Friday bullets - Nov. 13, 2020

I'm not sure how long this will be because when you spend the entire week just sitting around, there doesn't end up being much to write about.

• Everyone continues to improve, though it's a slow process. Most of the children are back to their regular selves, with Y. and R. being the last to feel not quite right. I was happy to see R. get off the couch where she has sat for the past couple of days and do something this afternoon.
• The process is a little slower for me and J. While we have had mild cases, it was still much worse than any of the younger people. The worst has been headaches and muscle pain. The muscle pain definitely made it difficult to sleep at night. Those are mostly gone, but now we're just tired. I did some laundry this morning and then had to rest a bit. Do you have any idea how much this annoys me? 
• I did get some hair trims in yesterday. G. wanted her hair cut to her shoulders, so I cut 8 inches off. It looks cute and she is happy with it. I also trimmed R.'s hair. It had become very long and that can be challenging for her... and us. After seeing the haircut she had when we saw the documentary I decided that we should go short again. Here's the results.

If anyone who actually knows how to cut hair were to watch me, I'm sure they would be curled up in a ball on the floor by the time I was done. But it's even, she's happy, and it is going to make life so much easier.

• Tonight for dinner we had coconut beef curry with fresh noodles. Last night was spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, another loaf of G.'s Cuban bread, and a salad. I spent some time this morning figuring out what meals I could make with what I already had on hand and came up with over twelve meals. Dairy products and produce are going to have to be replenished, though.
• G. is back in baking mode. Yesterday she made some chocolate meringue cookies for which she managed to make a meringue all by herself. Today was an egg bread that she intends for toast in the morning. It's a good thing I bought 50# of white flour with my bulk order. Not everything lends itself to whole wheat flour.
• D. was working on the Common App while J. and I fixed dinner tonight. If you don't know, this is a college application which is a standard application accepted by many colleges and universities. It is online and you have to complete each question within its parameters or you cannot move on. (I am going to sound like the woman who is easily annoyed tonight, so brace yourself.) First, these kind of form annoy me and I find it almost impossible to complete them because of the rigidity of the answers. I have been known to write lengthy responses to many questions within any open text boxes that are provided. I'm sure it is a nightmare for whoever is reading it. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get into college if I had to complete the application. My family does not disagree with me, since watching me complete annoying forms is a minor family hobby. Anyway, I really am going somewhere with this. The application asks for number of siblings. The acceptable choices are: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Yep, that's it. Evidently students with more than five siblings do not apply to college, being so stunted by the experience. 
• I think the horses are bored and missing having attention. I just haven't had the energy to do anything but feed them and turn them out and in. 
• P. is enjoying her new job. See what she gets to do?

• Our library is going back to curbside pick-up with the building not being open to the public. At least the inter-library loans are still being delivered. 
• So toy catalogs are both good and bad. I like that they help generate ideas, but I don't like that they help generate ideas. I thought L. was pretty set on her list... until another catalog arrived today. A catalog with a kid's pottery wheel in it. L. adores pottery and has designs on becoming a potter as an adult. I am told she NEEDS a pottery wheel. Now, you and I both know that kid versions of expensive adult things (hello sewing machine!) are never the same and just end up being more frustrating than anything. The trouble is you cannot tell L. anything once she gets an idea in her head. I am going to have to proceed carefully.
• We are not Christmas-before-Thanksgiving people. I'm still taking down what little we do for Halloween and have yet to get out the things for Thanksgiving. I just can't work that far ahead.
• Can I go back and kvetch about the Common App one more time? Personally, I hate being summed up with one word, as in, "What is your mother's occupation?" I don't even really know how to answer that outside a standardized form much less chosing from an incomplete list. D. chose 'writer'. 'Tilter at the windmills of large family stereotypes and annoying standardized forms' wasn't an option. I'll be better by tomorrow. I think. Blame Covid for my short fuse.

And that's it. I think I'll call it a night and put myself and my short fuse to bed.