milk toast

I can't imagine anyone enjoying it: toast with warm milk poured over it. Then again, it's probably a great comfort food when you're not feeling well, sort of like an instant bread pudding. The main thing is, there's nothing offensive about it. Milk-soaked toast doesn't have any backbone.

I never thought of myself as particularly milk-toasty, until this summer when I realized I'm pretty much a complete pushover. Not with the kids, and not in the classroom. But in peer situations, I'll put up with things I shouldn't, I'll let other people pile responsibilities on me, I'll even volunteer myself for way too much, way too often.

At least now I realize it, and I'm pushing back against it. I'm in the midst of an exchange about my volunteering situation, and we'll see how that plays out.

It's funny how pissed off people get when you tell them you're not going to let them take advantage of you anymore.

the problem with volunteering...

You can't quit -- or you feel really, really bad about quitting -- unless you have an ironclad excuse/reason.

That leaves you (me) somewhat stuck when the people/person you (me) are volunteer-working with are less than professional, taking every opportunity to disrespect you (me) and being passive-aggressive to boot.

DH thinks I should quit, and cites the continuous dissing as reason enough. I'm trying to be pragmatic about it: I'm helping people, doing good work, and does it really matter if I'm treated like a 12-year-old? Most of the time, it doesn't.

Thinking about this now, I'm embarrassed over how I allow myself to be treated. I'm trying to help people by giving them information, and I'm being told not to! I should stop being such a milk toast and stand up for myself, but I honestly don't see this changing. You can't change a habit or a personality that has been formed over decades. Well, I certainly can't, and it's not worth the aggravation to try.

In my defense I realize that I said what I wanted to say anyway, and when told, "Don't talk about that!" I asked, "Why not?"

I can see myself snapping, eventually. There will come a time when I'm told to be quiet or not discuss something and I'll reply, "Why is it that you want me to work with you, again? If you want me to do this work, let me do it, and stop trying to shut me up."

That's a great bit of dialog. I'll have to remember it for next time.

a week or so

We left Massachusetts last Tuesday, and I've been in some weird fugue state ever since. I'm restless but don't want to do the things that need doing around here, since we already plowed through back-to-school shopping, getting haircuts and wedding shopping. (The wedding is this weekend coming up.)

Kids start school on Tuesday, and we're about ready. I have my thyroid ultrasound Tuesday morning as well.

It's always this way, getting back into the swing of things, dealing with the annual thyroid cancer check-ups, scheduling a million other appointments besides. It's a bit nerve-wracking but nothing so bad, really. I'll sign up for my next class after the u/s -- I'm holding off just in case anything weird shows up. It seems silly, but it's only a couple of weeks, and with the wedding and the kids' school starting, it's just as well that I'm not dealing with my own schoolwork right now.

Last year at this time we were getting ready for new flooring and the painters coming in; this year it was really lovely coming home to the wood floors and colorful walls. It's nice to be settled, even if there are little jobs to be done here and there. It's very nice indeed not to have the specter of huge home-improvement jobs hanging out there, although the long weekend at the wedding is a bit of a bump in the road to a smooth start to this school year. We'll survive it, I'm sure, although the kids will most likely never wear all these great clothes we've bought them ever again.

such a cliche!

At about 9.5 pounds, this guys is just under the newly-imposed maximum size limits. For the record, that much lobster will feed six very lobster-hungry adults. We bought 2 of these leviathans, and we have more lobster leftover than we know what to do with... but we'll figure it out.

Yes, I admit it: we come to the Cape and eat fried clams and lobster, and blueberries, and super fresh corn on the cob from our favorite farm stand, and we get fabulous ice cream (they have ice cream at their Mashpee location).

We work it all off at the beach, though. Right?

Nature's Amusement Park - the best rides, no lines, no waiting

DH & DD

Chapaquoit Beach, N. Falmouth

of course!

Seen in the parking lot of the Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT, 07/09/08.

Every day. You should, too.

(In case you were wondering, yes, Sissy does "got sisu", in abundance.)

and... done!

*whew*

Now I'm on vacation, or as much on vacation as a I can be when I've got the kids to herd.

1+1

One assignment and one test left.

With any luck, I'll finish them both tomorrow/later today (Wednesday).