Work (awesome!) and upcoming legal stuff (not awesome!)

I was offline for a week due to a work trip, and I got to tour the great city of Austin, TX! 

On a serious note, I learned so much at this conference, and my brain is percolating with ideas on how to help people and/or work with people in my state to help people.  It’s exciting that we have the support of our “big boss” in these endeavors. 

On a tourist note, I was able to pass by their beautiful capitol, watch the bats fly out from underneath the Congress Avenue bridge, eat full on Texas BBQ (along with local draft Fireman's Four!), and Tex-Mex, and Mexican, see Barton Springs and tiptoe into Barking Springs, and even get a taste of Texas Honky-Tonk and a quick two-step dance with a man wearing bona fide cowboy boots! 

(The beautiful Capitol)

 

(The Broken Spoke--The Best Honky Tonk Music in Texas!)

Real Texas BBQ from Stubb's!

 

And, on a networking note, I stayed up into all hours conversing with people from my state, states across the nation, as well as members on the national level in the work that we do.  It was truly inspiring and such an unexpected experience, for which I feel lucky and blessed.  Life is too short, you know?  So it’s best to tackle these projects with enthusiasm and grace (well, attempted grace, A for effort!).  It’s odd, that I feel like I can do these “grown up” responsibilities, and yet half the time, I still feel like that silly teenager who was always looking for love and fun and hope on the inside.  But I digress.

Just a quick update—next week is my CS modification hearing.  I’m also working with my attorney on sending my daughters to private school…I’m fortunate that I’m in the position to be able to send them without his help.  And even though I’ve made it clear that the legal custody rights that he is entitled to will stand—i.e.keep coming to the school events and participate in the fundraisers and extracurriculars and parent-teacher conferences, the answer from him for the past 9 months has been a big, resounding NO. 

The irony?  He (and his family) are products of private school, and for years before DD1 could start school, he railed against sending her to public.  The public vs. private in our state is quite the debate.  I’m from another state where public is just fine, so this was all a mystery to me when I moved down here many years ago.  To which I was enlightened and examined with careful thought as my children grew older.  

Anyway, he isn’t even on the hook to pay, and yet it’s still no.  I can’t believe we may have to go to court over the fact that I would like to pay for private school all by myself, but every day it looks like it’s coming one step closer. 

Where’s the purse brick, again?