Adjusting plans

Yes, I'm still alive. It's just been a fun last few days. As this story shows, the drama with Cathy's school is far from over. The kids are being dispersed throughout the community for at least a week until they get things straightened out with the school. So she's going to be at the middle school with her class. Which isn't too bad. But it certainly a bit of extra craziness at this time of the year.

And they aren't exaggerating the smell. We went back to the school Friday afternoon. Cathy needed supplies to make her classroom work next week, which meant a quick plunge back into the school for books, pens, markers and whatever else could be thrown into assorted milk crates. The only way we were allowed into the school was wearing face masks. And even then, after 30 minutes I could definitely taste something unpleasant at the back of my throat and could feel the beginnings of a headache. Cathy was wheezing and had to stand outside for about 5 minutes taking deep breaths, and then headed home to pop some Tylenol.

Oh, and to just add insult to injury, she slipped coming down the stairs outside our building the other morning and cracked her tailbone pretty hard. My poor dear is the walking wounded.

In other news, I've been doing some research on what to do in New York when I'm there. This is one of those, "Well, that's bloody obvious" moments, but it's kind of overwhelming. Even a cursory scan of things to do in Manhattan is mindblowing. I've written off the other boroughs with the exception of the Bronx to catch a Yankees game. And still...I'll be lucky to get a fraction of a percent of the things I'd like to do get done. So far I've been using Wikitravel, which is giving me a nice basic overview of things to do and place to see while in Manhattan. But realistically I have 2.5 days, maybe three if I blow off the first day of the con (it's only open for 4 hours to the public the first day) to see Manhattan. A place like the Museum of Modern Art recommends you take two to three days exploring it. Strand Books could easily kill a day. So could FAO Schwartz, I suspect.

The original plan was to hit New York, wander and see where the day takes me. I suspect that's out the window now and a more careful plan of attack is needed.

And finally, I'm getting my ass kicked in the Nunavut Blog Awards. As predicted, Kate and Jen are running away with it. If you would like to lessen my ass-kicking, please swing by and drop me a vote or two. I suspect a comeback is pretty much out of the question, but not losing by quite so much would be nice....

Last Five
1. Revelations (comedy) - Bill Hicks
2. Surveyors and cranes - Bob Mould
3. Song for Marvin - Mark Bragg
4. The kissing dance - Kelly Russell and the Planks*
5. Neighbourhood #4 - The Arcade Fire