Busyness? or Procrastination?

I'm really enjoying my summer session class. I'm learning lots. We've rearranged the days that we're not to be responding to the online class discussions; so that our down days are the weekend. That's great!

I took Rose and Bram with me to S'toon on Thursday. Rose was able to see her friends, and I just logged onto the computers in the public library for a while to keep on track with my class. I took the rest of the weekend off.

Friday Rose, Bram and I helped Ruth in her office. We shovelled through the accumulation of paper and files. Rose and I went back Monday morning to finish up. Her office looks much better.

Saturday was the first day of Mission 6:10; which is a cooperative effort between Western Christian High School, Northwest church of Christ and Glen Elm church of Christ. It also involves a large group from Greenville Oaks church of Christ in Allen, Texas. I've put Bram in the dorm so that he can experience the whole experience (also because a two bedroom apartment is really small for two teenagers of different sexes, plus myself). Rose and I are helping daily.

Sunday afternoon we put on a carnival in the park on 7th and Pasqua. This was the kickoff for our VBS, which started Monday. It was very hot and sunny. We had a good time.

Yesterday was the first day of the VBS. It was also in the park. We had 67 kids come out; everyone had a lot of fun! We're expecting more kids today.

Now, with all of that going on this weekend, and Monday, it means that I didn't work on my class or my assignment at all. It's partly being very busy. It's also partly being really good at procrastination. My goal is to spend six hours on it today. So why am I starting by updating my blog?

To do list

I emailed my latest assignment in to my prof last night. I caught up on the webmail related to my class this morning. However, because there's over 30 students in the class, I'm caught up for only about an hour or so. It takes a lot of time just to read other peoples' comments, check out their links, respond back to them, etc. I feel for my instructor though; she's the one that has to go through all of the assignments and mark them (some of the web tools that students used as part of their assignments take 20 minutes or more to go through), while keeping up with the web conversations.

Things are getting ready for VBS. I have a few emails to respond to for that as well. The park is booked; we met with the city this morning; I've got the info we needed for the building permit and temporary facilities permit in order to put up tents for the VBS. I've put a phone call in to an insurance broker about insurance and am waiting for him to call me back. I have a supplies list, and need to get supplies before the end of the week.

Bram is sick with a really bad cold. He was complaining of having chills this morning and is lying down swathed in blankets right now. It's about 78 in the apartment right now, so I think that likely means he's running a fever. He's been running through tissues like there's no tomorrow. I think he used up a new box yesterday. Hopefully rest with plenty of fluids will help. I also hope that neither Rose nor I will catch it.

Rose hasn't had too many hours of work, but is working this afternoon. I'm trying to encourage her to get changed into her uniform so she can go.

Update on Dad

Dad was discharged from the hospital Saturday. They ran every test imaginable; cat scans, mris, ultrasounds, ekg, a lot of blood work, etc. The conclusion was he didn't have a stroke; he didn't have a heart attack; he likely has a viral infection that gave him extremely low blood pressure as one of the side effects.

I was able to drive up to S'toon yesterday and see Dad and Mom. Dad is doing much better but still ires easily. He's glad to be home though. They've changed some of his medication, and have told him to see his GP to follow up.

Now one funny thing is that Dad's GP (the same one we all had as kids), has got to be well into his 80's. He was practicing during WWII!

Dad and mom say thank you to everyone for their concern and prayers.

Dad

My parents were up last week to work at the apartment. Dad's had this idea to put in a central cooling system - a non-standard type of airconditioning for years, and so he started to put that together last week. They didn't finish it however so were planning to come up this week to finish the job.

They started out Wednesday morning from S'toon. Dad wasn't feeling really great so he asked Mom to drive. They got as far as Kenaston when he asked mom to pull over because he felt like he was going to be sick. They sat at the side of the road for a bit, then dad went unconscious. While unconscious he vomited.

Mom turned around and headed back for S'toon, seeing as the hospital there was much closer than Regina's. They went home first so Dad could shower and change, seeing as you never know how long you're going to be waiting in Emerg. Mom phoned and found out that RUH's emerg was really backed up, but there wasn't much of a wait at City hospital. They went there and were seen to right away.

The doctors have admitted dad to St. Paul's hospital. They're running tests to see what caused him to go unconscious. He's on antibiotics because they think he's developing pneumonia from aspirating vomit when he was unconscious.

That's all the news I have so far. I'll update you when I have further news. We all crave your prayers.

Summer Session

I'm taking my first class towards my M.Ed. it's a Teacher-Librarian program through the U of A, all through distance ed. This course is called "Inquiry-Based Learning."

It's a good class. I'm busy everyday, reading, responding to other people's comments and making my own comments, pondering, etc. I had my first assignment due the first day of class, and my next assignment is due this coming Monday at 9 am. I just got my marks back for my first class and they were good. I'd like to always have good marks, so I need to continue working hard. Generally I spend about 2 hours a day working on my class. Most of that time is spent on-line.

I'm not sure I'm through the pondering process yet, to be able to complete that assignment. Actually I'm pretty sure I've got lots more reading, pondering, etc. to get through. The good news is that nothing I do in this class is wasted; it's all directly related to the teaching process. It's a good way to spend the summer.

Now What?

I was to my niece's wedding on Friday. It was very nice and I got to see my in-laws and lots of family on the Thiessen side. I also saw Lloyd although we didn't speak to each other at all.

Lloyd and I are exactly in the same place where we were two years ago when I left. We're still not communicating and I still don't have a separation agreement. I don't know what to do about it. I cannot communicate directly with him without a mediator or something like that - and we don't have anyone to communicate through. However, it's not possible to have a separation agreement without some kind of communication.

Since I left in August 2008, we have had about 6 e-mails back and forth, four letters sent by my lawyer (which cost me nearly $2000), a one-hour meeting with a counsellor a year ago, and that's about it. Lloyd sent me an e-mail in February, which took me until April to even open and until May to respond to, suggesting an e-site for a separation agreement. I agreed to that but haven't heard anything back from him since.

I'm tired of being in a holding pattern. I don't know what the solution is though.