Going 'Down the Shore!'

Tomorrow starts the first family vacation down in OCNJ since the summer between junior and senior year. I just love going on vacation there, especially if the weather is nice. There is something really relaxing about sitting on a deck and listening to the sound of the ocean, and the seagulls, and smelling the salty air.

This time is going to be a little different. First off, Meg and I are married, and not engaged, as we were last time. We also have Maddie with us, which I predict will be challenging yet fun. Tomorrow is a busy day, as we have to pack everything up, and get the house ready for Meg's mom, who will be house/dog sitting.

So far summer is going well. The trip to Gettysburg was uneventful. Maddie is starting to eat better (I'll have to get into that story later). I have accomplished several things already. As you can see, I did change the theme to my blog. I also fixed the toilet paper holder in the bathroom and put a much-needed railing on the steps that lead downstairs. I haven't even thought about school yet, except for a few random thoughts and ideas (which I should write down as I think of them--need to get a notebook), but I don't plan on touching school until later in July.

Maddie and I have been bonding a lot. Maybe it's that when she babbles, she just happens to be saying "dadadadadada...," or maybe it's just that I am home more, but I feel closer to her than before. I think it is also because she is really starting to get a personality, and it is (most of the time), I very fun one.

I am still working on tagging photos in Picasa, but I've got a ways to go. I got back as far as last summer, but our photos go all the way back to June of 2003!

My plans for vacation are to relax, and pretty much do nothing productive. I am not even taking my laptop, which means probably the longest I will go without an Internet connection in years. I plan on spending a lot of time on the beach (if Maddie lets us), nights on the boardwalk, playing games with Meggie at the house, eating like a pig, taking lots of pictures, and not worrying about anything. I think the most productive thing I will do is re-read Half Blood Prince, so I will better understand the new Harry Potter book when it comes out. It is kinda strange to have nothing planned. I really need to make sure I enjoy it.

I will definitely need the relaxation after the busy day tomorrow. With that said, I really need to get some sleep. I've gotta get up early and vacuum/backwash the pool, and then let the packing and loading begin.

I look forward to blogging about the experience when I get back.

See you in a week, Internet!

Let's See How Long till Bob Notices that I Put This Here...

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything. You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word. Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world. You get along well with: The Pinky Stay away from: The Index Finger

What Finger Are You?

Love, Meg

Friday!

Or an alternate title could have been "Back in the Blogosphere," since it has been over a month since I blogged. I really wish that I had blogged more, as there is a lot of catching up to do here.

Well, the Friday of Summer began a while ago, on June 1, which seems like months ago. The last few weeks of school are generally very stressful. Even as I spent my last minutes there on Wednesday, I was stressing to get everything done. I am going to need to take a day in August just to unpack and organize, since I was pretty much just shoved everything in the drawers of my desk, since I was supposed to be out of the building by 4 (I didn't leave till 5).

All-in-all, it was a good school year. I think the change in administration helped a lot, as my feelings about work were not as good earlier this year. I am excited, and actually looking forward to next school year. I still made sure to pack up and take home everything I own from my classroom, since maybe that dream job will open up this summer.

Well, there is only 72 days, 8 hours, 26 minutes, and 20 seconds left in this summer. I am going to make a goal to keep myself busy and not waste a second.

As far as what's on the schedule, there isn't a whole lot this summer. Here is what I've got:

• 6/23 to 6/25 - Visit Meg's family in Gettysburg (in progress right now)
• 6/30 to 7/6 - Week in OCNJ
• 7/16 to 7/20 - Working with VBS at church
• 7/21 - Julie's Wedding in Gettysburg (friend of Meg's from HS)

Not a whole lot... which leaves a lot of free time. Free time is wonderful, but it can also lead to a lot of wasted time. When I think back to last summer, I have a lot of pleasant memories. I would like this summer to be the same, if not better. So below, I have a list of all of the things I would like to do/accomplish this summer:

House Projects:

• Lattice around the deck
• Repairs throughout the house (e.g., no toilet paper holders in either bathroom right now)
• Beautify the gardens
• Clean out the shed (again!) and find a way to keep it more organized
• Clean an organize some of the messier areas of the house
• Make weekly and monthly cleaning checklists and stick to them!
  

School Projects:

• Write my own recorder method book
• Make 'Elements of Music' posters for my classroom
• Figure out and plan a better way to structure my middle school general music curriculum
• Start the school year with the 1st marking period planned and ready to go.
• Actually prepare scores for the band (instead of winging it, like I usually do)
• Get into school a couple of days during the end of the summer and clean and organize my room, and find out a classroom arrangement that works better.

Family/Personal Stuff:

• Bond with Maddie, and take lots of videos.
• Go fun places with Meg and Maddie
• Eat better (despite the fact that in the last year I have gone from a 44 waste to a 40!)
• Exercise in the pool with Meg
• Ride my bike
• Take walks as a family
• Have Scamp over to play with Max
• Have friends from school over
• Have my parents/brother/sister over more

Computer Stuff:

• Pick a new theme for the blog (may even do that tonight)
• Blog as much as possible.
• Set up my sister's old computer in the 'office' as a file server and guest computer
• Finish tagging all of our photos (9,000 and counting!) with the names of the subjects of the pictures
• Clean up, archive, and reorganize files on my laptop
• Keep Maddie's blog regularly updated with pictures and videos (we've been really lazy about that lately)

Hobby Stuff:

• Attempt to write an original piece of music for my band to play at school.
• Refer to everything above. Most of the stuff on the list I genuinely enjoy doing!

Okay, so those 72 days (7 hours, 57 minutes, and 34 seconds now) don't seem like enough. In order not to waste any of that time, I need to have a good plan to get all of this done. Not that I HAVE to get it all done, but that I WANT to get it all done. I am going to relax until we get back from the shore. But after that, I am going to spend the rest of July and the first half of August working on all of this stuff. Then, hopefully, I can spend the last few weeks of summer relaxing, and enjoying everything I have accomplished.

Off to tackle that list! Oh, I guess I should sleep first...