Random access Friday

• Paged in. Last night this on-call chaplain spent a few of the wee hours at the hospital. A woman in our ICU had died, so in I went. Listened and prayed with the family, filled out paperwork, contacted funeral director and home parish (the deceased was Roman Catholic). This morning, my husband was kind enough to do the School Day Shuffle solo, and let me make up a little of the lost sleeping time. A privilege, compounded by a gift. In both cases, I am grateful.

• Vacation. Speaking of chaplains, we are getting ready to go visit my favorite! We saved some hard-earned pennies and scored a real break on the plane fares at the beginning of the year, so we will be spending a week in Paradise. Time to start packing, and planning. . . I am so excited about this!

• Driving. Yesterday afternoon our driveway was a designated Parallel Parking school-- the last bit of driver's education our eldest required before being able to go take her license test. It went easier than I expected, and our garbage cans all survived the exercise. She's now as ready as she'll get for the Official Test. I'm still deciding if I am.

• Olympics. While select athletes from around the world are competing in skiing, skating and bobsledding, I will be joining a host of other skilled competitors in going for the gold. No, I will not be headed to Torino. Anyone who has ever seen me try anything requiring physical talent or grace is likely chortling at the very thought (keep it to yourself, please. I may be a klutz, but my threshold for heckling is low). Instead, my entry is in The Knitting Olympics. My event? No, not the socks yet. As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid that the hectic pace around here has put my training in that arena waaay behind schedule. However, I will be attempting a personal record: striving to craft my first hat. And not just any hat, mind you; but one that would a) willingly be worn in public without cringing, b) not just because the wearer was kind enough not to want to hurt my feelings or c) truly so desperate for warmth that any hideous headgear was better than nothing.
  

Let the games begin!