Friday bullets - Oct. 22, 21

I'm glad we are to the end of this day. It's been... trying.

• R. has been off the rails (again) most of the day. I'm glad it's the weekend because I've kind of used up what little patience I have. I need a break to replenish it and am more than glad to tap out and let J. take over.
• But in more positive news... I can see!!! When I brought my new contacts home I waited until Tuesday to put them in. I was a little worried that the adjustment to them would be not very pleasant. I was wrong. I put them in and nothing seemed different except that I could read without cheaters again. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. I will be calling to confirm the prescription and order a year's supply.
• We turned the heat on today. It was (finally) feeling just a little nippy in the house.
• I forgot to mention yesterday when sharing about our field trip about my children's appreciation of a parking garage. They decided that having a large underground parking garage underneath our house would be the epitome of fun. The miles to bike and scooter... the winding passageways... the echoes... They would have been quite happy if a good chunk of our afternoon involved me allowing them to roam the Millennium Park parking garage. Though I have to say, a heated underground parking garage that doesn't take up land does sound pretty darn nice. Especially in winter.
• My official diploma for EFL arrived this week.

• I just finished the book, The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley. It became a book a plowed through the second half because I was so drawn into it. I have not had much success with fiction this year and it was nice to find a book I could lose myself in. 
• If you haven't noticed, I tend to jump from obsession to obsession, finding out all about a certain topic until I grow weary of it, then move on, often cycling through previous obsessions, learning about them at a deeper level. I don't really multitask even in my hobbies. The newest rabbit hole I jumped down this week was rigid heddle looms. I think I need one. I never thought I was really interested in weaving before, but happened to catch a video of a hand spinner I follow who wove something on her loom and was suddenly hooked. 
• In other fiber news (which I realize is more for my own records more than it is that anyone really cares), I have figured out my newest spinning project which involves an awful lot of grey merino wool. Wouldn't it be cool to spin enough wool that I could knit myself a sweater? Check back in about ten years from now for the finished product.
• I also have conquered the drop spindle. For the longest time I couldn't figure it out, but now that I am pretty decent at spinning on a wheel, making the drop spindle work is much easier.
• I need to buy new pants for many children. I think most of them only own one or two pairs at the moment. It's a problem now that the weather has decided to turn. I don't actually like to shop, so am not looking forward to it.
• A poster I ordered to use one of my co-op classes arrived today! This is big news because I ordered it last summer. Evidently it had gotten stuck in the huge container backlog and I was despairing that I would ever see it. I was very excited because now I don't have to completely rewrite a lesson.
• For the record, K. is not receiving a St. Bernard puppy for Christmas. He has wanted one for years, but honestly, I just cannot imagine adding another dog especially one that also has great amounts of hair. We already wade through dog hair as it is. I am the mean mom.
• While everyone managed to fill their time quite nicely, I think they will also be glad to get back to our school schedule. Plus, I had them watch several documentaries I had planned about Cathage and the Punic Wars, and G. is now intensely interested and is happy I will be reading more about them next week.
• H. really, really loved the Georgia O'Keefe painting we say yesterday.
• I can tell I have been tense today because my left shoulder is aching. I learned when I started back riding that I hold all my tension there. It has taken me a while to sort myself out and readjust my balance.
• I have a very bad feeling that nearly everyone is going to need new winter gear. Too many people have grown too much to eek out one more year with what we have. As with the pants, I am not looking forward to this, either.

And now I think it is time for me to go find something relaxing to do and see if I can ratchet down from the high alert state I've been in most of the week. Have a good weekend!