nagi_schwarz | Day 1295: Not enough to drown it out

Last week wasn't too bad. Not too much court time, some fair amount of driving around, going to meetings. Some frustrations (foster mom slapped my kid!) and other things. Got to hang out with my visiting teachers - we went to the soda shack and for tacos to celebrate Taco Tuesday - and also go visiting teaching. First time going with a companion in a while. I like all the ladies I visit teach with, which is nice.

Prepped for trial at the end of the month, though I received word today that the opposing parties would like to settle before trial, especially since none of the opposing parties besides the petitioner (who I don't really count as an opposing party) disclosed any discovery or submitted witness and exhibit lists.

Made pretty good progress in my dance classes, which was nice. All done with choreography in beginning class, so all that's left to do is polish, which is nice. Made substantial progress in advanced class, but the choreography is hard because it's so non-symmetrical, unlike a lot of choreography. It's cool, though. Really going to have to work to figure out the musicality.

Cody had to work late a lot, as did I, so we ended up going out to eat more than we'd like, especially as we'd gone to great lengths to plan a menu and go grocery shopping. Had a pizza party at work on Wednesday - well, not really a pizza party so much as a meeting where there was lots of pizza, and we ended up eating lots of leftover pizza.

We ran some errands on Saturday and also went shooting. I'm now at around 80-90% accurate with my .22, but I'm still only around 40% accurate with my .380. In my defense, I've had that pistol less than a month, taken it out shooting twice, and compared to the .22 it kicks like a mule. Cody says he'll make me a target to keep in my car so I can go shooting without him whenever I choose. We had plans to go again this weekend, but he's going on his business trip, so it'll be just me and the dogs.

Took Ivy and Dingo to the vet for their annual check-ups (which was nice, and it got me out of a meeting that was rapidly going nowhere with tensions running high). Both pooches are in good health, though Dingo is five pounds overweight (I swear most of that has to be fur, given how much fur I get from him when I come him with the de-shedding rake). But I am making an effort to walk him, partially for him, but also for me, since I've been absolutely useless at going to the gym, for reals. We walked on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday night Naomi came over and we watched the fights and ate food. We also planned the menu and shopping list/packing list for our camping trip, and I'm really excited. It'll be super good times! The fights were awesome. The ladies' title fight was the best. Some really impressive athleticism and good technique. The first main card fight was kinda lame, but after that it was all pretty awesome times indeed. We had fun!

I also watched Matthew Bourne's Cinderella while I did laundry. Not as good as Swan Lake, but the story was interesting and the choreography - especially between Aurora and Leo in the garden - was very well done and performed. I spent an embarrassing amount of time falling down YouTube rabbit holes, mostly with comedy videos and ballet boys.

Sunday was terribly lazy. Woke up. Huddled on the couch. Read. Cody came to snuggle for a bit, but the couch was not made for two people, so we went back to bed. Slept till noon. Lazed around. Ate ice cream. Visiting teacher brought me a cupcake. We watched part of The Losers and cleaned guns, and then I watched dubious Kavan Smith scifi while folding laundry (show dubious, Kavan Smith adorable).

I think Sunday would have been much worse if I had gone to church, which sounds bizarre, but just...nope. I tried to call both my mother and my mother in law, but neither answered. Cody says he tried to call my mum too, but also no answer. Did all right, though. Found some words, did some writing, which is always the mark of a successful day in the end for me.

Cody cleaned the bedroom and helped me fold laundry and get it upstairs to be put away, and he's been better about emptying the trash.

Today was the first day of training - scramble for morning meetings, then an hour-long drive to the venue. I am one mile short of the fifty-mile rule which would qualify me for lodgings, so I didn't pack an overnight bag (Dingo and I walked this morning again anyway) and I was less than pleased to discover that it's going to snow horribly, so they're advising us to either carpool or - get this - crash in a friend's room.

As I hadn't packed, I had to drive home. It was good to see Cody, though, have dinner with him. We went out for frozen yoghurt after. We watched the newest ep of Badlands with dinner, and I think there's only one episode left. Once it's done we can watch BBC Sherlock together. Cody hasn't seen Season 3, and Season 4 just went up, which will make things easier.

Today was...exhausting. Horrifying. Most of the presentations focused on child molesters. Suuuuuper kudos to the SVU detectives and therapists who have to deal with those types of offenders on a regular basis. More than once I wanted to throw up, and more than once I wanted to hide somewhere and cry. I am terrified of ever letting my future children out of my sight, for reals. Everything I ever learned about child sex abusers on police procedural shows is a lie, and not in a comforting way, for reals. It was informative stuff, but horrifying all the same. I will be totally grossed out every time I hear grown men talk about teenage girls from here on out, for reals.

(Want scary statistics about these offenders? Not just in America, but apparently in the UK and Australia as well. I have them. They won't make you feel better about your world.)

Hopefully tomorrow will be less horrifying, but I'm not holding much hope out for it.

Still, my friends have been sweet and supportive through all this, which I really appreciate.

Also, on Sunday I watched Midnight in Paris, which was funnier than I thought it would be. Great cast, great performances, spawned a plot bunny. Woohoo!