A More Professional Blog Post

I am, as you may have realized, now officially a blogger for Groupon, although there was so much news in that particular post that I'm sure that little tidbit was missed by many..

This is a big deal for me, and although my first post does not yet have the pictures in it - the software they use for that is not currently behaving, as software is wont to do - it is in fact posted.

I hope the restaurant in question likes the post!

Top Seven Kid-Friendly Sushi Dishes Around Seattle

Things that Affect Us

And yes, I am talking about Ferguson, MO, among other things.

Last week Lizzy was VIP in her classroom, which is the same thing as Child of the Week was in preschool. She made a poster about herself - and when did she get big enough to do it alone while I was in the shower? - and brought in some of her Favorite Things to share with the class.

I was her Favorite Thing for Friday (isn't that nice?), and I was 'shared' in the morning.

In the morning because in the afternoon, when they had been doing VIP Time, they had a lockdown drill. I see the necessity, and they are very sensitive about such things - they told Lizzy's group of first graders that it was "in case of a bad guy or a wild animal on school grounds" - but I really don't like that it has to be done.

Around here it's always been fire drills and earthquake drills, which only makes sense. Since the school shooting last month  a couple of districts north of ours, it also makes sense that they do lockdown drills. But I don't have to like it.

Just as I don't have to like other things I see in the news, whether they affect me and mine directly or not.

Now, as many of you know, the Hubs has had a book of short stories published, and one of those stories - Watch This - is the one I was reading on my break when the news from Ferguson was released... that the officer who shot Michael Brown was not going to be indicted.

There are eerie parallels between Laston's story and this news from Missouri, and while I don't know what particular events Laston was alluding to in his story (if any), I still got chills. And although I don't approve of committing or inciting violence to get your point across - either across the nation in real life or across a stadium in the story - I can certainly understand it. I understood the urge to commit violence in 1992 as well.

I did not act on that urge.

Peaceful protests I'm all for, and I applaud anyone who is protesting peacefully, but rioting and looting seems counterproductive. I can't say how I would feel if it was closer to home for me, but knowing myself fairly well I think - I like to think - that I would do what I am doing now... writing about it, signing petitions against these sorts of miscarriages of justice (yes, I said it, I think not even indicting the police officer is wrong), boosting the signal.

I feel like it's all I can do and remain true to myself.

The Beginning of the End

Of my school career, that is.

I feel a little shocky about the whole thing really; today is the first day of my last class - the Communications Capstone course.

Five weeks and I will have a Bachelor of Science in Intercultural Communication.

I think part of the reason I feel so taken aback by this is that I was focused on other things, like Laston's book release, and getting my head together so I could pass the last class (which I did, thank you very much, albeit with a lower grade than in any other class but F*&^ing Algebra), and Lizzy's oral surgery, and just the day-to-day.

So I was focused on those things, and even though my mom kept saying that she didn't care that the graduation ceremony isn't until next spring - they do it once a year up here in the PNW - something has to be done about it when it happens in mid-December, it didn't register as real because of other things crowding my brain.

So, the good things that have happened here recently that might help us out on the financial front too... like maybe we can pay all our bills and still get the kids good stuff for the holidays..

Laston has a new job, that he starts Monday. He'll be at AT&T too, just as I am, but in a contractor capacity, and therefore making more cash (and my employee benefits for us both).

As stated before, his book is out.

I am blogging for Groupon (and my first post should be out soon); although this does not get me cash money, it gets me lots of exposure and possibly discounts.

And last but not least, I am in fact this|close to graduating with a good solid B as a Bachelor of Science.

I still feel a little shocky about it.

It's out!

Sort of. I mean, it's listed on Amazon, but there's not a lot else about it up yet (the Kindle version is not listed, for example), and although the price seems high, there's only one copy listed. So I think that link may be a bit of a placeholder.

But it IS linkable, so there.

And it will be out SOON.

That is all. And it's enough for me for now. I am SO EXCITED.