marks the start of the last week of camp for 2007. Then I get some time off from work... so I can work harder at home. At least I'll get more sleep during the upcoming weeks. I'm looking forward to that.

Right now I'm going to go outside and enjoy the cold, darkness, and rain. It's nice.

Orange Morning, originally uploaded by Corbie.

I know everybody with a camera takes this kind of picture, but I couldn't help it. This was the view from camp the other morning. A lot of the kids had their cameras out too. You know it's gotta be beautiful when 10 year olds start taking pictures too. I think this was taken the morning of the day I saw a coyote on the driveway up to camp. Beautiful things happen in groups. I love it when wildlife appears unexpectedly, unless of course the wildlife in question is on top of the cd player, knocking cds to the floor, like the raccoon from a few weeks back. Those raccoons have got to get a life and stop raiding camp for trashcan treats.

This coming week is the last week of work for me this year. It also marks the last week of school for the kids - at least until we all get back to business as usual on January 8th. That's not really that far away, but it seems like it with the holidays in between.

I found out this week that I'm going to be a so-called "permanent" employee soon. It has taken so long to get to that point. There are only a handful of permanent slots, with the rest of the staff filling "substitute" slots, despite the fact that we all work full time - the only difference being that the subs don't get quite as much work as the permanents. Lucky for me, over the last three years there has always been a permanent employee or two who actually needs somebody to sub for them during the times I would otherwise not have work. Those days are behind me now though. I'm the new permanent "evening program specialist," aka "night host." Now I get benefits. I'll probably need them with the reduced amount of sleep I've been getting.

The stress of the holidays is upon us with the realization that, despite the increased cash influx brought about by our family having two employed adults, we still don't seem to have enough money. Oh well.

Oh, I got an "A" for the first term of my teacher credentialing program. That's gotta be worth something.

Also, Jen and I went out together on Thursday night - without any children in tow. I got one of the new "substitute" employees from work to watch the kids. Thankfully, the kids all thought he was great, and he had a similar opinion of them. Jen and I went to the Blogher holiday party in San Francisco, where I finally got to meet a lot of her coworkers. Check out unflattering photos here and here. I'm always bad at going to parties where I don't really know anybody - it brings out my introvert tendencies - but I had fun after awhile, helped by the fact that I did know a couple of other attendees and that the husband of one of Jen's coworkers is also going through a credentialing program. Oh, and there was lots of cheese and chocolate to be had. And good coffee. This brought out my "snack table hovering" tendencies.

Currently listening to: Hrsta "Ghosts Will Come and Kiss Our Eyes"

I turned 40 today. The sky is a uniform gray. I'm listening to the new Pantaleimon cd, and the music matches the sky, at least for me. It's a peaceful sort of feeling.

I'm done with my first term (half-term, actually) of school work for CalstateTeach - the program I'm working my way through to get my teaching credentials. I passed the CSET too. I was pretty sure I would, but it's nice to get outside confirmation.

Still lots to do, of course. The holidays don't happen by themselves.