Dear Reader:

Today was one of those days when you get home from work and a trip to the grocery store to stock up on necessities and feed your kids and then go "lay down for a while"....   I feel like some archetypal 50's Dad who needs his slippers put on and a newspaper and a pipe and some "alone time" before sitting down to a ready-made home cooked meal made by an impeccably coiffed wife and two delightfully behaved children.    Sadly, I do not have such a wife.    I do have two delightful children, but to call them delightfully behaved is a stretch - and I suppose I wouldn't really want that :).   But, a wife?   A nanny?   A butler?   I might take any or all of those right now.

Let's imagine I looked like this while I took a short nap before getting the kids to bed tonight (after I wrote that sentence out, it just seemed ridiculous.  I actually took a NAP so that I could have the energy to put my kids to bed tonight - hahahahahaha):

And, clearly I was dreaming about this:

I might be a little obsessed about my weariness and recent insomnia right now:

So, yes, it's been a rough week all the way around, but I have maintained my sense of humor and the feeling that I will, in fact, live into a day or a week that provides much less emotional and physical weariness than this last one has.    After all, school is wrapping up.   The promise of three months with much less responsibility and full-time childcare is before me.    I have, in fact, made actual reservations for my mini-vacation and am about 80% complete with all of the childcare arrangements for that trip.   And, while I have been taking a breather from the constant logging of calories in and out, I am still eating reasonably healthily and exercising most days - except those, like today, where I am just TOO TIRED.    And, that pile of grading is getting smaller and smaller.   By Friday of this week, it should be done.   Of course, another wave will hit me the following two weeks with research papers and finals, but I'll get a little breather before that.   And, I have about 15 minutes of finishing touches to put on my taxes (yes, I know - I should have done them long ago....).   And, I get a day off on Friday - I think I'm going to take the kids on a hike/picnic somewhere fun before heading to the faculty social...

Also, I found this little gem of a product on the inter webs today,  and I feel like it has some potential for me:

Because, come on.  Let's face it.  Spiral cut vegetables?   We can all get into that, right?  Am I right?  

Also, I totally ordered this new swimsuit today:

That is a really tiny pic.  But, you get the gist.

And, I'm planning to get some new glasses frames (and probably a new prescription) in the next week or so since I've had the same glasses for 12 years.  No kidding.   Maybe something funky?   Hmmm.

Also, tonight I am going to get myself up at 3am and go out to see the Lunar Eclipse, because it sounds like it will be magical...  Some poet at space.com describes it thusly:

"As the minutes pass, the dark shadow appears to slowly creep across the moon's face.  At first the moon's limb may seem to vanish completely inside of the umbra, but much later, as it moves in deeper, you'll probably notice it glowing dimly orange, red or brown...the gradation of color and brightness across the lunar disk should be such that it's lower portion should appear darkest, with hues of deep copper or chocolate brown...the darkness of the sky could be impressive.  The surrounding landscape may take on a somber hue..."

Seriously, you guys, who is writing that description on space.com?   Get that guy a book contract.  I want to have coffee with that guy.   Or, maybe it's a girl.  I'm really imagining some quiet, bookish lunar scientist with a poetic streak.   Whatever.   I'm so sold that I'm actually going to haul my weary body out of bed at 3am to see this splendid event.   Which is probably not my wisest decision.   But, come on.     Deep copper!   Vanishing completely inside of the umbra!!  Shadows appearing to slowly creep across the moon's face!!!   The surrounding landscape may take on a somber hue!!!!

How can one prioritize sleep over that?   There's always tomorrow night for sleep...

Well, I'm going to get my mojo back by next week and hit the trail running and whatever other cliché I can think of before then....  So, excuse me while I moon watch tonight and get some serious sleep later this week.    I promise I'll be back in fighting shape by next Monday, dear reader.    I'll check in with you on Thursday and let you know of all the lunar glories I have experienced.  

Thanks for reading!