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Random Personal Updates

I like to tell myself that sometime after this summer my wife and I will have a nice routine again. That is unlikely, but I can hope that things settle down a bit by the end of summer.

1. The dieting and exercise routine now has me down to my lowest weight since leaving California, more than five years ago. We are walking at least three nights a week and counting calories. In a few months, I'm sure the exercise routine won't seem to be "disrupting" my schedule. It will also be nice as the weather changes and we can walk outdoors in the park as weather permits. (It rains a lot here, so weather might not permit.)

2. The new house is going to be ours on Friday, April 13. That means another move, another few months of disruption, and then work on the current house to get it on the market. There are so many things that will need to happen during April and May that I get tense thinking about them. The new house will not be "done" when we are handed the keys, but the homebuilder will be done.

The current house is going to require everything from new carpets to driveway repairs. The list of things we need to fix before placing it on the market is long, but at least everything we do will improve the value. Still, working on two houses at once means even less time for my writing and academic projects.

3. I am planning to teach summer school. See the items above and you'll understand why. We'll be contributing our share to the local economy.

4. The university is now developing two writing programs: creative writing and technical writing. I'm the chair of the curriculum committee and I'm the coordinator of the writing programs. More reports and more meetings are in my future.

5. Our little orange tabby, Pumpkin Kitty, hasn't been well for several months. The move, the loss of J.C. (the one cat he seemed to like), the constant work on the house thanks to water issues, and many other things have overwhelmed his delicate systems. PK is on two meds to help him relax, but they aren't working as well as hoped. I've thought for months that he might have something physically wrong, too. I'm hoping nothing serious, but something is causing him discomfort.

6. The Jeep is getting tired. With 160K miles, which isn't bad, the Jeep is acting up a bit. It heads in for a general check-up and routine maintenance on Tuesday.

Notice that everything costs money? Cats, cars, and houses all cost money. Even our reduced calorie diet means buying slightly more expensive food.

Those are the random thoughts for now. There is a lot happening. There's one big project I'll discuss in another post later this week or early next week.

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