A Date and Two Distractions

August 17th. Monday.
That's the day that's been arranged for Baby A's departure. He will have 8-hour visits for the next four days with Grandma, then his regular visitation with Mom on Saturday.
Monday morning, bright and early, CPS will arrive to drive him five hours to Jeddito, AZ, where he will live. Not the most hospitable place on earth. Google Earth it. Click the link above for Wikipedia's point of view. Whenever I think about sending a child to this place, I get depressed.
Now begins the process of sorting out clothes and toys to send with him, writing out daily schedules and a "Baby-A-to-English" dictionary. None of these prospects fills me with joy. It's even worse than the last child I helped sort clothes and leave in a faraway place.
But what can I do?
So I found a few distractions.

#1 Distraction and Guilty Viewing Pleasure of the Summer:
HGTV's Designstar.
LOVE this show. If you like interior design, this is the reality show for you. It allows you into the minds of the designers and see their developmental processes and a few of their mistakes and how they deal with them. I record it every Sunday night to watch while I fold laundry Monday afternoon. Then I can't feel so guilty about it!
In a word: entertaining. My favorite I think is Dan. He just has a great eye. And I was beyond thrilled to see Taschica go. How did she hang around for so long, anyway? Voted off without a conference from the judges. Yep. Shoulda happened a few weeks ago. And Jany? Yes. She's bland and textbook. Having her on Designstar is almost as if I were on the show. I kind of know how to work colors and I know the names and elements of certain styles. But I am so not a designer, and neither is she. Glad to see her go. Next? Probably Loni or Jason, and neither would break my heart. I love listening to David Bromstadt's (the original Designstar) Vlog for his interpretation as well. Give the show a chance. Besides, what else is there to watch before the primetime season starts?

#2 Distraction: The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart
Just read this book the past few days. Like Harry Potter and Lemony Snickett, it's a book about kids triumphing over evil adults. Highly recommend to precocious elementary schoolers, all junior high kids, and even high school people. Tucker liked it. I don't think it's destined for the mass appeal of the previously mentioned series, but it will take you away for a little while. Which is just what I needed!

Epiphany #85--Just a few doses of distraction prevent the emotional meltdown, emotional meltdow-own, emotional meltdown (with full credit given to Mary Poppins).
Don't know what the problem with blogger is today. I've tried repeatedly to download beautiful images to enhance my clever text, but to no avail. Click the above links if you're really curious.