The Saddest Day of the Year
Is today? Who'd a thunk it?
It's been a very grey season here in central TX, and the grey has bled over into the house in odd ways. Everyone has differing degrees of funk, even Beth: she's been a grouchy beast about meals now, and is given to stray fits now and again for no reason. Yes, on typical 'terrible twos' scales, its pretty mild, but it is quite disconcerting nonetheless. I've been especially put out by my own dramas: still unemployed, somewhat house crazy, still confronted by things I can't seem to control- my parents are having serious health care issues, I'm being hounded by creditors, and I can't for the life of me locate several highly valued books that I wanted to share with a friend. The other family members have all joined gyms & are embarking on strict diets, while I'm sneaking pringles into secret locales in the house...
By last week, R had become sufficiently concerned about my well being (you looked like you were about to cry, he said at one point) that he essentially ordered me to go out n take a break over the weekend, saying he'd watch Beth. I talked to my friend Ric about one of his fine Navasota camping trips, but late in the week he had a family emergency that carried him off to Arkansas. As consolation, Richard let me sleep in late on Saturday (unless you are a parent yourself, you really cant value that enough, trust me), and the weekend was gonna be a wash otherwise, but then Ric texted me out of the blue to say he'd broken his foot, and was unsure about he was going to get home. After more vague sms back n forth and some some mad scheming, a friend of the house who had been visiting & I set out for AR, unsure when or even if Ric would be up to traveling back with us, but perfectly willing to go set out n see what we could see.
So for Saturday night, we drove n drove n drove, chatting about this n that while swapping weird music on the car stereo. Now, long distance driving is not big in most people's books, I know, but long time readers know I'm quite apt to up n run off for a few hundred or thousand miles if circumstances allow for it- and what could be more meritorious than a bona fide rescue mission?
All told, we clocked in some 300 miles before we drew in for the night, which put us in range to go scoop Ric up n bring him home all in one day, if all went well. I had to get the car back to R for work by Monday morning, plus I had a game session schedule for Sunday night. Come sunday morning, Ric texted to say he'd been released from the hospital & felt good enough to drive himself home, tho he was going to wait out most of the day before starting. Ah well, best laid plans- we talked back n forth a bit, then toddled back to home, and pretty well called it a good trip for it's own sake. We made the game circle with hours to spare, tho lacking three other players, settled on sprucing up character sheets.
So today is sunny and in the 60s- maybe just that, but I;m having a darned good day, all told- howsabout you?
It's been a very grey season here in central TX, and the grey has bled over into the house in odd ways. Everyone has differing degrees of funk, even Beth: she's been a grouchy beast about meals now, and is given to stray fits now and again for no reason. Yes, on typical 'terrible twos' scales, its pretty mild, but it is quite disconcerting nonetheless. I've been especially put out by my own dramas: still unemployed, somewhat house crazy, still confronted by things I can't seem to control- my parents are having serious health care issues, I'm being hounded by creditors, and I can't for the life of me locate several highly valued books that I wanted to share with a friend. The other family members have all joined gyms & are embarking on strict diets, while I'm sneaking pringles into secret locales in the house...
By last week, R had become sufficiently concerned about my well being (you looked like you were about to cry, he said at one point) that he essentially ordered me to go out n take a break over the weekend, saying he'd watch Beth. I talked to my friend Ric about one of his fine Navasota camping trips, but late in the week he had a family emergency that carried him off to Arkansas. As consolation, Richard let me sleep in late on Saturday (unless you are a parent yourself, you really cant value that enough, trust me), and the weekend was gonna be a wash otherwise, but then Ric texted me out of the blue to say he'd broken his foot, and was unsure about he was going to get home. After more vague sms back n forth and some some mad scheming, a friend of the house who had been visiting & I set out for AR, unsure when or even if Ric would be up to traveling back with us, but perfectly willing to go set out n see what we could see.
So for Saturday night, we drove n drove n drove, chatting about this n that while swapping weird music on the car stereo. Now, long distance driving is not big in most people's books, I know, but long time readers know I'm quite apt to up n run off for a few hundred or thousand miles if circumstances allow for it- and what could be more meritorious than a bona fide rescue mission?
All told, we clocked in some 300 miles before we drew in for the night, which put us in range to go scoop Ric up n bring him home all in one day, if all went well. I had to get the car back to R for work by Monday morning, plus I had a game session schedule for Sunday night. Come sunday morning, Ric texted to say he'd been released from the hospital & felt good enough to drive himself home, tho he was going to wait out most of the day before starting. Ah well, best laid plans- we talked back n forth a bit, then toddled back to home, and pretty well called it a good trip for it's own sake. We made the game circle with hours to spare, tho lacking three other players, settled on sprucing up character sheets.
So today is sunny and in the 60s- maybe just that, but I;m having a darned good day, all told- howsabout you?