Where did summer go?!?

Just a couple more weeks, and then classes begin.....

June- Spain.  Barcelona- Granada- Seville-Cordoba-Toledo-Madrid-Segovia.  Was a fun trip, although soon into the trip I realized that I am now too old for a "family vacation".  Mom, Adam and Martina, and even me, were crabs every now and then.  I don't want to say the trip was ruined, but I will say that various experiences did ruin the moment.  A lot of hic-ups as well- someone tried to steal my bag at the market in Barcelona (Fay caught him) and somehow Martina's airline ticket was never changed to the correct dates before the trip (so she had to fly solo for one leg on the return).  I enjoyed spending time in Barcelona, although I did not feel it was very "Spanish".  Travelers liked the activities- mosaic class, cooking, flamenco.  I visited Ana and Antonio in Seville, and ran into Manny (NETC) in Madrid.  Went to Aventura amusement park outside of Madrid, a number of cool bars that Adam & Martina scouted, drag show in Seville.  Bought a very cool Lladro.  Submitted trip for 2013.  Skipping 2012- I need a break!

Mona painted the new faux door while I was away.  Very cool.

July & Aug- Home improvement projects.  New landscape, driveway and garage doors.  Created an agricultural area in the west yard- orchard area, raised veggie and strawberry beds.  New blueberry bed, raspberry area and two trellises for grapes.  Weather has been hot and dry and then horribly humid, so plants are not fairing well.  And Fred's redbud was toppled in a storm.  Driveway looks good- a steal really (the Hartman's did it, former Freeport student) at a couple of grand less than local estimates.  Dealt with Sear's again for the garage doors- thinking that is probably the last time I do business with them.  Bathrooms gutted, and as of this post, are not finished (a month in), so we are still showering at the gym.  The project has become more involved than Kevin expected, and we had to wait for parts, so we are way behind.

Everything (Aunt Jean $ and what Mom gave me when Grandma died) is spent.  Even over a bit, but that is OK.

David and I became 'engaged', as the marriage law changed in Illinois.  We are thinking 2013, at the house- so it needs to get done!

David got a new garage door opener (a very good one) from Mom for his birthday, and he and I have been putting it up together.  More involved than originally thought, but slowing getting it together- should be up by the end of the week.

Mom bought a house in Oro Valley, AZ.  She is planning to spend most of the year here, with winters there.  Eventually, she'll move there.

The first week of the Spanish summer class has been fun.  One more week, then off to Vegas.  Workshops when I return and then the school year begins.  Nuts!

Otherwise.....
This summer has been the summer of procrastination and wasting time.

Worked on the curriculum project off-and-on.  Still not finished, but will be soon.  A lot of procrastination there.  Stacy never made herself available to me over the summer, so I've been writing it myself.  I want to get it done before the school year begins, so I basically have a week +.

Not so happy with my schedule for next year, traveling between CSMS and FMS.  I have a shared room in both buildings, but the one at FMS is "mine."  Plus, I still do not have an exact schedule yet.  There is an extra 8th grade Spanish class and I offered to give up my planning, which will become a union issue.  So the 8th grade schedules are also not finished.

Gym cycle way off, although I'm OK with it.  I found a new plan that I will begin once I get back from Vegas and will have a more-scheduled schedule.

The state of the Nation is a mess.  I feel that Obama's puppeteers have really screwed up.  Pre-campaigning has already begun for 2012.  Going to be interesting come this fall when campaign season really begins.

And....
I wish I were more motivated to get things done and able to do it- be a "do-er".