Thursday, June 4, 2020

Micromanager

Happy weekend, one and all. It's Thursday afternoon but NewYearNewMe so I'm going to start considering Thursdays part of the weekend. And maybe Wednesdays. And entire tubs of caramel pecan ice cream.

This week I published a piece on The Beehive about our tendency in national crisis to fold under the weight of not knowing what to do and why we need to put in the work to figure out how to take actions now that are more than symbolic gestures. I agonized over how to write it and thanks to a lot of help from our team at The Beehive, I think we landed in the right place. Please check it out.

Please also check out this really wonderful piece from Liese Rodger published on The Beehive this week. Liese is a black woman living in Salt Lake City and in this piece she writes about some of her experiences in Utah over the years and what she believes her white friends can do to make a difference right now. It's a really important account that helped give me more perspective on this.

In other news, we are now just two days away from Skylar taking his big board exam test thingy, which I think is the official name. If you all could wear your lucky jersey or pray to Cher or sell a soul to Lucifer to help him do well, we'd appreciate it. We're not picky. We'll take help from your higher power of choice.

The other day he asked me to go to the grocery store and get some snacks he can take with him to the test since this thing is so long he'll basically have five full meals and two birthdays during it. I almost asked him what he wanted but then remembered that the last time I asked him a basic question it stressed him out so much that our health insurance premium automatically doubled.


So instead I wandered the grocery store and guessed and in the process I made a lot of very strange choices, including these little packets of what I think are actually baby food. When Skylar opened the grocery bag after I got home he pulled them out and said those would be perfect for his first day of kindergarten. Then we started arguing about everything and I started giving him helpful advice about what he could do with that baby food and at one point he said "congratulations on your promotion" and I said "what promotion" and said "to micromanager." Or maybe I said that to him. I don't really remember anymore. The point is I just need this test to be over.

He just came over to me and kissed me on the head and said "I'm so lucky to have you" and I said "you bet your ass you are!" which I think means I'm winning the relationship.

The point is, it's the weekend now so here are some pictures of Duncan to make yours better, including one from Ollie's birthday party.





P.S. I thought I'd spend quarantine writing the next great American novel but mostly I've just used my time teaching Duncan how to play soccer using the kitchen table as the goal.


~It Just Gets Stranger

8 comments:

  1. Read both those articles from the Beehive and appreciate both. Good luck Skylar, may the force be with you.

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  2. If I sacrifice my first (and only) born child to the gods so Sky can pass his test will you defend me at the murder trial? And let me live with you because I don't think my husband will be happy about it - I could be wrong about that though - the boy is a teenager now and we recently discussed if we could get any money if we sold him or if we'd have to pay someone to take him so the hubs might actually be okay with the sacrifice if I tell him it was for a good cause.

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  3. Thank you for both articles.
    Thank you for Duncan pictures...missing our puppy!
    Good luck Skyler on your boards.

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  4. I appreciate these articles so so much. And good luck Skylar!! (And good luck Eli. I’ll be in your shoes when my husband starts medical school.)

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  5. Has Duncan had a recent vet visit? His left leg appears to have been shaved. Or is that a lockdown grooming attempt?

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    1. Good catch! He got his teeth cleaned a couple weeks ago. I didn't know they had to shave him like that until I piked him up. He says it keeps him cool.

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    2. Duncan is already cool beyond words.

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  6. I am so upset my dog can't play soccer!!! He can open and close the back door though so bathroom breaks are a real win.

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