OK, so I am back for an update, but life is soooo busy right now and I don't know when I will post next. Can I just say that this has been an amazing week. You know, the kind of week where great things are happening, problems arise but are all solved readily, and most things on the "to do" list are accomplished.
Last Saturday I watched some of my friends walk for their PhDs and MAs. Two of them had family in from out of town and small apartments so I got to host a double Grad Party on Sunday, complete with bocce, cake, a fire, and s'mores - so fun hanging with everyone's family! Monday was a clinic day and an evening rehearsal for my oldest daughter. So far, so good; but that's inevitably when the crazy sets in...The neighbor needed to go to the ER, so we watched her kids. My son and youngest daughter worked together to keep it sane while I picked the oldest daughter up from her rehearsal (I love having teenagers!), then my kids got themselves ready for bed while I took the other two home and put them to bed. They were just tucked in when their mom got home, and she had already arranged to have some of her other friends help out over the next couple days while she recuperated.
Tuesday at 8AM I headed out of town for two days to collect dissertation data; our tutor was going to spend the night with the kids. I was halfway to my first destination when she texted me...poor thing had come down with the flu! Well, 2 lane winding roads through the mountains are no place to make a phone call, and there were no places to pull over...so I let it go for the moment and enjoyed the beautiful drive. There is nothing quite like the view when you crest a mountain pass and look down at a huge lake with a quaint little town on the shore, tall, jagged, snow capped peaks in the background, and morning mist still rising off the lake...too bad I couldn't stop to take a photo. At least I was present in the moment to appreciate it. An hour and a half later I got to my destination and started contacting friends to fill in. By the time my meeting started I had a volunteer (it honestly didn't take much effort, I have amazing friends)! The meeting was fantastic, and I got to know a colleague a little better in the process. (Did I mention I think I work with truly excellent people)? I headed back to town to take care of a couple things to make my friend's evening easier; the few hours of extra travel time were worth it. It also helped me to slow down again and enjoy the pace of the day; I guess I had a more settled feeling having navigated the "worst case" scenario and ending up with a "best case" solution. Of all my local friends, the kids know her the best and she has a great relationship with them.
That was the end of crazy (by my definition). There is a value to not being in a rush; focusing on the journey rather than the destination. As I was driving to my second destination I saw big horn sheep in the mountains and deer in the fields, sang as loud as I wanted, and stopped to enjoy a beautiful sunset on a back road out in the middle of nowhere. When I finally arrived I slept like a baby, which I almost never do in a hotel...go figure. The next day I went to the final meeting, collected the last of my dissertation data, and met some wonderful colleagues in person (after a year or more of knowing them only as voices on the phone). We finished up early so I stopped at a few interesting places on the way back and still got home in time to have dinner with the kids and spend time together. All in all, it turned out to be a fantastic trip.
Thursday was consumed with data; updating files with errors in the archival data, re-analyzing the data and creating graphs that reflected the corrections, creating a new spreadsheet to gather some additional information for a different (but related) project, and spending time talking through each task with the RA who is working with me on the projects (who happens to be a brilliant and hard working single mother).
Today was another clinic filled day, followed by an evening concert for my oldest daughter. Sounds like Monday but with a concert instead of a rehearsal; kinda like the bookends that held this crazy, wonderful week together. She had a solo and did beautifully. I got to see some of her friends and my friends who had solos as well (there were adult and child performers), saw colleagues and their families (including my RA and one of my committee members) at and in the event, and spent an evening taking in some live, fun local music with my youngest daughter.
The weekend is looking busy; I really need to go to the grocery store again, drop off the glass recycling, and take the kids to get summer clothes. And my youngest has a friend coming over to play and work on a school project (I expect it will turn into mostly play). I would really like to do some writing of my dissertation results. I already know I am going on a hike with a couple friends Saturday and having a group of friends over for lunch on Sunday. I guess that looks like balancing housework, family, professional work, and friends. And just like Tuesday, if something goes a little crazy I will slow down, look at what I need and what my options are, and adjust accordingly. Maybe sometimes the key to juggling is knowing which ball to set aside or switch, and when to do that (or when to stop and take in a sunset, because juggling can cease and life is still working just fine).
