One of the hardest moments of my co-parenting/step-parenting life is coming up this Friday. As hard as it was to let Brady go grow up and move on with his life as a collegiate adult, I'm now looking at an empty nest at the age of 38.
Letting Kyle go grow up and move on with his life as a collegiate adult is really, really hard because it marks The End of the one-week-on-one-week-off regularly scheduled family time. No longer will we hold Mondays and Wednesdays sacrosanct in the name of family dinners. The only remaining vestige of that time will be the occasional glimpse of Quintin (my boys' brother through their mum).
Everyone tells me that this should be easier because Kyle is going to SUNY Potsdam, but I disagree. When Brady went to SUNY Potsdam, we didn't constantly hear from him. We heard from him about the same amount that you'd hear from a child going to school across the state. This is normal, expected, and healthy. Brady is also an Extrovert. Kyle, on the other hand, is an Introvert. I worry that we won't hear from him much at all in comparison to Brady. I worry about the transition to college for him, since it was so difficult for me (his fellow Introvert and Stepmother). I simply worry.
Romeyn and I have planned a trip to see my mom this weekend. The trip serves two purposes: 1. Since we'll be moving Kyle into college on Friday, it'll be nice to be out of town and not in our Empty Nest for the first night; and 2. We'll spend some time playing Scrabble with Mom (and perhaps Jess and Bryce if they're free and wish to do so!).
There will also be ample time to play at Art and other forms of parallel play (very Introvert friendly stuff, that).
Be well, fellow Introverts.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (TRBBT)
I've recently been burned rather severely by the bureaucratic machinations of health insurance. Several appointments, once made, could not be kept.
Coverage for some types of providers seems to be dynamic--ever changing, unstable, volatile, and untrustworthy. The metaphor that springs to mind every time that I receive a new and interesting Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is a monster--a giant bureaucratic beast, all hairy arms and big teeth. Rather than beating my breast or playing supplicant to the beast in a suitably melodramatic "hair shirt," I've chosen to arm myself with knowledge and humor.
Knowledge is perfect armor and a wonderful lance to lob at the beast. My care provider refers me to a doctor and I double check the data. Everyone wins. Even the health insurance company is happy to be a part of this cycle of information, because it does push my specialist appointments out further, meaning that costs to my health insurance company get billed at a later date.
Humor is essential, because without it I would quite literally scream and shout. I have decided that Health Insurance Bureaucracy is a beast. Specifically, it is the bureaucratically-referenced beast from Douglas Adams's "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." In short, it is The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. If we turn this into an acronym, it is TRBBT. If we pronounce the acronym as a word and not as the names of its individual letters, the beast is named "Tribbit."
I am off to do further battle with Tribbit. Join me, my fellow Introverts, as we silently scour the internet for further knowledge to lob at the fearsome beast...
Coverage for some types of providers seems to be dynamic--ever changing, unstable, volatile, and untrustworthy. The metaphor that springs to mind every time that I receive a new and interesting Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is a monster--a giant bureaucratic beast, all hairy arms and big teeth. Rather than beating my breast or playing supplicant to the beast in a suitably melodramatic "hair shirt," I've chosen to arm myself with knowledge and humor.
Knowledge is perfect armor and a wonderful lance to lob at the beast. My care provider refers me to a doctor and I double check the data. Everyone wins. Even the health insurance company is happy to be a part of this cycle of information, because it does push my specialist appointments out further, meaning that costs to my health insurance company get billed at a later date.
Humor is essential, because without it I would quite literally scream and shout. I have decided that Health Insurance Bureaucracy is a beast. Specifically, it is the bureaucratically-referenced beast from Douglas Adams's "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." In short, it is The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. If we turn this into an acronym, it is TRBBT. If we pronounce the acronym as a word and not as the names of its individual letters, the beast is named "Tribbit."
I am off to do further battle with Tribbit. Join me, my fellow Introverts, as we silently scour the internet for further knowledge to lob at the fearsome beast...
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Remember to Breathe
Cats are fantastic instructors in the art of Self-Care. Here are a few lessons from Trouble and Pumpkin:
1. Yawn like you mean it---breathe unabashedly and mightily.
2. Take the time to stretch, and take your time while stretching. There is no use in relaxation if you do not make the time to enjoy it.
3. Take frequent naps.
4. Run like the wind, for absolutely no reason at all.
5. Don't stay in the same position all day. True relaxation takes work, and re-positioning.
6. Take pride in your appearance. A well-groomed kitty is appreciated by all!
7. When you make a mistake, move on. Don't obsess.
8. Be observant, but not hyper-vigilant. After all, it's not every moment of the day that you hear a sudden noise and perk up your ears.
9. Play every day.
10. Take the opportunities when they arise. Doors don't always open, but when they do, you can get a great new view of the world!
1. Yawn like you mean it---breathe unabashedly and mightily.
2. Take the time to stretch, and take your time while stretching. There is no use in relaxation if you do not make the time to enjoy it.
3. Take frequent naps.
4. Run like the wind, for absolutely no reason at all.
5. Don't stay in the same position all day. True relaxation takes work, and re-positioning.
6. Take pride in your appearance. A well-groomed kitty is appreciated by all!
7. When you make a mistake, move on. Don't obsess.
8. Be observant, but not hyper-vigilant. After all, it's not every moment of the day that you hear a sudden noise and perk up your ears.
9. Play every day.
10. Take the opportunities when they arise. Doors don't always open, but when they do, you can get a great new view of the world!
 |
| Trouble: "Put the laptop down and pet me." |
 |
| Pumpkin: "I was sitting on your lap. Don't get up!" |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)