I sit here, absently tapping my foot to Owl City’s Ocean Eyes
I suppose I couldn’t really call myself a blogger anymore. I have a Web site. Here it is. But, I haven’t been regularly updating it. One of my goals for the rest of the year is to post at least once a week. I’m not going to push it to get back up to a 5-7 day per week schedule right now.
Meanwhile, let’s see if I can catch you up with the biggest stuff.
- I’m 33 weeks pregnant. I have gestational diabetes and have to give myself insulin every day (as well as check my glucose levels). There are potential complications and it’s all a little overwhelming. So far, Baby G and I are both okay, though. We have weekly tests and doctor’s appointments to check up on both of us. I will probably be induced at 37-39 weeks, although I’d like to hold out to 40 weeks. I have no hopes of going later than that.
- I started graduate school last week. I’m a first year masters student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa. (I could try to pretend that you can’t easily Google that information, but I’ll just be up front with it.)
- I’m acting as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate class in two sections.
- We’ve been having a bad drought that has screwed over my garden. Half of my brand new blueberries are dead, my brand new apple trees are struggling, many of my plants died, all of my herbs on my living fence died, and it’s been a struggle to keep the rest alive. We did get some awesome rat’s tail radishes earlier this year and we have a ton of greenery right now in the form of a variety of cucurbits, tomatoes, and some ‘Little Gem’ lettuce (oddly).
- My kids are doing well and are back in school. We’re back to a family of four (and a half) instead of a family of seven (and a half).
- I’ve been continuing to stay as active as possible in my community. I’ve been working to get chickens allowed within town limits. We had a public hearing on Monday. I’m not supremely happy with the ordinance as it is proposed, but I am happy that progress is being made. We’re also working on a comprehensive parks and recreation plan right and working out the future of our parks and recreation within our town. Any of you have insight on what features you think are important for parks and recreation? Specific programming or facilities?
- I’m still working for our local weekly newspaper writing articles primarily about our city governments in my town and the one neighboring it. Six months ago, I also started filming the city council meetings, lightly editing the footage (nothing huge), and preparing it for cable TV broadcast on the local access station.
- I’m still reviewing books for publishing companies although I’ve fallen drastically behind to my regret and shame. My book reading time is taken up by multiple doctors’ appointments. You’d think it’d be easy to read while in the waiting room, but it seems like I’m constantly getting shuttled around and I can barely get a chapter or two down.
- I’ve backed off a bit on the volunteer hours for the Master Gardeners out of necessity, but I’m still putting a hand in here or there. I recently wrote an article which was in The Gazette.
- I helped start a group called Write On, Eastern Iowa! that meets once a month at a local coffee shop.
That’s what I’ve been up to the last few months. How about you?