My week ahead

The elms picked a bad time to flower. (My allergies are really bad, and tree-pollen allergies take the form of me being REALLY tired and REALLY unmotivated). Because here's what I've got in the upcoming week:

Tonight is AAUW, and it's at an unfamiliar place on the other side of town, and someone's going to be giving a tour of it who is going to be VERY enthusiastic to show the place off, so I expect the meeting to run late.

I also have to be sure to get my valentine's card to my parents and my niece out tomorrow so there's some hope of them arriving on time.

I'm not expecting ANYTHING for valentine's day myself. And anyway, it's going to be a horrifically busy day, with me involved with something from 9:30 until 3 pm without a break longer than maybe a bathroom break. If I even get that.

Sunday is a church potluck and the day has been declared "Love Sunday" because it's close to Valentine's Day and the offer has been made to allow any couple who wishes to renew their vows to do so and I really hope this isn't going to turn into a privileging of romantic love over all others, which is the typical theme of V-day out in regular culture. And at any rate: I have to prepare some kind of food.

Sunday afternoon is Wesley Center Board meeting and I missed the last one, so I better make this one.

Monday daytime includes the first post-tenure review meeting (of three) for the year. That's during my lunch hour.

Monday evening is Bell Choir, and CWF, and it's my month to provide a dessert for CWF. (I am going to get the pre-made cheesecake slices Pruett's sells. I don't care. Normally I would bake something but there are Too Many Things this week already and I have no time on Sunday for baking.)

Tuesday, I have my 6-months checkup (and am praying everything was good in my blood work, or at worse it's something like "you really should eat more foods with iron in them" that is simple to fix).

After that, I feed the college-student ministry. I totally forgot about the appointment (I think I was thinking it was later in the month) when I signed up. I'm going to do sloppy joes in the crockpot, on the grounds that when I run home at lunch I can brown the meat, throw everything in the crockpot, and then not mess with it until right before time to take it down. (I also need to get buns, and beans, which I can heat up down there, in case there are any vegetarians). My co-worker on this will do everything else and we split the cost...usually I wind up paying more but I don't care because we split it.

Wednesday is Elders' Meeting and Board Meeting.

Thursday, the only extra thing (beyond my longest day of teaching) is that I have a post-tenure-review committee meeting (of which I am chair, so I will have to write the letter of recommendations) between my second lecture class and my afternoon lab. Yes, I will have to figure out some way to eat lunch AND take notes and no it's not fair but it's life now.

At this point, nothing "extra" on Friday, though I do give an exam, so I will have to find time to write it during the week.

So: I think Saturday the 16th is going to be a Fun Day. Maybe Fun Day 1 of 2, it depends. (I have not heard back from the office doing Honors' Day; I should probably call them, but I kind of hate how some places you never hear back from and so cannot make plans. If they don't *absolutely* need me on the 23rd, what I might do is do a Sherman run on the 16th, and then go to Whitesboro on the 23rd. Or vice versa, I don't know.

And yes, I am ALMOST salty enough about it at this point not to do anything (like calling the office) and then going "Oh, since I didn't hear back from you, I assumed you didn't need my help, and I already made plans for that day. So sorry." But I won't, because I'm kind of a wuss that way and also I've had enough people flake on volunteer work *with me* that I wouldn't do it to someone else).

So anyway. I think I am really going to need that day out on the 16th.

And if I can take one on the 23rd, I'm taking it: because I also don't expect anything special for my birthday. (I made a small deal about it at church, about not wanting some embarrassing party because I turn 50, so hopefully people don't think I was using reverse psychology).

I WOULD like cards. Or having some kind of small gift to open but again I don't generally expect those things because it's easier for me (and less painful) to expect nothing and not be disappointed, than to be hopeful and be disappointed.

I *might* get carryout from a pretty good local barbecue place for dinner the night of my birthday. (Carryout seems easier, and I am not comfortable, generally, eating dinner alone in a restaurant, especially when I am the ONLY single diner in there, which is how it usually is. Lunch is easier. And no, there's no one I would feel comfortable asking to come out and eat dinner with me. If I had a "squad" I would totally take them out to Roma's (on my dime even) for my birthday, but I don't so I won't.)