Dark at 4pm

It is rainy today, too. Which probably helped set off the large sigh that has been my day.

I've showered, made coffee, and gotten my child to school. Half that time, she was howlingly upset that she didn't get to press the elevator button on our way out of the building, and I was quite unable to get to a space where I cared that she was upset. I finally did, up on the hill, while two rounds of our bus passed us by.

The conversations about what there is and isn't time for in the morning, and why, are just a bit too complex for me to figure out how to pitch to a 3 year old. So, I just apologized, and said I was going to keep going. Into the elevator, down to the ground floor, out the door, to the bus stop, etc. And she kept screaming and following me.

Not my proudest moment, but we made it in to school in one piece.

And then I came to work and edited a friend's writing. I had a morning coffee with some parents from A's daycare, and lunch with another friend.

And kind of hated on my work most of the time when I wasn't actively listening. Because, when I was actively talking, I was also hating on my work.

I've looked at job sites in Zurich for English speakers, and I could perhaps be an administrative assistant or an au pair. See, 'cause this morning shows how ridiculously great I am with kids. And just think how gracious I could be, as a result, with adults who are just acting like kids. Real potential for me in guest services, I tell you.

I've read an article on the Quality of Talk in Children's Classrooms, and looked up the author. I've decided to and then decided not to email him about my research project.

I just read a website and some reviews of an App for creating books for the iPad. Apparently you sign away some serious rights if you go with Apple's iBooks author. TaleSpring seems a better way to go.

There was the Atlantic Monthly article I suggested to a co-worker. Although, technically, I think a co-worker must have to be someone you engage in some sort of work with instead of just seeing them at coffee break and not talking about much to do with my job or his. Or, really, not talking much at all.

I have signed up for another Meetup Group in Zurich, and reconsidered starting my own one, for postpartum depression. In the meantime, I have eaten half a packet of Twix, while saving myself from the other half through the help of my lunch date.

There were some e-mails I sent out, about going to listen to some people talk about science. And one to a person who might help me engage in something like a group project here at work. I'm mostly just drowning in alone-all-day-no-officemates-or-colleagues-ness. And I seem to have sent out all the emails I could.

It is one of those days. And now it is even darker than 10 minutes ago when I started writing this. What gives?!

Ok, so in the interest of posting something to end on a higher note than what is featured above, check out this great image of a Berlin playground that was featured on one of my check-it-at-least-once-a-day blogs: Playscapes . Who wouldn't want that framed, big, in their dining room, or on the wall in a lightbox for crappy rainy days like today? Not me, that's who wouldn't.