Weekend with my daughter

Going back to school for another degree takes a lot of time. One of my concerns apart from too little sleep and too much homework is taking time away from my children. I'm home because I'm doing the courses online, but I'm also absent because I am spending all my time reading and writing for classes.

Yesterday after finishing a paper for my class on educational finance, I took a needed break. My daughter Marie and I went to lunch at Five Guys (Damn, those fries are tasty!), and then I took her to see High School Musical 3. She and I had a great time. Really, the choreography is top notch in that movie, and the songs are Disney pop-perfect as usual. Frankly, that's not a bad thing. Milk Duds and Swedish Fish made for great snacks. She's so glad that her braces are off her teeth.

Take time out with your kids. They won't be little for long.

Busy Sunday morning

• walk Beau
  
• get Saturday's mail
• make coffee
• prepare bread dough to rise
• prepare crock pot to make black bean soup
• do Page's laundry
• back up files from Page's computer
• back up assignments from my laptop
• make oatmeal
• run the dishwasher
• shop @ Target
• shop @ Publix
  

TiVo...OH NO!

Last Saturday, it was a nightmare.

There I was trying to finish homework for the week for my online course Leadership Innovation. Suddenly, my son says to me "Papa, the something's wrong with TiVo." The infrared on the remote just shone red. The TV kept making that electronic thud sound. TiVo would not advance correctly to any of the right menus nor would it command the cable box to turn to the channels I chose. After consulting troubleshooting guides online and after calling tech support, the answer was to order a new remote control, as this one was definitely dead.

Thursday, the new remote came. Yay! Because of my homework schedule, I'm not watching broadcast TV whenever programs air. Instead, I'm banking shows on TiVo to scan when studies are light or my discussion questions are finished. I need that remote to work. Ah, sure, some of you would just say throw out the TV. But, then I actually might go crazy. I need my Ugly Betty, Heroes, Smallville, Pushing Daisies, CSI, etc. etc. Even if it's only background noise from the other room, it reminds me that the fascinating study of educational funding will eventually come to an end, and my life can be a little more normal.

This Saturday has been a little more pleasant. Although my daughter is with her mother this weekend, and my son is at a band competition all day, I have a working remote control for my TiVo!