Update....

I love quotes. Can't get enough of them. Quotes from literature, movies, public figures...anyone, anywhere. Just love quotes. I have a couple of them on post-it notes at my desk...a Word file in my computer with pages and pages of quotes...whenever I find a new one I put it in that file and, voila, instant inspiration!

Two in particular that I like:

"I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself." (Mikhail Baryshnikov). I really love this...because it's so true and it's something I am trying to work on. I don't have to be better than anyone else -- I just have to be better than the person I was yesterday. It's a reminder to stay away from that trap so many of us fall into -- the trap in which we compare ourselves to others and belittle and berate ourselves for falling short. I'm working on this in my life all the time, and I'm working hard to teach this lesson to my daughters.

But right now, and every August and September (end of the fiscal year), my favorite quote is, "Lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Oh, how I wish I could say that to customers who bring requirements packages to me at the very end of the fiscal year and expect me to wave a magic wand and do two thing: fix all of the errors and problems in their requirements package, and then get the requirement negotiated and on contract before midnight on September 30. But the sad political reality of life is that I can't do that. My office is a "quick response" office, which means we get the junk packages that other people didn't want to do, didn't have time to do, or don't know how to do. Not only do we have to do them, but we have to do them quickly, and right. Much easier said than done. Much easier.

And so I work a lot of late nights and weekends in August and September. And our entire family is less than harmonious and happy about the whole thing, since we're all so busy in August and September...school starting, fall sports, work demands, etc.

On the home front, B had her first soccer game of the season today. She has improved so much over the spring season -- it's amazing! In her game today her team scored more points than her other team scored during the entire spring season. LOL I think this will be a much better season for her...for two reasons -- she's kind of figured out how the game works, and she has a great coach (my best friend's husband). It's amazing what a difference great coaching makes. We're seeing that in A's softball season...not that her coaches are great, but they're a vast improvement over the coach she had last year. And A has improved in many ways -- in skills, in leadership on the team, and in sportsmanship.

And in other developments, it's possible that I will get to go visit my sister M for a long weekend next month. I hope it works out -- I'm really excited about the possibility and really need the break and the battery recharge I know I would get from the trip. Keep your fingers crossed that it all works out!