A busy three day weekend

I spent pretty much all day today preparing my lecture notes and slides for class tomorrow. The kicker is, I still don't have keys to my office, keys to my classroom, or any certainty that I can turn on the projector in the classroom. I know I can turn on the computer, but I didn't test drive the overhead projector when I as in class last Thursday. Foolish of me, since I've now spent 10 hours or so prepping this lecture.

This week, especially tomorrow's lecture, will be a little tricky. It's a subject area I don't know well, so I've had to do a lot of re-learning over the last 18 hours. I think I'm good to go.

In an effort to wind down and sleep at night, I'm making myself stop working between 8 and 9pm tonight. I'd originally hoped to have all the lectures for the week completed by 8pm on Sunday (Monday, this weekend since we had today off for MLK), but chose to not miss out on the Moonlight weekend instead. C'est la vie; I can work on the lectures Tuesday and Wednesday night. And Thursday's subject area is much closer to my knowledge base, so it shouldn't be quite as much work.

I keep reminding myself of the advice a fellow adjunct in the History department gave me: "Contex, contex contex; why is this important, why are you teaching this to students?"

It's been a busy weekend. DJ's mom worked in Helena last week, and will work in Butte this week, so she stayed with us through the weekend. I worked until 5pm, then ran down to grab dinner with DJ and Michelle. After dinner friends picked me and my cross- country ski gear up so we could say in Moonlight for the weekend with our wonderful friends the Kuntz'es. We've nabbing a weekend at Moonlight Ski Resort since 2010, and I think it's one of my favorite weekends of the year.

Saturday morning we fought hangovers and ventured out for some cross country skiing at Lone Mountain Ranch. It was wonderful to get outdoors in the sunshine, mountains and with wonderful friends. DJ and I need to do this a bit more often.

Kelly (due with their second child, whom A calls "Soucie", in early March), Me and Emily. 

DJ and Michelle came up on Saturday afternoon while we skiied. It was fun to show her the amazing "mountain home," and have her get to spend some time in the mountains with us. DJ made great home made pizzas for dinner, served tapas style. Mmmm, that man of mine, he's one heck of a cook!

Saturday morning we wolfed down breakfast before heading down the mountain to Bozeman, a snowstorm, and lecutres and slides waiting to be compiled. I've been in the office of our house since about noon on Sunday compiling information to share with my students.

It looks to be another difficult week in terms of management of expectations and time. Hopefully I can keep getting up early, making it to work and being productive! At this rate, the spring will fly by.

Dining Room Curtains

Last weekend we ticked a decorating item off of the to-do list. Seriously, my decorating to-do list gets longer by the day. My budget, and inspiration, sadly, get shorter by the day.

Pretty much nothing has been accomplished since DJ's mom visited in January. In fact, we're negative those items, since the area rugs are hanging in the garage in hopes of avoiding any puppy accidents on them.

When she was here, I mentioned to M that I wanted amber/whiskey colored drapes in our dining room. Admittendly, we don't really need window treatments here. The window faces our driveway/ courtyard, and is under a porch that faces east, so it doesn't get too much light. And the light it does get I love, and don't want to block.

But drapes in the dining room are a good way to add color. And to have an insulating fabric to pull closed in the winter. And I also saw this image on Pottery Barn:

And really, what's not to love? Oh... the price. Even after a 40% off sale, I just couldn't pay that much for window treatments, plus hardware. And M agreed with me.

Luckily, during our hunt, we came across dining table cloths on sale at Target after Christmas. I think they were like $17.99 apiece, and 104" long. Hmm... Have I mentioned that M is an excellent seamstress? That I need a sewing boot camp with her sometime? That she's also the seamstress for my wedding dress?

So M too the tablecloths home in January, and turned them into curtains for me!

I purchased a double rod curtain rod at Lowes, in case I wanted to hang sheers behind them. DJ mounted it, while watching Mariners baseball:

And I immediately hung them! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! them! (sorry for the crappy blackberry photos). Sublte stripes, glossy sheen, lined, and on nice hardware!

They're exactly what I wanted. Thanks M! They totally change the feel of the room too; in a good way.

But I'm undecided. Should I install the white sheers, like in the photo above? Or are these substantial enough by themselves? I also bought the "hold back" hardware that matches; should we install that, or let them just hang?

Now the other end, near the bookcase/bar/sideboard looks totally lame. Le sigh. I don't really want to put curtains in that window; it gives great western light in the evening. Maybe smaller framed photos just under the window (poor photo, the window trim is juuuust visible)? Tall lamps to draw attention? A rack to hang wine glasses from?

Advise me peeps!