A Bathtub Full

Hello Everyone,

With a Halloween party being planned by my class (which for those teachers out there equals complete mayhem for the duration of the planning period)and parent-teacher conferences right around the corner, and report cards around the next, I was thinking that was as full as I wanted my plate to be. You see, every since University I've been trying to find ways of trimming from my plate rather than making everything more complicated and stressful than it needed to be.

For instance: At UVic, I was determined as a 1st year student that the only way to study, was to TYPE out notes from the textbook. So what I ended up with, was a binder full of notes, that were really an abridged version of the textbook.

So #1: Why spend $150 on something when you can breach the Copyright and type out your own? Plus a whole ink cartridge to replace the one I used up printing?

#2: How many great (potential) social hours did I spend typing those notes? I really thought sacrificing a weekend would make me attend classes. Nope didn't always work

#3: I think guilt from not attending classes made me type those notes.


So a few years later, I've trimmed trimmed trimmed. I can let dirty dishes stay in the sink for longer than a few days (although that's not what Stewart would agree to). I let my family and social life be a priority over work. I don't let annoying parents irritate me anymore. I TRY not to let really bad drivers (because of course I'm not one of those aggressive commuters--haha ha) get my goat. No one fingered salutes here folks. I now have cereal nights (much to Stewart's dismay) at least a few times a week. I go for regular runs and try to appreciate all the great family, friends and life I have. Especially, I've tried to accept myself for what I am -- a quirky, caring, stubborn, difficult person who lives passionately for what she believes in, and lastly, to make peace for mistakes I've made, people I've hurt and things I wish I'd done differently. Da-da-da-daaaaaaaaa!

But all this positive thinking brings me back to the point about a balanced plate. Now an unbalanced plate.... So, this morning one thing was added, not by me, but by the plumbing in our building. At 5:30 am our bathtub was gurgling like a happily fed newborn and pretty soon there was a deluge of water bubbling forth from our drain. Going the WRONG way. So, Stew stayed behind and bailed the water out with a pink bucket lent to us from Dawn (thanks again for that)for the remainder of the day, while the Property Manager and Building Manager and whoever else tried to figure out what to do (quite valiently might I add). Now, if anyone has a shower in the building or tries to sneak a quick wash-down, we have the remainders of that experience bubbling up into our tub. And so sleep tonight will be like watching a baby or taking care of a baby, except this kind you don't cuddle, you just down the watery soup down the toilet. I've really got to laugh... but the next story is also real, also fresh and wish I had a picture but... I'm sure you can imagine. Hugs,
Amanda