Live from Tormville!

28 Years / Day 198

My husband asked me last evening if he should make a dinner reservation at a nice restaurant for our 28th anniversary. 

I answered him honestly with, "You know, I would 100% prefer to pick up fish tacos, have a picnic and go kayaking"  and he remembered why he married me. 

After a busy day of errand running, sports and household chores - we let the boys fend for themselves, we picked up our Aubree's fish tacos, a couple of cold Arnold Palmers and enjoyed a picnic in the park before tossing our tubs into the lake. All along our journey, I kept repeating "It is SO nice out"  "What a beautiful day!" "Wow, this is ideal"  Give me outside and hiking or kayaking over a fancy dinner any day, any year. 

We Played! / Day 192

We're now heading into our sixth week of in-person school, and our third week of a full sports schedule.  Prior to the last three weeks, we had xcountry, tennis and golf - but everything else was in a holding pattern and that portion of the calendar is filled with cancellations.  

I've been enjoying getting out to watch games as a way of supporting the kids, feeling like I'm part of the action and socialization while still avoiding crowds (for my own health) and to use my camera again.  Photography is my stress relief, but not posed/for hire photography. To me, that's stressful. I just like shooting what's happening, and we get what we get. No stress, just fun.  My photos get shared with the Public Relations department, and this year I'm sharing with yearbook as well, as yearbook 20/21 is a huge challenge for so many reasons.  

My goal right now is to get a many pictures as possible, while we can.  As for soccer, their yesterday game and Tuesday game have been canceled because the other team's school has been shut down/quarantined due to Covid-19. So. Challenges. 

I'd never shot tennis before. For this, we shoot through the fence.  I'll have another go at it, hopefully, this coming Saturday. 

Cross-country is competing at the high school this year, which is convenient as they run right by the tennis courts, so a 2 for 1 for me. 

I brought my new camera (Canon 7D Mark ii) to volleyball. I've still got a lot to learn, but it's the kind of learning I enjoy.  

And Friday night football!  

Only two guests per player allowed, a few key players out due to the last quarantine sweep, stands hugely empty, no band, no halftime show - but they played. I felt like I was holding my breath right up until the moment the game started, as every day seems to bring new closures and new cases resulting in more quarantine sweeps. It's a six game season, with three games at home. Fingers crossed we can play all six. 

Random: Over the years, I've occasionally suggested football to Mark. He doesn't know the game at all, but he's got his size and he understands defense. He was looking at my football photos and when he saw this one, said: Yeah. I think I'll pass on football. My kangaroo abilities aren't that great. 

Coming up this week, hopefully: 

Mark's soccer practice
Volleyball
Women's Swim and Dive
Varsity Soccer
Dentist (me) 
Marching Band Practice
Tennis
Cross Country
Mark's Soccer
& Happy 28th (!!!) Anniversary to Greg and I 

A New Week / Day 185

Looks like I'm back to once a week posting now that we're back in school. 

Tomorrow we head into week 5, and our first full week. It's going well. I finally took my camera out during lunch and recess last week and got started on yearbook photos. LOTS of smiles. 

----

This week brought me a new camera. I ordered it last weekend during Labor Day Sales. It got put on the porch the day before my refund check from mine and Brian's canceled New York trip was put into my bank account. Timing!  I finally took some time today to pull the camera out of the box and play with it. After much research, budget crunching, and wondering how much I could realistically justify, I went with the Canon 7D Mark ii. It's an upgrade from my old camera, so some things are the same, but there are enough new and changed features, that it's going to take me a bit to get used to it. I ordered a book to lean on.  

I'm back to shooting high school sports, and I'm hoping to feel comfortable enough to use it at volleyball and football this week.  (This past week I shot jv soccer, varsity soccer, tennis, men's cross country and women's cross country) 

What I haven't told you is that my old camera was dying. There have been several times recently when it would just stop. 

One time was when I was taking the full class photo for Brian's Confirmation. That incident still gives me the shakes. I don't know that anyone even noticed me extra sweating in that heat, stalling, popping my battery in and out, sweating some more, and wishing it to work for just a few more shots. As near as I can tell right now, it seems to dislike two of my lenses.  It works fine when I put a prime lens on it. Now that I have another one, I can send it in to get cleaned/tweaked. 

----

Today was the first day of Sunday School. 

Mark knows we always ask who his teacher is, but he rarely gets a name. He doesn't know a name this year, either, but gave me these clues to go on: 

1. I feel like you and dad know him. 
2. It seems like he'd be a really good minister [because he had a lot to say about the lesson and he conveyed it well] except that he uses the words awesome, cool and like a lot. 
3. He has a receding hairline

----

On deck this week: 

Mark - Soccer: practice and game
Me - Photograph Volleyball and Football (Excited!) and candids at school
Boys - Dentist
And see how much I can purge before Purple Heart comes on Tuesday

----

Be good! 

 

A New Week / Day 179

I enjoyed my four day weekend.  

There was a part of me that wished I had planned for an adventure. That I had gone to Minnesota to visit Wendy, or packed a bag and headed out to spend a night in the woods. 

But then I remember that I hate holiday traffic. 

I did thoroughly enjoy the relaxed pace of the weekend. I caught up on a few things at home, went out for lunch with my mom, had Brian get some drive time in, brought Mark to the lake for his laps - several times, got in a few walks, hiked the trails at Kensington (above photo), did a little work related stuff (because you know me), took advantage of a few Labor Days sales from the comfort of my recliner, chatted with Wendy on the phone, did some yard work, took my husband's head shot for his job, and cooked smores over the fire pit. 

The only thing that I hoped to do, that I didn't quite get to, was to go for a bike ride. I'm not even really sure why. 

The outlook for this week looks good: 

SPORTS!  
I'm excited.  I've got my photographer pass for the season, and I'm hoping to capture soccer, tennis and cross country this week. 
The first football game is next week. 
I was hoping we'd get to move into our new office this week, but when I stopped in yesterday for a quick minute, my hopes were a bit crushed. Maybe they worked today? 
I am getting rather attached to my temporary office though. The location is good - near my student files - and I get a lot more done when people can't see me. 
I have a few meetings this week. 

In fact, the schedule for this week gives the illusion that things are closer to normal. 

And yet, they're not. 

Not yet. 

Day 179

 

Wanna See My Shields? / Day 176

A question that I'm often asked by those who have known me my whole life is, "How are YOU doing with the whole mask thing now that you're back at work?"  

I'm not. 

At least not for extended periods. I have masks and I do wear them, but not for all day every day. I'll tell you though, it's very very difficult to take pictures with a shield on, so when I make my way into the building to capture some yearbook photos, I will pull out a mask. 

I did get called out by a student this week. 

Student: Why are you wearing a shield and not a mask?  You know the little germies (waggles fingers) can get up under there and still get in you. 
Me: Well. You know how you're sitting in my office right now because of [medical condition that shall remain confidential]?  Well.  When I was your age, I got pneumonia ALL.THE.TIME.  The result of that is permanent scar tissue on my lungs and I don't breathe as easily as other people do. My doctor said it's not a good idea for me to wear a mask, so a shield it is. 
Student:  Oh!  

I don't mind getting called out, but it did get under my skin a little bit when I got called out by a nurse at a training just before school started. I asked her if she needed to see my doctor's note, at which point she backed down. 

Am I afraid of the little germies that will get up under my shield?  NO.  I'm honestly not.  
I'm tending to kids when they come to the office, but our contact is minimal. We are together for less than 15 minutes (typically less than a minute, in fact) and hand washing - still deemed a great defense - is instant and easy.   (Side note: The end of week 3 and there are still some misunderstandings in regards to sick kids and/or quarantine. The rules are still the same as what I put together in this post: Clerk Work) 

But - back to shields. 

I've got three different styles. 

• Instashield was the first shield that I bought back in June. It came in a five pack, and I'm still using the first one. It's the one on the left in the photo, and it attaches easily to my ball cap. I keep this one in my van, and use it to get in and out of the school and for quick trips into places like the post office, gas station, etc.  I used it at work during those two weeks before school started when there were only a few of us in the building. I'd pop it on my head if I had to step out of my office and walk down the hall or into the copy room.  I'd buy these again.  

Using it that two weeks of summer working, I soon realized that it would not be the ideal shield for answering phones once school was back in session. I needed a flip up shield for daily use at my desk. 

• MATCC Safety Face Shield was the choice I made (the one on the right). It comes with 1 frame and 10 shields. I'm still on my first shield. I was so happy with this one, that it's the same one that I bought for Mark. I've since noticed that it's also the one that's being used by our family's dentists and doctors. 
  I can flip it up and down with one hand while I'm on the phone with the other, it's easy to adjust the sizing on the back and I only had that phantom hat feeling for one day.  The only real negative is that my hair kind of poofs up over the top sometimes. 
  Mark hasn't worn his yet, so I can't give you his review. He's still trying to figure out, through context, which of his teachers might be afraid of the little germies that are sneaking out under his shield. 

The third shield I bought from Etsy at the same time as the one above, just to be sure that one of the two would work for what I needed

• Fog Resistant Face Shield  Honestly, a piece of crap, and I rarely give bad reviews. There was a string of bad reviews on this shield that same week that I got mine, so I'm not sure what happened - but it seems the reviews have improved, so maybe there is a chance that the seller took what was being said and improved upon it.  I couldn't tell you.  For me, it wasn't usable. The glare was awful, the sizing band didn't come with a way to hold it in place - so I would have had to finish making the product myself in order to use it, and it didn't go up and down as easily as the other one I ordered. 
• There was one last shield that I got from the district, but it doesn't flip, meaning it's not conducive to my job and my needs. It's also not adjustable and doesn't fit well over glasses. If you wear glasses - I definitely do not recommend this one. I also don't like how it's labeled 'face shield'. Why does it need a label? I don't wear shirts that say shirt or pants that say pants. Do they think I'll forget what it is? They meant well. 

And that's that. 

For now - the sun is shining and I'm looking at four full days of no masks and no shields.  What to do first......

Masks and Noses / Day 175

We've just completed our third week of in-person school. 

At the secondary level, students and staff are wearing masks all day long. 

Enter today's evening conversation with Mark: 

Mark (13): So, mom. In class today we went outside for a mask break and to play a game where we all took our masks off so the teacher could see our faces and then she had to try and remember all of our names when we didn't have our masks on.  And you know what?  ------------ had a nose that was surprisingly bigger than I expected. 

And I laughed. 

This year is so weird.