I’ve had an incredibly hard time focusing at work this week. I think it has something to do with my time on Whidbey Island and my fabulous trip to the Grand Canyon to celebrate my friend Jenny’s fortieth birthday. I think it also has to do with approaching my thirty-ninth birthday, which is in just over a week, and Christmas and New Years, which tend to get me into a little bit of a funk. This morning though, a big part of my mood is tied to the news.

I read an article about a female cyclist who was badly injured in Austin this morning. Immediately, I was tempted to start texting all my cycling friends to make sure they are all okay, but I can’t do that. There are too many, and I don’t even know all their numbers. I also read an article about a shooter in a Connecticut elementary school. It terrifies me that kids aren’t safe in schools. 

I need to focus on something positive, so I’ll think about Pflugerville Independent School District. I read in the local paper that this community, which neighbors Austin, will be offering domestic partner benefits to its employees beginning in January. A member of the board of trustees brought a motion to rescind those benefits, but his motion didn’t pass. According to the article, Pflugerville is the first school district in Texas to offer those benefits. I don’t live in Pflugerville, but I am proud of that district for leading the way in Texas.