Updates

I've been remiss in writing updates the past several days.  However, I only have the usual excuses: I'm just busy and not making writing (or running) a priority.  Some highlights from the past several days:

• I went shopping and got Valerie lots of great clothes for school.  She is in Junior High now and has taken more of an interest in wearing something beyond boys' tshirts and basketball shorts.  I tried to balance the new grown-up Val with the sporty Val and bought her many sporty tops that are not tshirts.  I'm pretty psyched with the results.  So is Val.  Now the test will be whether she'll wear them beyond the first week of school.
• We just barely met Valerie's quota for cookie dough sales.  Thanks to everyone to bought some!  This was a fund raiser for volleyball and the last day to turn in orders was today.
• Ken and I helped Val and Jason start to clear out their rooms in preparation for school.  Now Jason can use his desk again and find books on his bookshelf.  Val can hang her new clothes in her closet.  We still some work to do, but what HAD to be done is done.
• I'm involved in about 1,000 things at work, or so it seems.  I've got an increase in accountability and work for our department and a decrease in resources.  To top it off, my primary manager is retiring this year and a realignment of resources will most likely reassign my other manager.  So I will most likely be alone in the leadership role for 3 or 4 functions.  I'm meeting with the AVP and another Director tomorrow to try to apply magic dust to these and other related problems.  This week I have had much to do to prepare.
• We're trying to hire two OSU students for two roles we have open. 
• We found a renter for Mom and Dad's house.  Yea!  The paperwork is done and the keys were handed over this evening.  We spent several hours this weekend getting things cleared out and the place cleaned.  Ken and Jason finished up the work today.
• I'm participating in our staff appreciation day softball game on Friday.
• I'm also on a Hit the Road with the Buckeyes team with some members of my staff.  Teams of OSU staff members put in as many miles as they can during the football season and are eligible for prizes based on their level of physical activity.  The goal is to encourage activity and wellness.  It's also a good team-builder.

My lymphedema is acting up a bit.  I think this is the cyclical thing going on again.  After shopping this weekend, (I didn't wear the glove), I noticed both my index and middle fingers were swollen, as were my lowest knuckles.  I remember thinking I was a 4 out of 10 that day.  Today I'm less swollen (about 2 our of 10) and wore my custom glove most of the day.