A Shakespearean something

This book took me weeks to finish.  When I searched for a picture to import, I cruised through a few reviews of this book that do a far better job of deconstructing the whys this book missed the mark than I will aim to do in the next few paragraphs.

As someone that read quite a bit of Shakespeare in my undergrad, I found myself drawn in to this novel.  However, I found that it was trying to hard to be the Da Vinci Code for Shakespeare.  There was a wake of bodies that Kate leaves behind her, and there were so many competing threads, past and present, that I really found this book hard to get through.  Some history, some theatre, some plot twists... parts are interesting, partly I stopped caring about some of the characters, now that I am done, I am quite relieved to be moving on to the next book.  It felt like I  had 100 pages left for a long, long time. I was so tired at night most of last week I was lucky to get through 5 pages before I had to put it down and close my eyes!  I asked my dear friend that passed this book to me if she had read the second one, and she answered no.  I suspect I know why now! LOL

On a total aside, I think I will officially have to retire my black flats after today.  Nothing worse than when a favourite pairs of shoes cracks along the bottom and then the pieces start to pull apart.  I have also been using "notes" on my iphone to make daily lists this week.  It is helping me feel  like I am at least making progress with my things I want/need to get done, but it just seems like that list is getting longer rather than shorter.  I am not quite sure why everything seems to be so busy this fall, but it is.  I have a week off in November, and I cannot wait.  This has been a SLOG.

Underlying this has been almost an overwhelming feeling - of expectations, of things to do, of battles to fight.  I had a meeting at B's school yesterday and I must admit that I left feeling emotionally manipulated.  I was told by the principle they wanted me to leave mad so I would advocate and move towards action, but I could have already told them that I was more than prepared to do so and didn't need the game to be played out at my expense. To say the least.  I am almost at a loss for words to describe how I feel.  Needless to say, in a nutshell, B is not getting the services he should have at this point, and I will have to fight for them through the local school board.  It is so brutal.  These are not the battles I expected to fight along the way.  Once I left the meeting, I just wanted to run and hide and cry.  I wish I could cry easier - it would make moments like that easier to have that release.  I then had to pull it all together and head back to work.  Working full-time and trying to balance everything is such an art.  An art I don't always feel like I have.  Hence, I am grateful this week for the notes function, so I can start listing all the bits of things that I need to get done so I can actually keep track of it all.

Fueled by joe

Thank you, flavourful cup of joe.  I used to be proud I would only have one cup a day, albeit a very large cup.  Now, with my longer commute, slightly aging self, I have that first cup, and then a cup in the car for the drive in.  I have learned that I don't really need a mocha or a latte anymore... I just enjoy a good, hot cup of coffee with some cream in it.  Forget the skim milk, it does make a difference.  Yes, it is cream.. but I figure a few tablespoons isn't really going to hurt the old waistline compared to the lattes I was slurping back.

A few years ago I started getting up early so I could spend some time on the couch in the mornimg with my DH without the kids, and to have my cuppa joe.  When I used to commute with my mom, I can't tell you how many times I ended up with coffee down my blouse...not all that good of a look when you favour the white shirt.  Speed forward, commuting with the kids and being the driver.. I don't spill.  Hence, not only have I discovered cream (or half and half) rocks, but being the driver means you don't spill because you can anticipate hitting those bumps and adjusting for it.  The weird random things we pick up along the way in this journey called life.

I also must say, I am loving this fall.  The weather has been awesome.  Yesterday it was the perfect temperature to go for a walk - not too hot, not too cold.  A hint of a breeze, and the trees just starting to turn.  I am parking in a farther parking lot to save some $$ and to see what will work for drop offs and picking up the kids... although it adds some time to my day, I have been appreciating getting out for a walk... we will see when this good weather changes and the rains start again if I still feel the same way.  Speaking of which, this month is blasting by.  Hard to believe that was September and this is October.  September finished in ways I didn't anticipate, but I think it will be for all the best.  Now we are in October - month of Thanksgiving and Halloween, and again, we get at least a date night this month! YAY!!