I've been working at Unicorn School three mornings a week for almost my entire membership. The other person who has been very active with Unicorns is Rick. He started the program in February. He's also sort of burned out on Twin Oaks and responsibility at the moment. I realized the other day that if Unicorn School is going to have a budget next year, it's up to me. And it's not even an official area yet!

The budgets for next year are being drawn up... now. I'm kind of operating under a time crunch here. I had a meeting with the Child Board today, which went well. They're supportive. They have ideas about where the labor and money could come from. This is exciting. I have a meeting with the Planners tomorrow, which hopefully will go like this:
"Hi Planners, I want Unicorn School to be an area, and the Child Board says they're happy with that."
"Oh, that sounds great. Go for it!"

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Keegan and I are settling into responsibilities here. I'm working to start an area, and I have that wholesale job and stuff. He's about to start getting trained on being the new dairy manager. We have a herd of dairy cows and... meat bulls? We call them "beefies." I don't know much about cows. Anyway. We have a small herd, and he's about to start being in charge of their care. How exciting!

Another thing about living in community: there are a lot of people, and we're fairly close together. And maybe I don't have the greatest immune system; sometimes I wonder if this is related to my low body temperature. I've been sick a couple times already since moving here. Mostly cold type things. I have a runny/stuffy nose and a cough at the moment, and I was down for the count yesterday. I mean, I think I could have done some work, but not the stuff I had scheduled. I was supposed to make rope all yesterday afternoon, and I just didn't trust myself with big machines and potential problem solving. I had big chunks of time when I spaced out. Instead of working with machines, I watched Ponyo. It was lovely.

I hope I don't get everyone sick. I mean, I think it was going around anyway. Sorry, people whom I might have gotten sick.

Also, TARA HAD A BABY. Hey, lady, congrats! (Congrats to you, too, David!) I'm so pumped to see this new family on Thanksgiving!