now is the springtime...

An eventful week-and-a-half.

On Friday I worked like a fiend to get all of the rest of the year's assignments developed and scheduled, so I wouldn't be crushed over the weekend as I have been for most of this distance-learning experience.   So Saturday I slept late but then drove up to Flagstaff to bring DD home for a little Mother's Day visit.  The weather was absolutely spectacular and it was peak desert bloom time, with more blooming saguaro than I've ever seen before. 

We decided on a whim to stop in Cottonwood on the way back and pick up some of our favorite wine at the Merkin Vineyard tasting room there.  We called, they were open for take out, so we got wine and gelato (which did melt on the way home, but not completely, since it was in ice in an insulated bag.)   I don't even remember what we had for dinner, but we did end up hanging out, drinking and talking late into the night.

Mother's Day was extremely low key with take-out barbecue for dinner.  After the long day of driving and a late night of (gentle) partying, I was not up for cooking a huge meal, so the barbecue was fine, and it was nice to have all the leftovers.  I was just a homebody all day, and nothing wrong with that.  On Monday, I got up and worked for a few hours and then DD and I did errands for both our households, and on Tuesday, a friend of DD's came into town and was conveniently driving up to Flagstaff and offered to take her, too.  (I have the idea that DD may have planted the suggestion?  It seems likely.  Is Arizona really "on the way" from California to Montana?  I'm terrible at geography, but that does not seem plausible.)

Anyway, he was more than happy to hang out with us, and since I had told DD we would feed him, we ended up putting together a fantastic meal of lobster bisque, shrimp, scallops, grilled steak, roasted asparagus, and somewhat incongruous (but tasty) tater tots.  DD's friend insisted he wanted to help so I had him shell the shrimp, and he was totally OK with it, which was awesome.  After dinner we played some cards and then the old and employed people went off to bed, leaving the students to continue their party.  The weather was perfect for eating outside, and it was a completely lovely evening -- it was in fact what I'd envisioned for Mother's Day.  So I got two this year! 

Wednesday I spent a couple of hours delivering "Congratulations Class of 2020" yard signs to our "graduating" 8th graders, and I even got to see a handful of them, too.  DD and her friend stayed just until I got home, not on purpose, it's just how things worked out -- so I got to say bye to her before she left.  It was a really nice visit. 

Thursday: grading and the usual end-of-year tasks like making class lists for next year.  Friday: the mammogram.  The weirdest thing was the technician told me that my smaller breast is actually bigger than the other one,  which I still don't get.  Maybe it's a perspective thing, but from the way my bra fits as well as a number of visual cues, it's obvious it's smaller.  Of course she did not see them in a bra or clothing other than the little "gown" top you wear during a mammogram.  Whatever!  Cutting to the chase here, the radiologist said my breasts are "stable" and said I just need a normal screening mammogram next year.  I'm waiting for the results to show up on my health portal so I can actually read the report.  Last year I had a cyst on the right side and they insisted on doing an ultrasound there again this year, even though it's not bothering me at all.  And I got zero information about what's going on with the left side, other than the fact that it's "stable." 

So that's good news, I guess, except now I have another random pain to add to my seemingly ever-growing list of random pains.  I researched the difference between carpal tunnel and RA, and I'm not convinced the (ongoing) problem of my painful hands is either one, since they still hurt all day.  Not as bad as they were in the beginning, but it's still obnoxious.  I'm thinking it may be fibromyalgia, which also could explain my lack of good sleep.  I have a few good nights and then something like today, where I wake up at 5:15 and can't go back to sleep...

Somewhere in that blur, I helped DS2 put together a resume so he could actually apply for jobs.  Wednesday he has an appointment at the Army recruiting center, and he may actually enlist.  We all think it could be just what he needs, because he can do well in structured environments... when he wants to.  He's also really, really good at ignoring things he thinks are stupid, but that won't fly in the military.  We'll see.  So far I'm being fairly successful at squashing the "I don't want my baby to leave!" feelings.  It's time for him to grow up.  To that end, he mostly made dinner tonight: spatch-cocked roasted chicken, gravy, crash potatoes, peas.  (I made the salad, since he doesn't eat it at all.)  It took a little longer than I expected because he inspected the potatoes much more thoroughly than I would have done, but it was all great.  He even learned how to carve up the chicken.  For the most part I tell him what I'm going to do, and then do a little of whatever it is so he can see it, but he did the majority of the work.  OK, I cut the backbone out of the first chicken entirely, so he could see the whole process, but then he did the other one, and everything else afterward. I like cooking with him.
I am really going to miss him if he enlists!

AZ is opening up, slowly, and DH and I were able to attend Mass on Sunday!  What a blessing that was.  Afterwards I made a really nice breakfast and then invited him to come shopping with me, and he agreed! It was nice to spend some time together out of the house for a change!  Now this week I'm back at school to close up my classroom (pretty much done today) and finish up all the tedious end-of-year tasks, but then I'm done!

Unfortunately we've had to cancel all our summer plans, but we talked today about making new ones.  Tomorrow night, dinner for two at our favorite swanky seafood restaurant, courtesy of our fantastic home & school organization, who sent us all gift cards for Teacher Appreciation Week.