The View From Kalamazoo

Da Vinci Invented Natural Plastics?

…The successful reproduction of Leonardo’s natural polychrome plastic proved
that the Florentine genius created the first man-made plastic
long before Alexander Parkes invented parkesine (an organic
material derived from cellulose) in 1862 and Leo Hendrik Baekeland’s
bakelite in 1909…

First – might anyone know if there’s any plans to translate Valerio Evangelisti’s Eymerich books into English?

Followed by the brief and boring MFA update: made it to the gym last Mon. and Wed., but not since. Friday I had to get all things ready for the Grandpa-and-Grandma-want-to-see-the-bebbes visit, and this morning…well, read previous entry. Maybe tomorrow. It would be a Good Thing, at any rate, even if I put it off til Wed. Mom was impressed by my small, but visible, biceps this weekend (so I’m not imagining it all – I really am gaining muscle). Payday is tomorrow (Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya tomorrow!) so I can stock up on fresh fruits and veggies again. Today made the comforting, but not diet-wise, choice of pierogis at the campus caf. And they weren’t even that great – I make better. (and they tried to serve them with marinara! What the heck were they thinking?!?!)

Bah.

Great big Mom, smaller Dad sleeping peacefully in queen-sized bed.

Great big Mom, smaller Dad awakened by screaming, crying 7-year-old with nightmares.

Great big Mom, smaller Dad joined by 7-year-old with propensity to kick and thrash no longer sleeping peacefully in Queen-sized bed.

Great big Mom, smaller Dad awakened by inconsolable, unarguably spoiled toddler.

Great big Mom, smaller Dad joined by still crying toddler in addition to 7-year-old with propensity to kick and thrash no longer entertaining any hope of sleeping peacefully in Queen-sized bed.

Great big Mom, smaller Dad along with no-longer crying toddler cheerfully trying to wake his 7-year-old (with propensity to kick and thrash) sister not sleeping in Queen-sized bed.

5:30 – Alarm sounds.

Great big Mom, with no help from somehow-managing-to-sleep smaller Dad, trying to avoid waking finally-back-asleep toddler while reaching over 7-year-old with propensity to kick and thrash to turn off alarm somehow a foot farther than remembered from Queen-sized bed.

Great big Mom, with aid from smaller Dad avoids smooshing or waking finally-back-asleep toddler and knocking 7-year-old with propensity to kick and thrash on to floor to quit Queen-sized bed.

And people wonder why I seem so tired in the morning.