Get Up, Dress Up, Show Up

I feel like crap today.

I've been fighting some kind of cold thing for about a week and it feels like I'm now losing the battle.

Yesterday was a busy one. Second flu shot for Sontoo at 8 a.m. And I don't mean to complain (or maybe I do) but if you advertise a flu shot clinic beginning at 8 a.m., I think all of your people should be there by 7:30 setting up. That way, when your clients arrive at 8 a.m., you're ready. You're not trying to figure out the damn computer program or how to fill out the paperwork. Those giving the shots are seated and ready to go, not sitting there, filling syringes while the line of crusty toddlers gets longer and longer.

This clinic was for the second dose of the H1N1 vaccine. And that means all of the clients were between the ages of six months and three years. These are not patient patients. And odds are they brought along a parent and at least one sibling who was not old enough for school. That's a lot of impatient children and frustrated parents in a very small room, all anxious to get this over and done with.

I'm not saying anyone had to come in early, or that the Health System had to pay any overtime. I'm just saying, be ready. If that means starting at 8:30 instead of 8, so be it.

I guess I shouldn't complain too much, as we were out of there within an hour and 10 minutes. I know elsewhere in the country, people were waiting hours and hours for their shots. But I'm just saying that, with a little better organization and pre-planning, it could have gone a lot smoother.

Oh, and a quick note to some of the parents. Remember that little card they gave you at the first dose clinic? The one they told you to bring to the second clinic? The one with the date of the first dose, the child's birthdate and Manitoba Health number? BRING IT TO THE SECOND CLINIC YOU MORONS. That way I don't have to stand there for 10 minutes while you figure out when, exactly, your kids got their first shot and if that is at least 21 days ago. And I won't have to stand there for another 10 while you dig through your frickin' purse for the Manitoba Health cards.

There, that one's for the clinic workers who, I'm sure, had to put up with more than their share of impatient parents and screaming children. Must have been a rough day. But if you'd prepared a little better . . . just saying.

Anyway, after a quick stop at Tim Horton's for Daddy's cup of joy, we were off to playgroup. That went well. I'm getting to know more of the moms and am actually getting in on some of the non-breast-related conversations. Picked up a few Christmas shopping tips from those that have lived on this isolated iceberg for a few years. It was nice.

So, with my head clogged to capacity, we headed home for lunch and nap time. That's when I found the email from Neomom. She'd been called north to a crime scene and would not be home for lunch, and probably supper, possibly bed time. Ugh.

Oh well, got the boys fed and off to bed for their naps. I needed to sleep, but was afraid to. Sonwun's swimming lessons were at 4 and I had to be sure I wouldn't sleep through. So I stayed up.

Swimming lessons went well and, after phoning home and finding no one there yet, the boys and I stopped at McDonalds to pick up a couple of Happy Meals, as Daddy did not feel like cooking a damn thing. I did, this time, opt for the apples over the french fries and milk over coke. I know, it ain't Father of the Year material, but it's slightly better than the alternatives.

I managed to get them fed and to bed before taking my Tylenol night time sinus medication and passing out on the couch. Neomom woke me up and some point, there was some conversation and then I went to bed. I don't remember much of it as I was half asleep and in a well-medicated daze.

As I mentioned earlier, I still feel like crap today. But the refrigerator is empty and that means I must go shopping with the boys this morning. My challenge is to find a way to make it appealing, somehow, for Sonwun. He hates grocery shopping and the feeling, if left unattended, can be contagious.

Yesterday I received an email from my mother-in-law listing 44 life lessons, compiled by an 80-something-year-old woman. Some smarmy, but most really good stuff. Today, I must remember #36: "Your children get only one childhood," and #42: "No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up."

Have a great day!

This morning, a self-portait. Getting the blog done is step one

in the get up, dress up and show up plan.

Beating the Blahs

Well, happy Tuesday. At least it better be, dammit.

I haven't been writing much of late, and it's irritating me. To be honest, a lot of things are irritating me these days. I don't know if it's pre-winter blues, the move to Thompson, or what. But I've gotta shake it, cause I don't like the feeling.

So what to do? I am searching my scrambled brain for the things that make me happy. Things that give me a boost, a lift. Right now, a trip to a tropical location is out, so we'll put that one on the back burner.

So far, I've rearranged the master bedroom. Neomom, who's finding herself in a similar state of mind, has rearranged the boys' bedrooms. I've also taken on the long overdue task of hanging pictures around the house of family, friends, good times. If my family can't be here in person, at least I can see them in the photos, smiling at my brother's wedding, in my other brother's back yard, at my wedding. These thing are all good for the soul.

An artist friend of mine uses a quote on her web site "Science will dictate the future, Art will gladden its soul."

I like that thought. And, as such, I visit her blog site every morning and, you know what? It's true. She paints and posts a new work of art (almost) every day. This was my plan for this blog, (daily posts) but I have not kept up with Kim. You can check out her work, by the way, here. She's currently running a contest and giving away one of her paintings each week. You just send an email telling her which one you like each week and your name goes in a weekly draw. If your name is chosen, you win your painting. I encourage you to check it out.

In any case, back to fighting the blahs. We've got two more rooms in the house that need some serious rearrangement, and I'm going to be tackling those in the coming weeks. The rec room needs a couch, some photos . . . we basically need to make it ours. Right now, it's just kind of a kids playroom with a treadmill stuck in the corner. I need to make it a warm, comfy place where I want to hang out.

The living room, as well, seems a tad sterile and uninviting. There's something about hardwood and white walls that's just not cozy.

So that's step one - changing my environment to better suit me.

For step two, I think I've gotta take a page from Mr. Mom, the 80s movie starring Michael Keaton and Teri Garr. As much as some of my stay-at-home dad colleagues hate the title, and as much as it was "just a comedy" there is some truth to it.

At the turning point of the film, Keaton decides he's gotta get back in the game, mentally. He's gotta get up each day, shave, shower and own the role and title of Mr. Mom.

I admit I'm not shaving daily and kind of look like an unmade bed most days. And, I suppose, if you look that way, you're more likely to feel that way.

And finally, step three. I need to find something, (and time for something) in addition to writing, to do. I need a hobby— maybe get back into my photography and attempt to take, and post, a photo a day to go with the blog.

So there you go. My three-step plan to get my head together. Today will, admittedly, be a rough one to start with, as Sontoo got me up at 3 a.m. and I have not been back to sleep. But that's life, it's my life and I've just gotta own it. I have so much to be thankful for. Time to concentrate on the good stuff.

Happy Tuesday!