My nephew Soren came down with a cold the day after Thanksgiving. rfunk started to come down with it yesterday. Today I am sniffly, and I’m drinking as much water as I can in an effort to flush it out of my system before it gains a foothold. If I get sick, it will be the second time this month.

In related news, I just got an email from my Mom telling me ( Read more... )

Today is the first day of my vacation. I don't have to go back to work until September 5. We will be heading for Virginia on Saturday for a couple of days to visit my mother, brother and sister-in-law, and their two boys. This will be the first time I have met my newest nephew Kai, who is about 2 months old now.

I will miss the Summerland ( Read more... )

My grandparents owned a cottage in North Myrtle Beach, and my family would spend a week or so there every summer when I was growing up. The cottage is still in my extended family (having passed to my cousins), but I haven't made it down there in about 10 years. Today, however, I feel a strong desire for warm, salty breezes; hot sand; warm surf; ( Read more... )

I haven't yet mentioned my New Year's Eve plans. I will be performing with my dance troupe at Columbus's First Night celebration. We are in a smaller space than usual this year so we are doing solos and duets instead of group numbers. My troupe director gave me two solos! For one I will be dancing on water goblets. You invert three heavy ( Read more... )

I was really good at being social and personable at the various social functions this weekend. I'm pretty proud of myself for that. I mingled and talked with eight or ten people I had never met before. I was communicative and open. I bet no one would have ever guessed how shy I am. Why is it that I can be sociable some days and so withdrawn is ( Read more... )

I'm back from North Carolina. The bus ride from Columbus to Raleigh was nice, actually. We left at 1:20 am. At first I thought it was going to be uncomfortable because my friend and I were sitting near some loud people and I couldn't get to sleep. But we were able to switch seats at a service stop and after that it was good. I slept about 5 ( Read more... )

Tonight, at 1:20 am, I am getting on a bus bound for Raleigh, North Carolina to go to my cousin’s wedding. Normally I would fly to something like that, but a friend of mine at work is headed to NC as well to pick up a car that he bought on Ebay, and suggested that we share the ride. I am a bit skeptical about taking a 14-hour bus ride, but he ( Read more... )

The rest of my vacation was good. I got along well with everyone, and I never really felt inadequate, as I can easily do around my family. I met my nephew, my brother's son, for the first time. He's an adorable chubby 8-month-old who is obsessed with walking. He would get so frustrated that he couldn't walk yet. My five-year-old second cousins ( Read more... )

I'm back in Ohio. I got back yesterday afternoon. It was actually a good visit. The only sad part was that my grandmother was not able to hang on until I got there to say goodbye. She died about half an hour before my plane landed. I was disappointed, but the really important thing for me was to make the effort to be there and see her one last ( Read more... )

Thank you for all your kind words. They help ( Read more... )