We saw Wilco last night in a tiny, tiny ballroom at UCSD. It was the most unbelievable show we have ever been to.

Look, there's Jeff...



I don't even know how to describe it. I just wanted to soak it all up so I could remember each moment forever. It was all so beautiful.

23 Days

The last two years really have been so, so hard. It's been two years now since we have had the comforting pattern of dinners together, watching TV in the evening, talking about our days. I have spent so many long days with just Hayden, and so many nights alone, that I genuinely find it hard to remember any other way of living. Our life has been MBA this and MBA that for as long as I can remember. I don't really know what it is like to just hang out as a family anymore. Neil has spent the last two years at work, at school, meeting with his master project group, stressing out about not having time to do his assignments and study, and feeling guilty for not having any time with us. A good day for us is spending a few hours together in between a work or school commitment. And recently, Hayden has been getting really upset about not having Dad around. Frequently, I have to remind myself that this is not how everyone lives. You just start to find the chaos familiar, then it seems normal. I am surprised when I see Dads and sons out at the golf course at dusk, or husbands and wives out to dinner. I really have forgotten the pace of a regular life.

There have been some good things. It has been a time that has made me learn to be more independent than I thought I could be. It has helped me to make some good friends nearby which has helped my state of mind tremendously. Neil has realized that he is basically unstoppable. Hayden has spent regular evenings with his grandmas four times a week - a routine he is really going to miss.

It is all coming to an end. In addition to each classes' exams and papers for all four semesters, the last two years have been leading up to the submittal of a huge thesis paper and a formal presentation in front of the entire university board of directors. The paper - done. The presentation is this Wednesday. I look at my calendar and see good things coming up over the next three weeks. A week from tonight, Neil and I are going to the Wilco concert. The next Saturday, we're having Neil's graduation party here with the family. The following Saturday, commencement...and we're off the following day to Kauai.

And then...just life.

I can't wait.

I'm sure this will be of little interest to anyone other than me, but I felt this inexplicable urge to document the day of total efficiency Hayden and I accomplished. Even more astonishing is that I had mapped out the entire day before we started, timelines and all...

• 7:00 - 9:30 - breakfast, shower, make shopping lists, etc.
• 9:30 - out the door
• 10:15 - first stop, Lowe's to buy two outdoor ceiling fans and take Hayden to pee.
• 10:45 - second stop - Old Navy to buy Hayden swim trunks and sandals for Hawaii and take Hayden to pee
• 12:00 - third stop - mall to buy Hayden shorts and shirts at Gymboree and to American Eagle to buy Neil swim trunks and flip flops
• 12:45 - fourth stop - Target with our usual list (took Hayden to pee)
• Hayden eats noodles, string cheese, and apple slices in car in transit
• 1:30 - fifth stop - Circuit City - to pick out and buy our new surround sound system, wall mount for our new TV, and all the cables, etc. (Hayden peed)
• 2:00 - sixth stop - Bank to try to figure out why Circuit City would not take my check. Relieved to confirm that Circuit City's system is retarded and that my account had not been pillaged leaving us unable to finish the remodel.
• 2:15 - seventh stop - Grocery Store for regular shopping trip (Hayden asked an employee where the bathroom was and informed her he had to pee)
• 2:45 - eighth stop - Back to Circuit City to pick up all the items that we didn't want to leave in the car while we grocery shopped. I underestimated the size of the boxes and spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to lay down 2/3 of the back seat.
• 3:15 - Arrive back home - Hayden is asleep. I manage to get him into his bed without him waking all the way up. I unload the groceries that have been stowed in every imaginable place since the back of the car is filled with giant boxes. Really - I had a bag of bread on my lap the whole way home.
• 4:00 - Finished unpacking and cleaning out fridge. Work until Hayden wakes up at 5:15.
• 5:45 - Mom arrives. I talk to Mom while dusting and sweeping.
• 6:30 - Make Hayden's dinner.
• 6:45 - Work until 8:00 when Mom leaves.
• 8:10 - Play Chutes and Ladders, read three books, Hayden helps clean up toys.
• 9:00 - Brush Hayden's teeth, put him to bed.
• 9:15 - Write this, getting ready to eat dinner and watch the TIVOed "The Amazing Race".

Behold the Power of the Itinerary,

...and the sudden fascination with public restrooms...

Remodel Phase 2

We are about to embark on the second phase of making the house we can afford into the house we want. You may remember the results of phase 1. If not, you can revisit them here.

In this episode we are doing the following (and by we, I mean hired professionals):

1. Removing the sunroom and replacing with a new covered, tiled patio with a built in barbecue and granite counter and bar.

2. Rennovating the fireplace which involves covering all the brick, adding a new gas fireplace, covering the existing hearth with travertine, and installing a flat TV above the new mantle.

3. Extending the kitchen island into a bar and replacing the existing countertops with granite tile.

4. Removing the weird cabinet thing we have covered with a rug in the kitchen.

5. New vanity, sinks, faucets, light fixtures, and toilet in the master bath to go with the shower we put in during the last remodel.

I actually remembered to take "before" photos this time. You can view them here. Click on the photo to see its caption.

I think the contractors are starting the demolition tomorrow. I'll try to take pictures of the aftermath tomorrow afternoon.

Endless

Last night in his sleep, Neil said loudly"What? That's at least 1000 hours over forecast." That statement woke me up from my dream about trying to rinse poop out of one pair of Thomas the Train underwear.

We never escape.

As of today, Neil and I have been together for 14 years. Amazing.