What's up with you?

[Jerome]

I had a great vacation with my family .. hadn't taken one in a number of years.

I am invigorated!

[viscousmemories]

I've already shed one layer of skin from my back and shoulders and now another is coming off. I think I'll wear sunscreen next time I go swimming in the Gulf.

[LadyShea]

You didn't wear sunscreen? You big dummy!

Did you enjoy ocean swimming?

[viscousmemories]

I did enjoy! On the second day I was actually swimming with schools of fish leaping out of the water all around me. It was p. awesome.

[LadyShea]

Yeah the little bait fish love to hang around swimmers. Did they nibble your toes?

[viscousmemories]

Thank god, no. That would've freaked me out! I did try to catch a couple but they're faster than they look.

[Gonzo]

Back to college, plus work, plus kitty, plus awesome love interest. This should be fun. ^o^

Planning to keep my head on as straight as I can.

[Jerome]

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

[Gonzo]

That looks like it was going somewhere... what happened to the end? XD

[livius drusus]

If you can fill the uncompleted stanza
With your own fecund imagination,
Yours are the [thanks] in a thankhole bonanza,
And - which is lol - you'll be a Man, my son!

[Sock Puppet]

I am currently on the phone with my stepdad, who is telling me alllllll about his & Maw's trip across the country. While reading/posting on the Internet, and saying "oh," "uh-huh," and various other bleats to pretend I'm listening.

[SharonDee]

I'm having a work-from-home week while I attend an online class instead of traveling to attend one in person. I like this way better. If I need to take a leak and there's no break in sight, I just cross the hall without disturbing anyone else in the class. I have so far resisted the urge to sit at my computer in my jammies.

Before this I had believed I couldn't do the home office thing, that I wouldn't be able to buckle down and work without the office environment. Now I'm itching to try this out on "real" work.

Probably has something to do with my having set up an actual home office by purchasing a monitor and working in an office chair instead of kicked back in my recliner.

[Angakuk]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

I did enjoy! On the second day I was actually swimming with schools of fish leaping out of the water all around me. It was p. awesome.

Growing up in San Diego I pretty much learned to swim in the ocean. After the ocean other venues for swimming seem tame by comparison. Although, I have to admit that I have never tried white water swimming.

[Demimonde]

California here I come!

Heading out for a week to LA to see family and help my SIL with the baby while she does some legal mish-mosh stuff. It is going to be a pretty low key trip, but it will be nice to get outta town for a while.

[ShottleBop]

Originally Posted by Demimonde

California here I come!

Heading out for a week to LA to see family and help my SIL with the baby while she does some legal mish-mosh stuff. It is going to be a pretty low key trip, but it will be nice to get outta town for a while.

San Diego is just a short drive down the coast from L.A.!

[Angakuk]

We are currently in the process of having new siding installed on our house. Several years ago we had the house re-roofed with a product called DECRA Shingle. We shouldn't need to reshingle again as long as we live. After that was paid for we replaced all the old windows (18) with new double-pane gas filled windows. Once those were paid for we should have gotten new siding, but Mrs. Angakuk insisted that we install a wind generator. Then it was a new car for each of us. Well those are now paid for and so we are now doing the too long delayed siding. The house is 108 years old, but when the siding is done it will look like new as well as being insulated. Well, it will look like new after we replace the front porch, in a couple of years. We already have more invested in these improvements than we paid for the whole house and 13 acres. I am not counting the complete rewiring that we did shortly after we bought the house. I did all of that work myself. I was much younger then.

[Pyrrho]

Today has been one of those days when I am essentially mindlessss

[Angakuk]

This is different from other days, how?

[Pyrrho]

Originally Posted by Angakuk

This is different from other days, how?

Today I admitted it.

[Demimonde]

So many many decades ago, there was a wonderful family story about how my mom when back to LA and met with her former beau. He was the heir to the Mother's cookie fortune. You know the happy animal crackers covered with sprinkles. Family legend has it she met up with him, and Dad and my tiny brother waited at the bottom of the stairs for her to come back.

Tonight I have the privilege of sitting with my SIL as she talks with her first, but not last, love. I am chaperone as she speaks with her first love, as a mother, as a wife, as a whole woman who knows where her life has taken her. And says hello and goodbye to the dreams her young self held. It is a privilege. And so damn fun.

No cookies were eaten but so fun and so healing.

[Gonzo]

Say hello to my little friend.

[ceptimus]

Have you been taking photography lessons from lisarea?

[wildernesse]

We've returned from another cross country trip to see my brother married. It was a lovely weekend.

In other news, the froguar is learning the terrible life lesson that we can't always get what we want (unless we are at grandmother's). There is much head banging and gnashing of all 7 teeth.

[Demimonde]

Just got back from a whirlwind trip. We were absolute gypsies staying at a different family or friend's home each night. I am so sick of suitcases. We had less than two weeks notice to plan the trip, on a holiday week no less, so I am amazed we were able to see all the folks we did.

SIL wrapped up her stuff and fingers crossed that the deposition leads to a settlement and there is no need to go to trial. She has been through so much already. My niece covered herself in glory as the best behaved, sweetest, prettiest one year old on the planet. The trip there was a near perfect flight of tiny deportment and I didn't think a babby could be better than that. But then the return flight she was even more of an angel. BTW Virgin Air freaking rocks. I don't think I will ever fly another airlines.

It was wonderful getting to see my family. My visit to my sainted Aunt was a nice recharge and emotional boost. She is my absolute hero. Emotionally we are so much alike, I can only aspire to be the success that she is. I love her so much.

We did make a trip down to San Diego, but were there less than 24 hours which was spent with my cousin, her husband, and her adorable twins. We got there in the afternoon, spent a few hours at Moonlight beach, had a tasty supper at home, slept and were on the road again by 9 in the morning to be back in LA for another appointment that afternoon. It went by so fast but we had so much fun. My cousin is one of the most positive and kind people on the planet, I love her to death. Her hubby (her childhood sweetheart so I have known him almost my whole life) put into words my exact feelings: that when we are all together it is as though no time has passed and we can just be comfortable and relax and enjoy each other. I really wish I could see them every, single day.

An unexpected perk of the trip was spending time with my SIL's friends and family. I had the chance to get to know them a lot better. She is an amazing person, so I shouldn't be surprised that she knew amazing people but they were all so sweet and welcoming. I feel like I got the chance to learn so much more about who she was and the people that shaped her. Also had the chance to see the lives she has shaped, in the little people she used to nanny. She was half rock star, half super hero to them. It was really something wonderful.

Now I am going to spend tomorrow on the couch recuperating, snuggling with my babe and my pups. I busted my ankle badly tripping down steps and really haven't given it anytime to rest. It is black and blue and super swollen. Also, I feel like I have used ALL MY WORDS. Typically, I am social in bursts but I am emotionally exhausted from meeting and getting to know SO MANY PEOPLE. That was a LOT of public time. So I am grateful to be home but so glad I went.

[Gonzo]

Just got my ass fired.

Current Gonzo theme song:

The Hives - Square One Here I Come - YouTube