Sorry I've been so distant lately. It's not you, it's me.

I've been grappling with the same ambition issues as always, asking myself a lot of questions about what I think success is, and what it really is, and what I'm doing.

And watching cartoons. The one thing that really makes me feel better in the middle of a day like today is to go into the breakroom for my lunch and put on Tom and Jerry. Thirty minutes of that and I'm ready to tackle the world again.

Yesterday was Networkommunity day (a day the Network devotes to community service). Lots of different projects all over SoCal to join in on. I signed up to go to Common Ground, where the were several projects happening. Mine was a bougainvillea mural on one wall in the outside patio. I was getting ready for it all week. I drew and cut out these sponge stamps for the flowers and leaves for everyone to use, then we went to sketch it, and Thursday was the action day.

Man, I don't use my squatting muscles nearly enough, it seems. Or my reaching muscles. Or any muscles that aren't involved in typing, smoking, and extended thrift store shopping. Fo real.

Anyway, it was really cool. It made me remember how much I loved decorating the classroom with my kids when I worked at the elementary schools. Except for at the school, we didn't have needlepacks. Although that might be different now.