Last Friday while driving down to the school to pick up Steven, I noticed that everything had turned all green. And a rabbit has taken up residence in our yard. Also, the hundreds of crocus bulbs I planted last fall are finally coming up, and a few even have buds on them. Spring is definately on the way!

Last night my head hurt so bad I ended up leaving work early...it was a nasty one, hurt so bad I was feeling dizzy...still had one today, but it is better, so was able to make it through my whole shift. Went out for a healthy lunch at Panera Bread before work (met Dan there), in hopes that eating a healthy meal would help me feel better. I also picked up a CD of highlights of Don Giovanni at Barnes & Noble...will probably listen to it tomorrow.

Have been reading some Roger Zelazny again lately. Finished his novel Eye of Cat, set in the desert Southwest yesterday. Really makes me look forward to seeing Canyon de Chelly National Park in June!!! Started reading This Immortal today, but didn't get very far into it yet...

Went out to eat last night with Dan. We went to the Raja Rani, one of the best Indian restaurants i nthe area. It is in a huge old Victorian house, and filled with Indian artwork...and man, the food was great, but it burned my mouth it was so spicy. :)

After we went to the opera Don Giovanni at the Lydia Medholsen theater at the Michigan League...the music was superb and enthralling...the singers were very gifted...the orchestra was excellent. :)

Today I am just chilling at home with the kids...just took the dog out for a walk of a mile or so...have been getting caught up with the housework a bit...its so good to not have to go into work, though...

Got to pick up Steven this morning, upon the return of the sixth grade from camp. Took him right out for breakfast. He was so sleepy! :) At camp this week he learned to ride a horse, make a shelter from downed tree limbs in the woods, and they climbed towers with ropes and such...he had fun, and is all scratched up and exhausted...has a bit of a cold...it was a pretty rainy week...

It's so good to see the little man again! :)

Had a meeting with the union, along with the rest of my shift, for over an hour today...hopefully something good can come out of it...

Steven will be home tomorrow, which is good...miss the little fellow.  I will pick him up at school and take him out to lunch. :)

Tomorrow Dan and I will eat at the Raja Rani and then see Don Giovanni, which I am looking forward to...

I am so glad I will have two days off...I am so filled with stress these days... :(

Rained all day. Kept thinking of little Stevie outside in the rain and chill all day long at camp.

Had to replace our printer today -- one of the cats vomited in the old one, and it just wouldn't work right, no matter how much we cleaned it...got to eat lunch with Dan, went out for soup, which hit the spot on a day like this...

Am very tired, very glad the work week is almost over...  :(

Is this thing working yet?
Yay, its back up! It keeps going down for a day or so here and there...

Last Friday Steven took a first in the tournament at Brooklynn Columbia Central and qualified to go to the nationals...but it is in April in Iowa, and we just can't do it...

On Saturday Dan and I finally got our date. We went out for spicy Chinese food and then saw Master and Commander, which was a very good movie, and very true to the spirit of the books.

This Friday we will get another date, which
will be a new record for us. We will go out for spicy Indian food and then see an opera, Don Giovanni.

In 16 years of work, I will have my first meeting with the union on Thursday. :( Not looking forward to it, and wish my complaint was not necessary. :(
Oh, with this thing being down, it is hard to remember what I last said.

Steven is away at science camp with the rest of the sixth grade this week. He is greatly looking forward to learning how to ride a horse. :)

Bill's wrestling banquet was tonight. I had to work and Dan went with him. With the coach losing his job right before the end of the season, things have been very stressful and difficult, but Dan said the banquet went well...

 

Here is a letter to the editor about my father, from the little paper in the little town where I grew up:

Quote: Opinions
Letter to the Editor
Robinett cared about his students

I read with dismay about the death of William Robinett in The Review. Even more disappointing, though, was that neither The Review nor the school system had anything to offer about a man who was dedicated to his community and to teaching its kids chemistry.

Mr. Robinett was an eccentric man who cared more than anything that his students learn chemistry. A marathon runner at 61, he would run precariously out of breath when students couldn’t come up with the right answers and begin to “flail.”

He taught chemistry at the high school before advanced placement classes were available. His class was College Prep and his goal was to ensure that kids would succeed in their chemistry classes in college and in life beyond.

Neither praise nor A’s came easy in his class, but we all knew he cared.

In 1984, when Lake Orion was still considered a hick town out in the sticks, he taught us well.

In my class of 30 or so in College Prep Chemistry, I know this -- at least four went on to become chemical engineers, five mechanical engineers, one electrical engineer and a medical doctor. And probably more that I’m not aware of -- not bad.

Mr. Robinett alone didn’t do all of this for us, of course. But I believe he taught us about chemistry and how to work hard, really hard, to get what we wanted in life. Kibby, Cronin and Pung-you had something to do with it too.

Kendy Ball Kutchek

Well, Steven took first place at Brooklynn Coumbia tonight and qualified for the USA National Folkstyle Championships which will be in Iowa in early April.http://www.mwfonline.org 



He's having quite a season so far, as he also quallified twice to go to the Ohio Tournament of Championshttp://www.ohiotofc.com 



We probably won't have time to take him to either, sadly...

The kids had a half day today, and they are busy playing a card game together. :) It is always good to hear happy children playing together. :)

Steven will be going out to Brooklynn to wrestle in a tournament tonight...I'm not sure if I will go with them or not...

Well, it looks like they've decided to do a wrestling tournament tomorrow. No movie and dinner for me. :(

And, of course, Dan doesn't understand why I would mind more broken promises.

We still have a few inches of snow on the ground from yesterday...yuck.



Have made all of the reservations for our trip to New Mexico and Colorado in June, including tickets for a baseball game in St. Louis and tickets for the train excursion through the San Juan Mountains between Durango and Silverton. I only have to make one night's reservation, in St. Louis, and find a place to board the pets.



I made reservations for a hotel on the way to and on the way from Arkansas -- but the hotel where all of my
sisters will staying is all booked up. Dan (who still insists he will be coming with me no matter what) and I will be someplace off by ourselves...

This is the last week of the middle school wrestling season. Hopefully our lives will be more sane soon, though there will still be the wrestling club and associated tournaments, and also travel soccer... :(



Dan says he will be home early enough on Friday this week to perhaps go to a movie and dinner. We will see...

Well, Steven did very well at the tournament in Ohio today, qualified for that big national tournament again...brought home another big trophy...and the sun shone all day long...

Beautiful sunny day today. Just took the dog for a long, long walk.

Dan is off in Ohio with Steven, and I am home with Bill. I will offer to take him out to lunch in a few minutes...

Have been reading the Sally Lockhart trilogy by Phillip Pullman, about a spunky young woman back in Victorian England. Am enjoying them, as a combination of the spunky main character and the various business intrigues, etc. that she encounters.

More snow and ice last night and today...I am itching to plant the flowers in Dad's memory...
I had a nice day off today, very quiet. Tomorrow I should have another, with Dan and company off to a wrestling tournament someplace down in Ohio...

The sun came out. After two nights of snow, the ground was covered when I went to sleep last night, but now the sun has melted all of the snow.
Have been busy looking at AAA listings. Have found hotels for the Arkansas trip, along with backups. I will call on Friday...need to find hotels in Colorado for July...will call or make reservations on the internet on Friday for those as well...

Snowed again tonight. This is getting old fast.
Steven had his big sixth grade tournament tonight, took second place in a very tough weight class. He did well.
:) :) :)

Snowing tonight...so the first crocuses might be blooming through the snow this year...
My vacation requests were approved for next year. I must now make reservations for April in Arkansas, and finish up making them for my trip to New Mexico and Colorado in June/July...
Also have a four day weekend to enjoy with my sons for Labor Day. :) I know they would like to go to Wisconsin, whereas I think I might like to go to a beach on Lake Michigan or Lake Huron for a weekend. We will see, either would be great!

Today the horrible windstorm has stopped, but the sky is cloudy and ominous. I wouldn't be surprised if we have our first spring thunderstorm today...
I am having a very nice day at home with my sons. :) Dan is off with the middle school team at a tournament today, but Stevie didn't have to go because he's in sixth grade, and the tournament is for 7 & 8 graders...
Read the fourth book in O'Brian's Master & Commander series, and enjoyed it very much. Those books are very good, and the author is very good at putting in little human touches...such as Captain Aubrey missing the sea when he is at home, and missing his home when he at sea...that is just so human to me. :)

Finished Neuromancer by Gibson. I have really mixed thoughts and feeling about the book.
I can see why it is considered a classic, as it is very difficult to believe that it was written decades before the Matrix movies, decades before the worldweb...It had an interesting and well written plot, and Gibson is obviously a first class "world builder". BUT I am someone who likes character driven books, and the characters just had no appeal to me...none of them ever seemed truly fleshed out people Icould care about.
For people who are sensitive to such things (as are many people whom I know are), there is also gratuitous sex, cursing, and violence...

Is this thing working yet?

Looks like its back up...well, two days ago the kids did not have school. I took them out to lunch, and we had a great time. :)

Today is my day off, and we are having one heckuva windstorm! It's warm, but very windy...would like to walk the dog, but you could get blown off of your feet today!

I am reading a science fiction classic called Neuromancer by Gibson. So far I do not care for it much, as I enjoy character driven stories, and I do not like any of the characters i n the book. There is a lot of high tech "coolness" about it, and I can see its influence in all sorts of other books and movies (especially the Matrix movies).
This afternoon everyone is out and about. I am thinking of watching some Japanese anime...

We got our first spring rain today. The ice is all gone from our driveway, and that is a very good thing. :)
Dan took the middle school team down to Dundee for a scrimmage today...good for the kids to go up against a perenniel state powerhouse...
Bill was finally back in school, had homework out the wazoo...
I was back to work, missed yesterday because of the bad headache. :(
Must go pet Matty now, he is insisting on it, and purring his little furry orange head off...