Random Updates

• The cough continues to linger, and I finally made a doctor's appointment.  I can't get in until tomorrow though.  In the meantime, I sound fairly awful, and now it hurts to cough.
• We're tentatively making Christmas plans to travel to Home State, even though I'd much rather stay put.  Archer wants to be there for his brother, as it will be his first Christmas since he and his wife have decided to divorce.  I'm willing to go to support R, but I'm intensely worried that there will be drama.
• My sister and her children may be in Home State for part of the holiday, which made the decision to go a bit easier for me.
• I'm way behind on grading, but well, who isn't at this point in the semester?
• We're in the middle of getting estimates on furnaces, and let me tell you that one of the things I hate most about living in Canada: the high sales tax.  So far we've gotten two fairly reasonable estimates, and then we're reminded that the estimates don't include sales tax.  So then we have to add about $1,000 to the cost, for real.  So irritating.
• I took Wild Man to observe a violin lesson last week, and well, he loved it.  So now we're shopping for a violin, and he should start lessons next week.
• One of the trees outside my office window is the most beautiful yellow right now. I will be very sad when the leaves fall off.
• Bear is showing absolutely no interest in potty training. None at all.  And right now, I don't have the energy to encourage him.  This will be a family project over the Christmas break, I think.