so about that yurt...

You may remember me sharing a conversation between myself and my husband almost a year ago...

"Since the day we met, Mike and I have talked about moving to the country one day.  My idea of the country includes a charming little cottage or farm house (complete with central air conditioning and running water) with a cute little fence and a few chickens.  His idea of the country involves living off the grid, with solar power, deep water well, and a yurt.  What is a yurt, you ask?  It’s essentially a giant tent decked out like a house." (two acres and a yurt) 

Well, after our conversation tonight, I'm beginning to think of a yurt as something just a little more civilized after all. 

We were investigating our options for the future.  The future wherein we live a self-sustainable lifestyle in the woods somewhere.  I haven't changed my standards...I still want my charming stone cottage, a la English countryside, complete with air conditioning, cable TV and hot and cold running water...but I admit, I am intrigued by the idea of the low impact woodland home, built into the hillside like a hobbit house. 

I don't think I could live in something like this full time, but it would be fun to build it as a vacation getaway or retreat.  As long as I can still have my cell phone with internet connection, I think I could "rough" it for a day or two at the very least. 

With life getting ever more complicated and stressful with each passing year, Mike and I are ready to begin this  next phase in our lives together.  I just hope we have the stamina to see it through.  It would be a shame to let go of the dream now that we have gotten so close to seeing it realized. 

Thus begins our journey...

We are actively making plans to break ground on our dream.  I don't have a date or a definite direction just yet, but I do have a spark...and sometimes all it takes is a spark to ignite a mighty fire. 

Who knows...I may have to start thinking about that woodland house after all. 

Until the next time...I'll be planning the next step!

some days it pays to be a mother

I was awakened this morning by my son, who promptly informed me that I needed to get up and get dressed because he was taking me to breakfast. 

One doesn't complain when being taken out for breakfast on Mother's Day. 

The wait was horrendous, but since it was just the two of us, we didn't have to wait as long as many others.  I don't think it hurt that my son works at the same restaurant he took me to, either. 

After eating more stuffed crepes than a person should eat, we set out on a shopping spree. 

My son hit the bookstore while I looked for shoes.  This is never a fun task, and today was no exception.  I didn't end up buying shoes, but I did buy four new blouses to console myself. 

After all...it was Mother's Day, and I was the mother.

I took Spencer home and headed back out to meet up with my sister and her daughter for more shopping.  Once we satisfied our needs (and shopped the best sales in a long time) we treated ourselves to lunch.  Not that I needed to eat again, but it was Mother's Day, and I figured, why not?

After stuffing ourselves with bison burgers and strawberry shortcake, I headed home, yet again, to regroup with the family.  The girls were out running around with friends, and Mike was stuck working on a "hot" project for work since he was "on call" for the fifth weekend in a row. 

Let it be said here and now that I did warn him about taking "call" for so many weekends in a row.  He is, in fact, burned out on the whole idea...overtime pay is just not worth it sometimes.

We did manage to steal away for a quick trip to the Home Depot.  While I was there, I picked out an orchid (because I love orchids) and decided that it would be my Mother's Day present from Mike.  He just smiled and paid for it like a good husband.  And if he should read this...thank you honey!

After our Home Depot excursion, and since Mike was still on call, I figured I would take the kids out to dinner (all of them this time). We had pizza, and I don't have a clue how I managed to eat even one bite, but I had my fair share.  I even brought leftovers home to Mike.

After dinner, I decided to take in a movie with my sister and her daughter. 

And I admit it.  I got popcorn at the movie too.

I think I can probably skip eating completely tomorrow. 

If I ever come out of the food coma I feel myself slipping into...

But food coma or not, it was a great day.  The only thing that would have made it perfect would have been if Mom could have been here.  Well...someone had to clean the stalls in her barn!

Until the next time...I'll be contemplating a short stint of bulemia...or a few Tums at the very least!

mother's day eve

Happy Mother's Day.

I am looking forward to a nice relaxing day with my family.  It has been a very long time since we have had a truly tranquil family outing. 

No arguing.  No complaining.  No hurt feelings.

That would really be the best gift of all.  Well...that and maybe a potted plant.  An orchid maybe.  Breakfast in bed wouldn't be bad either.  They could all band together and do the dishes...feed the dogs...stuff like that. 

Just saying...

But a nice day together would still be the best gift of all!

Until the next time...I'll be calling my mom to wish her a happy mother's day.

and the loch ness monster is living in my bathtub!

I eavesdropped on the most interesting conversation this evening.  I didn’t mean to, but you know how it is…sometimes you are just sitting too close and they are talking too loud. 

In this case, it was in the coffee shop at the bookstore.  I was minding my own business, clicking away on my laptop—trying to make my deadline on a project due tomorrow—and “they” were sitting at the table beside me, sharing a single laptop, waxing philosophical about the legendary chupacabra.

I had heard of the chupacabra.  It is said to be a horrifying creature with a wild dog face, sharp teeth, and lizard-like scaly skin.  Most scientists agree that chupacabra is an urban legend, but the two “gentlemen” sitting just a foot or so from me had, apparently, let their subscription to Scientific American expire. 

Did I mention the fact that both men were dressed in head to toe camouflage (right down to their camouflage baseball caps)?  Or that they sounded like they were auditioning for a remake of the Beverly Hillbillies? 

At first, I thought they were kidding, but then they started talking about the assault rifles they were shopping for online.  Everyone knows, if you’re going to hunt a chupacabra, you’d better have one darn powerful weapon! 

After all…they are mythological—those are the hardest creatures to kill!

Until the next time…I’ll be setting a trap in the backyard to catch big foot!

is there anything else?

Have you ever had one of those moments when you ask yourself, "what else can go wrong?"

I don't think we should ask the question, even internally.  There is a very real chance that the mere thought of something bad happening could actually be the trigger.  And believe me...I've been pulling the trigger far too much lately.

My daughter had an accident with the car today.  She appears to be fine, and the car (thankfully not my new car) is only a little worse for the wear.  Cosmetically speaking, it now looks like it belongs to a teenager.  The hood is slightly buckled, and the grill was torn off.  

Under the hood, everthing looked just fine, but I should have waited to look because closing it again was not as easy.  I had to scoot myself across the hood and bounce up and down to force it to close.  I even managed to pinch my bottom between the hood and the fender.  I'm not looking forward to explaining THAT bruise to my husband. 

I can only hope that, just perhaps, having gotten her first accident out of the way without major repercussions (the only bruise may be the one on my backside) was the best thing.  I imagine she will drive much more carefully in the future.

But repercussions or not, her minor bumper scrape has done nothing good for my propensity to have panic attacks (we high strung artist types are prone to those things.)

Now that the adrenaline has burned its way out of me, I am ready to hit the sack, so to speak.  I hear that tomorrow is Friday, and I'm all for Fridays.  I just might get to do something this weekend. 

I won't jinx myself by asking, "what more could go wrong?"  I really don't want to know!

Until the next time...I'll be hopping on the hood of the car to get it to latch!

i love my mom

I really do love my mom. 

I love her because she isn't vindictive.  She is thoughtful, and kind, and would never retaliate for having put an unflattering ancient picture of her on the internet.  Not even if I did it, say....twice.

Did I say twice?  I think this might actually be the third time I've posted this picture of Mom in the past two years since I aquired it from my aunt. 

And since I've already let the proverbial cat out of the bag...what's one more time?

Right...that's what I thought. 

But just in case, I think I'd better add a reprint of last year's Mother's Day homage to Mom.  You know...to cushion the blow, as they say.

Ok, Mom...here you go...all the reasons I love you!

Dear Mom,

Thank you for teaching me why it is bad to put a cat into the washing machine. (Especially when it is full of hot soapy water and cloth diapers.)

Thank you for putting the marshmallow peeps and black jelly beans in my Easter basket every year to keep me from eating too much candy! And thank you for eating all of the candy I didn’t like so it didn’t go to waste!

Thank you for learning how to sew so you could make my clothes for me when I was little.  And thank you for using the rick rack trim because it still makes me laugh to say that!

Thank you for cutting my hair when I was little.  And thank you for taking pictures of me with the terrible haircuts so I can prove how bad they really were! 

Thank you for always making my birthday a special day all on its own, even though it falls just a few days after Christmas.

Thank you for never making me eat liver and onions even though it was your favorite.

Thank you for watching the Wizard of Oz with me every year, even though you were afraid of the wicked witch.

Thank you for letting me believe in Santa Claus long past the age most kids did.

Thank you for eating the pickles in my McDonald’s hamburgers because you knew I didn’t like them, even though you didn’t like them either.

Thank you for teaching me how to bandage a wound using toilet paper and scotch tape!

Thank you for knowing how to bake everything from scratch even though you don’t like to cook.

Thank you for making sure I had the best Halloween costume every year! And thank you for teaching me that sometimes the best costume is the one you made from scratch!

Thank you for teaching me that it’s ok to like younger men.

Thank you for teaching me that you don’t have to be a good dancer to have a whole lot of fun doing it!

Thank you for making sure I knew at a very young age that it was ok to draw pictures of my parents, but only if they were wearing clothes!

Thank you for introducing me to the music of Elvis Presley and the Jackson 5.

Thank you for letting me make my own mistakes sometimes, even though you could have stopped me.

Thank you for teaching me how to back up the car. (Oh wait, never mind, that was Dad.)

Thank you for showing me that it’s perfectly ok to send your eggs back (in a restaurant) until they get them right!

Thank you for going to karaoke with me, and thank you for getting up there to sing just so we could laugh at your singing.

Thank you for telling the very best dirty jokes.

Thank you for being a nurse so I have someone to call at two in the morning when I think something is terribly wrong with me, and thank you for telling me it’s probably just gas.

Thank you for knowing how to draw blood so you could tell the nurses how to do it when it was my turn to have blood taken.

Thank you for being strong enough to survive the things that would have killed weaker people.  And thank you for flipping the bird at us while you were on a ventilator so we could find some humor in a scary situation.

Thank you for teaching me that being a good mother doesn’t always mean being a perfect mother, and some mistakes can be happy accidents!

And thank you for never getting mad...or even...when I put funny pictures of you on the internet for Mother's Day!

Until the next time...I'll be mailing the card I bought but didn't mail yet...like I do every year!

countdown to graduation

I looked at the calendar today. 

There was a birthday (a friend's), a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, and a reminder that Thursday is Cinco de Mayo.  A little below the immediate reminders was a little notation for May 21st. 

Graduation day! 

It is hard to believe that the little girl I gave birth to so many years ago is graduating high school in a few short weeks!  We have two girls graduating this May, in fact, and it just doesn't seem possible.  Where did the time go?  What happened to the cute little girls that used to play with dolls and dream of becoming princesses? 

I guess things change. 

The truth is, no matter how hard we try, nothing stays the same.  And that's ok.  Life is about change, and growth, and exploring new opportunities.  The girls have so much to look forward to.

But first, they need to get through the next few weeks and get those diplomas.

I will be taking the days between now and then one at a time...starting with tomorrow and a trip to traffic court! 

I could have done without THAT reminder on my May calendar!

Until the next time...I'll up at seven to fight the rush hour traffic!

zombies are ready for a comeback!

Today was an interesting day.

I spent a good portion of the morning reading reports about the death of Osama Bin Laden.  Of course, I knew about this development as soon as it occurred, but that didn’t stop me from indulging in the plethora of comments on Facebook this morning. 

The overwhelming consensus is, people are proud to be Americans today. 

And why shouldn’t we be?  Despite being relatively new country by many standards, we are an incredibly devoted bunch.  And there is something to be said for closure.  The death of Bin Laden is exactly that kind of closure. 

I do have serious reservations about celebrating the death of another human being, even if he was a sorry excuse for a human being.  I will instead celebrate the closure, and the justice served.  No matter what your opinions of justice are, I’m sure you will agree, he got what he so rightly deserved.  And he will hopefully serve his final sentence in the afterlife…without the benefit of virgins. 

Unless they are flesh eating zombie virgins... 

That idea is officially copyrighted as mine, thank you very much!

Until the next time…I’ll be writing a new screenplay!

a model daughter

It was another one of those days where something very bad turned into something very good. 

Today was the day my daughter was supposed to go for a modeling audition.  After a series of unfortunate events and misinformation, we missed the audition completely!  It appeared as if Alexa had missed her opportunity.  She was understandably disappointed and disheartened. 

I was irritated.

I wasn't going to let the inefficiency of others keep my child from seeing her dreams come true.  I wasn't going to let her give up either.  So we hopped into the car and made our way to the audition more than an hour late to talk with the agent. 

She was very nice, and she even felt bad about the miscommunications that led to our missing the audition in the first place.  So she let Alexa finish her audition in private and as it turns out, she was quite impressed with the talent portion, and she thinks there are good things in store for Alexa.  I think she is a very wise woman.  And I was very proud of my daughter.  She did a great job!

The rest of my Sunday was boring by comparison...but that's perfectly ok with me!  I was ready for a little bit of boring for a change. 

Tomorrow is another day, and I'm sure there will  nothing boring about Monday.

Until the next time...I'll be enjoying the boring while it lasts!

hamsters of the world rejoice!

I have decided to re-evaluate my views on “bad things”. 

Sometimes that which appears to be a bad thing is really a good thing in disguise.  Or in more simple terms…sometimes getting through the bad stuff brings forth something better. 

Example:  I bought a new car this week.  I negotiated a pretty good deal, applied for financing, put money down, and drove the car home.  All good things in my book.  Then three days later, I got a call from the car dealer telling me that there was a “complication” with my loan and it wasn’t approved after all.  This was a surprise to me.  I had alternate financing approved, but after the dealer told me that my loan was secured, I turned down the other offer.  This was a very bad thing.  I was livid that the car dealer had led me to believe that my financing was handled and allowed me to drive this new car off the lot.  It appeared as if there was a real possibility that I would have to return my new car and reapply for financing!

Fast forward to today and an illuminating conversation with the loan officer handling my “unapproved” financing deal. 

I won’t bore you with the gory details, but suffice it to say that after returning to the dealership to sign new finance papers, I walked away with a better deal than I had originally negotiated.  The dealer dropped the price by another thousand dollars, and my payment went down by sixty one dollars a month!  What started out as a very stressful (and possibly very bad) situation, turned into a windfall for me.    

All in all a good day!

And I still get to drive my cute as an animated hamster new car.  What more can I say?

Until the next time…I will be sleeping soundly without a worry in the world!

a fascination with royalty

I am wondering, as I sit through the hours long replay of today's royal wedding, what is the fascination with royalty anyway?

I can vividly remember watching as Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married.  I was a young teenager and I glued to the television as the spectacle unfolded before my eyes.  It was a real life fairy tale being played out on the world's stage.

But of course, we know how that fairy tale ended...so why do we still flock to the spectacle?

I think there is a magic in the idea of royalty.  And the hope of a happily ever after.   

I know I have hope.  I believe in magic.  And I believe in royalty...after all, it's in my pedigree...remember? You may call me "your majesty"...

Until the next time...I'll be dreaming of pumpkins and glass slippers!

those hamsters are pretty smart!

We survived the storm.

It was a scary night, but nothing severe came all that close to where we live.  It was far too busy to the north and south of us to pay us any mind. 

For once I was glad to be ignored. 

I did stay up fairly late watching the weather reports on the off chance that a new storm cell would sprout up, putting us directly on the path of destruction. 

It didn't. 

So my new car escaped the threat of hail and downed tree limbs to drive another day.

And as for today?  I spent a good bit of time trying to pair the bluetooth on my phone with the bluetooth on the car so I could make a hands-free phone call.  I think I'm really going to like that feature.  And surprisingly, I think I will like the mood lighting on the speakers.  They toggle between the colors of the rainbow along with the beat of the music on the radio.  It's not a very grown up feature, but it makes me happy.  Apparently, I'm easy to please.

I wish my husband thought so!

Then again, I can't complain about him.  We have gotten along famously over the past week.  Better than we have in months.  I don't know exactly what changed, but I don't really want to analyze it too closely.

Happy is happy!

I guess you could say I'm as happy as a disco loving hamster (the mascot of my new Kia Soul).  Is it strange to name your car?  I think I might want to give it a name and a personalized license plate. 

It may be time for another intervention...I'm talking crazy again!

Until the next time...I'll be zipping around town in my new car!

tornado!

I can't escape the tornado warnings.  I missed the best part of American Idol and just gave up on watching television at all tonight.  Every channel has interrupted regular programming to scare me into going underground.  I would be happy to seek shelter in the basement. 

If only I had a basement.

Instead, I have gone over my options all evening.  I'm torn between the center hall and the crawl space.  Neither one seems adequate (if you know what I mean). 

I keep watching the news, making absolutely sure that my house is out of the path of the storm.  It seems the worst of the storm may be over, and all we have to show for it is one little frog.

That was all we found after hearing a loud bang against the front door.  It was a little tree frog clinging to our front door.  We heard the noise and ran outside, expecting to see a flying cow or a bitch on a broomstick, but all we found was that little frog.

I guess it's safe for me to go to sleep. 

I wish the same could say for many other people in the neighboring towns.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the families devistated by tonight's storms. 

A tornado is no laughing matter. 

Until the next time...I'll be thanking my lucky stars that my family is safe.

heart my soul

Well, I finally did it!  I bought a car.

And I couldn't be happier with my choice, the Kia Soul.  It's cute, and sporty, and full of fun.  I did have to spend the entire day in the car dealership going back and forth over the price.  And I will gladly hire out my negotiating skills for anyone in need of a new car, but give me a few weeks to recover from the stress of it all first.  Stressful, but in the end...it was worth it. 

Even if I did practically starve myself today.

On my way home (at midnight) I stopped by McDonald's for my first meal since breakfast.  I blasted classical  music on the satellite radio, and relaxed to the mood lighting on the multicolored lighted speakers (they came standard on the car, I didn't pick them).  It was like being a kid again.  I have a shiny new toy, and I can't wait to play with all the features. 

Right after I sleep for a few hours.  Negotiating is hard work...don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Until the next time...I'll be pairing my phone via bluetooth to my new car!

crazy weather we’re having, huh?

I was caught up in what appeared to be a monsoon this evening.  Out of nowhere, the wind picked up, blowing sideways across the road, sending bits of debris in circles around the Land Rover.  And as it happens, the passenger window on the Land Rover is stuck partly open.  About three inches open, in fact.  Just enough for the torrents of rain to get in. 

I got soaked. 

Even more so once we parked in the driveway and had to make a run for it.  I almost lost my flip flops in the thick mud alongside the sidewalk. 

Don’t you just love spring?

I liked it a lot more before the rain moved in…especially this afternoon.  I spent my day test driving cars. If all goes well, I will be driving a new car tomorrow. 

I’ll let you know. 

Then again, if this rain keeps up, I may have to postpone until Wednesday.  I can’t test drive cars in the rain…

Can I?

Until the next time…I’ll be looking at cars!

hoppy easter

For the first time in twenty-one years, I didn't do Easter baskets.

The weirdest part of that statement, for me, was the fact that none of the kids complained.  I think they all felt they were finally too old for the Easter bunny, and I don't know how I feel about that just yet.  Not only did I skip the baskets filled with candy, but Mike and I didn't bother with a ham, or a turkey, or even a pot roast.  Instead, my husband made a vegetarian dinner that would have sent the kids running to McDonald's, had any of them been home to eat dinner with us. 

I guess the point I am trying to make is, my kids are all grown up. 

It was inevitable, really.  They all grow up eventually...but I just kept thinking it was a few years off in the distance. 

It would appear that those few years suddently caught up to me. 

The next thing you know someone will tell me it's time to start wishing for grandchildren.  But all I can say to that is...not so fast.  I'm not even remotely ready for grandchildren yet. I'm still getting used to the fact that the next time I need to buy diapers it will probably be for me! 

Let's hope that's a few years off in the distance too...

But baskets or not, it was a nice quiet Easter Sunday.  And I did actually go buy a few chocolate eggs...just for old time's sake. 

Just don't tell the kids.  I don't feel like sharing this time.

Until the next time...I'll be hiding my eggs in the vegetable drawer!

a tale of two kitties

An important rule to follow…never change your brand of cat food without consulting the family cat. 

Earlier in the week, while I was at the pet store buying a week’s worth of ridiculously expensive dog food, I decided I would treat the cats to an equally good cat food.  Admittedly, the clerk at the store made me feel guilty for feeding my cats a “grocery store” brand of food while I spared no expense to feed my dogs.  The grocery store food was less expensive, and more readily available.  The cats never complained, but why should they get anything less than the best?

So I bought a bag of high quality cat food and excitedly took it home to feed the cats.

An empty bowl is a bad thing at our house.  Even if the cats aren’t hungry, they expect food to be waiting for them for when the mood strikes.  I had barely set foot in the house when I was under attack.  They herded me toward the laundry room, nudging me with their furry little bodies as I tried to walk. 

I made it to their bowls and tore open the bag as they waited impatiently for the first bite. 

The bowls were full, but the cats weren’t eating.  They circled my feet expectantly, but that was all I had for them.  I could tell they weren’t happy, but I figured a little time and hunger would change their minds.

I checked on the bowls daily to find them unchanged. 

After two days it seemed as if barely a few bites had been eaten.  And any time I went near the laundry room I was accosted.  In fact, Henry Chow, ninja kitty had knocked everything off the shelves looking for any remnants of his old food.  He discovered a few crumbs at the bottom of an old bag of grocery store food in the trash and he pulled it out as a reminder to me. 

On day three, I witnessed the strangest thing I had ever seen.

I fed the dogs as I did every other morning, but on this particular morning, as Cybil approached her bowl, Henry Chow moved in and began eating.  My old Labrador growled at the cat, telling him he was out of line, but the cat held his ground as if to say, “Go away old dog…I eating your food today.”  And amazingly, the dog backed off as Henry Chow ate her food. 

He would rather eat dog food than a single bite of that expensive cat food.

I went straight to the grocery store and picked up a bag of their regular food. 

They are happy again.  I saw them sleeping on their favorite kitchen chairs, not a care in the world…bellies full again.  And the dogs are happy too…they don’t have to worry about cats stealing their food anymore.  No self respecting cat would eat dog food when they have perfectly good grocery store food to eat!

And that bag of expensive cat food sitting in the pantry?

Who knows what I’ll do with that…

Until the next time…I’ll be working on a few new recipes!

maybe it was all just a dream

I woke up today to the familiar sound of my husband at work, just a few feet away from the bed, tapping away on his laptop and talking on the phone. 

The dogs were camped out on the floor beside me (and one tucked into the blankets on the bed) snoring peacefully. 

It seemed like the entire week had been a dream.  Nothing bad could have happened at all...not when this morning felt so tranquil. 

Well...maybe it was a dream.  Things certainly seem to be back to normal.  Mike and I are even resuming our search for a new car. 

But that will have to wait for tomorrow.  Today was far too busy between shuttling people between school and work...modeling photo shoots...a wild goose chase through the streets of Kennesaw...a late dinner date with my husband...and a late night trip to the grocery store to stock up on food for the coming apocalypse. 

You know...normal stuff.

Tomorrow won't be much better, but it is the weekend.  We can give it a solid try!  I have the car picked out, now we just have to find one in stock while the rebates are still available.  I won't say which car I picked...don't want anyone getting there before me!

It could happen!

Until the next time...I'll be getting up early for another busy day!

just another thursday

Well, things would appear to be back to normal.  Whatever that means.

It was a happy, if not hectic household today.  The dogs frolicked in the aftermath of last night's rain storm, coming back from the yard covered from paw to muzzle in sticky mud.  After bathing three of the four of the current furry residents, I was on to bigger and better things.

Like playing chauffeur to the kids, and having a quick visit with a good friend. 

Like I said...back to normal.

I guess I like normal...it's better than the alternative.  But normal sure does make you tired.  I'm ready for bed.  Tomorrow is the first day of the weekend...I wonder what's in store for me then.

Until the next time...I'll be enjoying my Friday!

the flight of the bumblebee

Today was a busy day.

I started the day on the sofa…my bed of choice over the past few nights…and woke up with the dog steaming up my eyelids. 

Despite my overall lack of sleep, I can’t blame it on the sofa.  It’s comfy enough, and big enough, for both Indy and me to sleep.  But the dog tosses and turns, and snores very loudly.  I got very little sleep last night. 

And it didn’t help that I fell asleep in my clothes…or that I got punched in the eye, by a very large dog paw, as Indy jumped up to sleep beside me. 

The rest of the day was better…but even crazier. 

Alexa had a modeling audition, so we were scrambling for something for her to wear.  This was an all afternoon affair that had us running around through every shop in a ten mile radius.  My imaginary soundtrack was playing a constant loop of the flight of the bumblebee all day long.   

I didn’t slow down until almost midnight.

I have to say, it was a pretty good day despite the craziness.  I feel more hopeful than I have in days, and it’s important to have hope. 

That, and clean clothes…

But since I’ve been moping for days, I guess that means I need to do laundry tomorrow.  I think I can handle that!

Until the next time…I’ll be getting back to the normal routine!