Ten days? When have I ever been away from the computer for ten days? Whew! What have I been doing?

Glad you asked...

The Tuesday after we got back from our little reunion trip (not in the UP, Roadie, just Up North, it's a good six hours from there to the UP), I woke up feeling terrible. I'd been up a good share of the night with some wicked stomach issues and was deeply considering the luxury of taking the day off. (Seems the C2 Coke has even more gut-rotting capabilities than the regular product, so I'm once again on water.) (Sigh) Being the martyr I rarely am, I decided to head into work anyway. I hit the garage door button, got in my truck, checked the mirror and put the truck in reverse...

...Backing right through the garage door which hadn't quite gone up all the way. I ended up taking the day off anyway to deal with insurance agents, etc. (Both home and auto, thanks.) The damage to the auto is strickly cosmetic, but the garage door was wood and is now toothpicks. I can't say enough good things about my insurance, though. I already have the check in hand for the car and they're being pretty fair about the door.

Tried logging onto the internet to share the glorious details with you all, but the new dial up wasn't working right... for days and days I tried to log on. Finally, I discovered the friggin' phone jack wasn't working. (I managed to pull it away from the wall and figure the problem to be with the jack itself and not just the wiring. I'll be to the hardware store as soon as I can, in the meantime, I'm laptopping it thanks to software that arrived in the mail this week.)

Friday night brought a visit to a funeral home, as my Dad called to say a family friend's mother had passed away. Also, a visit with my recently paroled uncle who is now living exactly where he was living 30 years ago. (You'd have to know the whole story to get the irony here.) What was he in prison for? For drugs and stupidity, my friend, drugs and stupidity. (They go hand in hand.)

Our new across the street neighbors were having a housewarming party on Saturday. Our plan had been to drop by for an hour or so, but we ended up dropping by again and again as the night went on. (We have mutal friends and acquaintances with these people.) The cops came to tell us to be quiet around 11:00. I finally came home around midnight, Hubband sometime later...We got there at 3:30pm!

The next day, after sleeping late, taking Boy to see "I,Robot" (I'd not read the book before, so it wasn't that bad for me, and a promise is a promise), and buying the cutest new purse, I came home to find the neighbors were having Housewarming, Part II. A couple more hours of party and I was done in.

This week has been a flurry of work (I've been in a foul, foul mood where work is concerned) and trying to think of reasons to drive around while I still had the car. I turned it in today, and had the guy bring me home while Hubband is at the ball game. He is going to get to play chaueffer this week.

So...that's my life right now. Exciting, no? Nope, not the least bit.

Two things I've been thinking about, though.

One, I keep dreaming that I'm in an airport, trying to get somewhere and I never, ever seem to have everything I need. But it doesn't matter to me that I'm missing my toothbrush or all my luggage in general, just as long as I get on that plane. Sometimes I'm running to someone and sometimes it seems as if I'm leaving someone. Weird.

Second, I did something at the party I haven't had much luck with previously. I turned off those little voices inside my head that keep me from enjoying myself. And I did it without getting drunk, which is a nice switch. I not only enjoyed myself, I wrangled myself into other people's conversations. I was bubbly. I was friendly. I friggin' mingled. There was a girl there, Theresa, who was one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life. She had hair, face, figure, fashions, the works. And instead of feeling intimidated by her, I realized she wasn't talking to anyone and struck up a conversation.

I realized, talking with the Hubband this week, that I had been sending him off to socialize alone more than a wife probably should. (After all, his first wife did that, didn't she?) As we discussed this, it occurred to Hubband that it was my low self esteem that was keeping me out of the loop. (He's kind of slow on the uptake sometimes.) He was dumbfounded why I would think these people were any better than myself. I realized he was right and I needed to just go forth and be me. Be me at my best, but be me. It's not the world's biggest epiphany, but it's something to put to the test.

The rest of my time has been spent getting ready for our Altered Book exhibit at the local library. Scary stuff, especially since I've only finished two of the four books I had planned to exibit.

Now I'm off to enjoy the last few minutes of peace and quiet before the Hubband comes bouncing in from his ball game.

(Oh, I also watched both DVD's of "An Evening with Kevin Smith". Damn, that man can talk!)

Snoogin's!