I'm So Wired Up. Don't Need No Coffee In My Cup.

Here are some Star Trek Captains hanging above a pool table in Riverside Iowa.

So, I had a hard time sleeping on Monday night. I kept waking up and not being able to fall back to sleep. Since I have so much vacation time saved up, I decided to use a half day of it and go home at noon and nap. I highly recommend it.

I had Stinky call me when she was done with school, so I would wake up and get her and get things done for the rest of my afternoon. I did go donate plasma and I ran after that. I was going to heat up something easy for dinner, but The Guy came home from his bike ride and said he was craving sushi and asked if I'd let him take me out for some. Who was I to say no?

I had a wonderful half day off and was able to sleep well last night. I guess we'll see what tonight brings, but I feel a million times better today than I did at this time yesterday.

Let's all remember to stop, relax and take care of ourselves when we can, okay?

No, No, No. She Don't Think Straight.

Here are some creepy dolls to help traumatize you to sleep.

Well, kids. This will be short. I had a good night with the guy. We did pack up most of his stuff for the trip and I'll pack most of my stuff tomorrow night. I'm so excited, I can barely stand it, but I still have to wait until Friday. I'm sure I'll be tons of fun to work with the next two days....

She's So Heavy

Today was so awesome. Coadster and I just kept thanking each other for being so much fun. It was hot as hell and perfect for a day in the water park. We went on almost all of the slides, the lazy river, the largest water roller coaster in the world, spent a good deal of time in the wave pool, Coadster got a beloved corn dog and then we went to the best haunted house (in the form of a crypt) we've ever been to...And Coadster loves that spooky stuff, so we've been to a lot. My goal was to spoil the hell out of her and according to Coadster, I was a success.

Tomorrow, we're going to go shopping for school stuff. Since the Target store in Ames is flooded now, it looks like we'll be getting everything here and transporting it. In the evening, I'm helping my friend G. out. She has a date with a guy we call "the cyclist who doesn't wear a helmet" (we have nicknames for pretty much everyone). She's meeting him early for drinks, and I don't want her to have to worry about getting there or back and not being able to drink...Because there's no better time for a drink than a first date.

Saturday I plan on cleaning my house and helping Coadster pack. I have so much to do around my house and I'll have a few days to devote to it.

Saturday night we're still planning on having our girl night. Mr B. just texted me to tell me he was coming into town to see some bands and wanted to see me too, and I am so glad I hadn't already planned to go to that show. Now, I can make a point NOT to run into him. Thanks to my reboot last week, I've become a phantom to anyone who either can't be nice to me, can't stop playing games or both. It's amazing how much simpler my life is lately...Perfect.

All Aboard for Funtime

Hey, whaddaya know? I actually did get to blog tonight. Of course, I don't have that much to blog about anyway. I spent much of the day working on the details of our trip tomorrow and finishing up the last of the paperwork to get Coadster into school. It's so weird that this time next week, she'll be gone...That is, if the flood that overtook Ames, Iowa calms down enough for her to move into the dorms.

...But I can't think about that right now...I'll think about that tomorrow...Or next week. Whatever. Right now. I'm packing a few things up. I already gassed up the car and bought more sunscreen and I have tickets and Mapquest directions printed out. So, tomorrow, all I have to do is drive way too long but then mostly, play in the biggest water park I've ever been in, with one of my favorite people in the world. Nice work if you can get it, eh? I hope you all have as much fun as you can handle tomorrow too.

You're Not Adorable. I Was Something Unignorable

And still more garden pics. But look! I have coral and purple glads (hiding behind the cone flowers). It's momentous...Almost as momentous as the two sentences I just started with such incorrect grammar.

So, this weekend. What of it? It was a bit of an eye opener in a good way. I spent a lot of time being internal and trying to maneuver through the maze that is my scary brain...Now that's one hell of a cleaning project.

Friday it rained. I was going to try to get some shit taken care of and then kayak with some friends, but I really didn't do much of anything. I think after how much other physical, outdoorsy stuff I did all week, I was ready to give myself a day off. I had some offers to go out and play on Friday night, but declined them all. Instead, the girls and I ordered a pizza, then when they both went out, I decided to just chill out and watch a movie or two. I was relishing the alone time when Mr. B. called me. We talked a little bit and I reiterated that I had problems being his friend while he had a girlfriend and was still trying to get with me. There's nothing more unattractive to me than a guy who's even thinking about another woman and still trying to hit on me. As far as I'm concerned, if he's confused about who he wants, I will always step away and make the guy's decision easy for him. We didn't talk long, because I have a very low tolerance for bullshit and I was done. I have such a hard time just not answering the phone when he calls. He's so funny and great in so many ways, but he's just so damaged, and that seems to override the good. What a shame.

On Saturday I ran a bunch of errands, went running, finished mowing a few parts of my yard and did some cleaning. I went out with some friends that night and it was really fun. I stayed out a little later than I wanted, because I was going to give a friend of mine a ride home and she hardly ever gets out and I knew she was having a blast, so I wanted to give her as much time as she could squeeze out of the night. I got home around midnight and like clockwork, got a call from Mr B. His birthday was today, so I'm sure that some of his neediness was about that...And the fact that he saw some pics on Facebook from when I ran the Bix and they apparently made an impression. He said he was in the middle of a poker game and asked me if he could call me back a little later. I told him that wouldn't work for me and said goodbye and went to bed.

Today, I ran when I woke up, but was feeling a little restless afterward. I put out a call to anyone who might be interested in either a bike ride or kayaking. G. and D. answered and we went to Lake McBride. It was so nice. We had a paddle boat full of high school boys following us around the lake, trying to get our attention with their air horn and then flirting with us for almost an hour. It was cute...Until it got annoying.

Tomorrow, I have to eat that big reality sandwich. I not only have to go back to work, but I have to actually have to work ALL FIVE DAYS....40 hours. Yeah, I know - wah, effing, wah. At least I can say that I made the most of my week. It's nice not to have any regrets.

See the World in Green and Blue

I like to call these ghost flowers, because they come out of nowhere and look a little ethereal.

Did you ever have one of those days where everything goes wrong? Yeah, well I just had the opposite of one of those. How refreshing.

The cable guy was supposed to come and fix a problem I was having between 8-10. Since my friend asked me to meet her and her mom at 9:30, I was a little worried the cable guy would come at the latter part of the window, but he got to my place right at 8:30 and was gone by nine and my problem was fixed.

My friend drove us out to Riverside and we walked past the smoky slot machine area and then entered the lovely spa that was spewing cheesy new agey type music, but smelled really good. They had a sauna and a jacuzzi and a nice pool that was part indoors and part outdoors. So, my friend and I camped out in really nice lounge chairs while her mom got her first massage ever and then I sat with her mom while my friend got her first massage ever. They are both very wonderful people, so we had great conversations and the weather was absolutely perfect and when it got a little too warm, we just took dips in the pool. We had to leave around 2, because my friend had to take her son to an appointment.

When I got home, I was so refreshed that I decided to just go ahead and run my 10 mile route. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I took the day before off from running, or the weather was so nice, or that I had music to listen to this time, but my 10 mile run felt great. I even kicked it the last mile or so.

I mowed the lawn and that made me happy. I finally came in the house and ate and I felt it. You know, the feeling you had when you were a kid and you went out and played all day and when you finally stopped, your legs ached until you fell asleep? That's what I felt. I can't remember the last time I had that. It was pretty glorious.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to run, renew my license and then go kayaking with some girls in the afternoon if it doesn't rain. I figure if it rains, I'll spend some more time cleaning my place and if it doesn't, I'll go have more adventures and see if I can get another glorious leg ache.

I Know When to Go Out. And When to Stay In. Get Things Done.

Here is Stinky and Coadster in some crazy stage make-up after the play on Sunday.

Boy, a girl sure could get used to this life of leisure deal. It's so nice to have time to play AND get stuff done.

I kind of screwed myself today a little by having those two beers the night before. I had been a little migrainey over the weekend, and when I'm like that, I have to stay far away from alcohol. Of course, I thought I was in the clear but I was wrong. I woke up today with a bad migraine. I took my meds and in a couple of hours I was fine, but it felt like I wasted my morning.

Once I was better, I got some things done. I finally registered my car and did recycling and some other tedious tasks. Then I went on an hour long bike ride and that was lovely. I took today off of running, because I try to make myself take two days off a week. After my bike ride, I tackled the living room. I'm trying to do one room a day - top to bottom. It's so nice to see the room that clean. I'm trying to relish it, because I know it won't last long.

I can't believe tomorrow is Thursday already. Weeks go by so much faster when you don't have to work. Another friend of mine is also taking vacation time this week. Her parents are in town and so she invited me to go with her and her mom to the Riverside Casino. You can get a day pass and use their pool, sauna and jacuzzi. It sounds like a wonderful way to spend a morning. If it's as nice as they say it's supposed to be outside tomorrow, I might just run my 10 mile route when I get back. Tomorrow's chore is the bathroom, not my favorite, but again, it's always so nice to have it done. Now, I better get to bed so I can rest up for more leisure. Ahhhh.

Like Stars Burning Holes Right Through the Dark

Here is the back end of Roberts Dairy.

Okay. I may have overdone it a bit today. I ran 6 miles in the morning, then cleaned my kitchen. After that I called a woman who is a friend of someone I work with, to set up an appointment to mow her lawn. She says she's too old to do it anymore and didn't want to pay the amount a lawn care company would charge. When she answered, she said she didn't just want to set up a meeting, she wanted me to actually come over and mow. I had already made plans with my friend K. to kayak at around 3, so I told her I'd come over after that.

K. and I kayaked for about an hour and a half. There weren't many people on the lake on a Monday, and so we had a ton of space to paddle around in. She had a super fun weekend, and I got a chance to live vicariously through her. I almost felt like I had a life for a minute there.

I dropped K. off and then drove over to the woman's house. Her lawn is pretty big, but not out of control. It took me almost two hours. She called me a work horse and couldn't believe I was done so quickly. Then came the conversation about pay. Neither one of us had any idea how much she should pay me. Finally, she said $40. I thought that was a little high. She said, she'd pay me that today, since the grass was a little high and then after that, she'd go down to $30. I accepted that. It will be nice to trade one day of giving plasma for mowing her lawn. I'll still have to donate plasma one night a week, but that's so much better than two.

These Are the Days When Anything Goes

I stole this pic off of The Bix 7 Facebook page. It's of the very wet race I ran. If you look to the left side of the pic, you can see how crowded and boxed in we all were. The guy running by himself was an elite runner, who got to go out in front.

I can't tell you how glad I am that I get a whole week off after this weekend. I really need it. I had a great time, but I didn't get a lot done around the house, and I plan on fixing that in the next couple of days.

On Friday, I got home and made sure the girls were both set-up and then drove to the Quad Cities to pick up my packet. I'm glad I did. As you all know, I have no sense of direction, so it was good to orient myself with downtown Davenport, so the next morning, I wouldn't spend an hour figuring out where things were.

I woke up on Saturday morning at 5 and it was storming out. Great. I had expected it, but it makes it so hard to figure out what to take. I brought sunscreen and sun glasses in case the sun magically appeared before the race, but figured I'd mostly be wearing a sports bra, shorts and a hat. Any kind of t-shirt weighs you down and chafes (that's hot).

So, there I was, standing among 15,000 other runners, when I saw my new racing buddy. He's the guy I hung out with at my last race. He used to manage the Deadwood and then later tended bar at the Foxhead when I was in college. His wife is on the roller derby team here and he now manages the meat section at the Co-op. Anyway, it's so weird that I spotted him in that huge crowd. We hung out before the race and chatted about running and our kids and how much we love that rush you get right before the race and how annoying it was that really slow runners and walkers lie about their times in order to get up closer to the starting line, but then you can't get around them. Then, when the race started, we said goodbye, because he runs a little faster than I do.

Coadster in Godspell.

The race itself was good in so many ways and a little annoying in others. It would downpour sporadically and the streets were super wet and slippery because of that. The atmosphere, however was great. You have everything from world class runners, to people wearing costumes and then spectators line both sides of the street and some just watch, but others play bagpipes. and some blare cheesy running related music, (think: "The Final Countdown", "Every Day is a Winding Road", "Gonna Fly Now"-the theme from Rocky...) or strum banjos and kids hold their hands out waiting for you to slap them.

I felt really good for most of the race. The big problem for me was getting boxed in. It took me over 5 minutes to even get to the starting line. There was no way to get around people and so I was stuck going WAY slower than I wanted. Things finally opened up by the end, and I tried to make up for lost miles, but it was too late. Note to self: Next year, lie about your time, so you'll be with people who at least run close to your pace.

Coadster in a dance number.

I left The Quad Cities feeling great and happy and still high from my race. I didn't used to run races, because it's tough to do on my own and it takes me WAY out of my comfort zone, but last year a friend of mine told me to just give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. It's not always a bad thing stepping out of your comfort zone, and I've remembered how much I like having something to train for and then battling with myself physically and mentally during a race.

I napped when I got home and then spent some time with Stinky before she went out with her friends and I went out with mine. I went to a friend's house to celebrate his 50th birthday. All the usual suspects were there and we had a great time. I warned the people I drove out there, that I didn't know how long I'd make it, but I stayed longer than I thought. Finally, I dropped my friends off at the Dublin and I went home went to bed.

Today I finally got to see Coadster perform in Godspell. She was amazing. She sang the song "By My Side" which is pretty moving anyway, and I went to the play with Stinky and my friend C., who's husband just had the heart attack and her daughter and C. and Stinky were just bawling through the whole song. It was a really nice afternoon.

Soooo, now I get 7 more days before I have to be back at work. Let's see if can make the most of them.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

Here are some more wildflowers.

Check me out. Tomorrow is my last day before my week long vacation. I know it seems like I'm on vacation every week...And I kind of am. But in another month, I'll have blown through all of my vacation days, and I'll be back to working a full 40 hours a week like everyone else.

Right now, though? Right now, I'm planning a weeks worth of activities.

Tomorrow I have to drive to the Quad Cities right after work and pick up my race packet for the Bix ( a 7 mile race in Davenport). I'll try to get home as soon as I get it. Then a friend of mine might have some girls over for movie night. If she doesn't, I'll probably just come home and try to go to sleep as early as possible.

I'll wake up on Saturday around 5 am (Lord, help me), drive to the Quad Cities again, run my race and hang out at the after party for a while. There are supposed to be some amazing world class runners at the Bix this year, and I figure it could be fun to meet me one or two of them.

I will try to blog the rest of the week - mostly because I make myself write every weekday, but I don't know how actively I'll be reading and commenting on everyone else's blogs. I'm sure none of you will be surprised when I tell you that I plan on keeping busy this week.

I'm going to try to run, bike, hike and kayak as much as possible. By Friday, we're going to get most of the people who went on my birthday, to play hooky and have another paddle/float party on the lake.

I have a ton of house projects I want to get going on too. I'm just gonna have to work hard at balancing my fun time with my project time.

Last night, Stinky got off work around 10 o'clock. She and her boyfriend came in with a DVD they just rented and said they would love to hang out with me and watch the movie outside on the porch again. I reminded them that I had to work in the morning, but promised that we'd watch a movie outside again next week, while I was off work.

Soooo, I have a lot to look forward to. As usual, I'll try to make the most out of my time away from work. I plan to play as hard as I work and appreciate the hell out of everyone and everything around me. Amen.

Crazy Are the People Walking Through My Head

Damn it! I know I said I was going to give you a break from my garden shots, but I just can't help it. I'm so proud of my tomato plants that I planted from seeds. I finally have several little tomatoes forming. Hurray!

So, I had a pretty weird, sleepless night last night. I had a hard time falling asleep (as usual) and then the constant storms woke me up several times. The thunder and lightning were wicked.

At around 5 am, I heard Coadster yelling my name. I jumped out of bed to find her throwing up into a bowl. I got her some water and made sure she was okay and tried to get back to sleep without much success. Coadster has pretty much been puking ever since. I feel so bad for her. I'm assuming it's a virus and she keeps complaining about having stomach cramps. I bring her a warm cloth for her forehead from time to time, but I don't know what else to do for her. I think it's an occupational hazard of working in a daycare. Poor girl.

We had a lovely tornado warning in our area this afternoon, so that was another fun thing. It wasn't anywhere near Iowa City, thank god. By the time I got home from work, I was so exhausted that I took a two hour nap. It was exactly what I needed.

Now, I'm going to try and clean as much of my house as I can, so that I have more time to play with Stinky tomorrow on my first vacation day. Hopefully, all the illness and storms have passed for a few days. I could use a nice sunny, happy day tomorrow. Wish me luck, and I'll wish the best for you as well...As always.

After a Storm, There Must be a Calm

Stinky roasting her marshmallow perfectly...According to her.

So, remember how yesterday I said I was overwhelmed and needed more time and money? Well, there isn't much I can do about the money I don't have, but I did do something about the time issue. That's right. I started asking for my Summer vacation time off of work. I won't be able to take it for a while, but just knowing it's coming helps me.

I'm going to take my last half furlough day off this Friday. Since it's the only time my girls will be going to the same prom...That is unless Coadster comes back from college and starts trolling for high school boys (when I made this funny joke to Coadster, she rolled her eyes so hard she almost had a seizure). Anyway, I figured I'd need an extra half day to calm down while my girls are in school on Friday to make up for whatever it will take to get both my girls to the prom.

I'm also taking 3 half days on the last three Fridays in May. That will be something nice to look forward to. Once I get to June, I should be able to calm down a bit, it's just the next couple of months that have me a little worried. I've been stressing really hard about everything I want to get done before Coadster's graduation party on Memorial Day weekend. I talked to some of my friends about it and they told me to just calm down and chill out. They said my house looks fine the way it is, so I should consider whatever else I get done before the party a bonus and let it go. Nothing like good friends to help put things in perspective. Of course, I'll still try to get as much done as possible, I'll just try to lessen my self-imposed stress and call it "good enough".

Once June comes along, I'll start taking at least a week off a month through August. Have I mentioned how much I love Summer?

I'm Not Containable

Friday was the perfect last vacation day of the Summer. It was cool and rainy most of the day. I stayed in and got a bunch of projects done. In fact, I didn't leave my house once the whole day. Apparently, I needed some time to myself. Later in the evening, Coadster and I watched a bunch of Dexter episodes. I love that serial killer with a heart of gold.

Saturday night I went out with some friends for karaoke. I had to drive Stinky to a party and back, so I was the sober girl of the group. After karaoke, we went back to the Dublin where a VERY drunk off-duty bartender showed up.

At first, I thought I was going to stick around and give people rides home. Then I remembered two things: 1.) I'm too much of a loser to stay out until bar close, and 2.) my friends don't really go home after bar close anyway.

I was quite the trooper though. I stayed out until the drunken off-duty bartender yelled out "Laaaaaast Caaaalllll" (albeit, not with half as much flair as my girlcrush does it) and the girl standing next to him promptly fell off her perch. I took it as a sign to get on home.

If I Could Make a Wish, I Think I'd Pass. Can't Think of Anything I Need.

Coadster looking a little annoyed at the beginning of our trip.

Sometimes I wonder why I do it. Is it really worth all of the hassle? All that running around, acquiring things and packing and shopping and forgetting stuff and shopping again. Then there's the driving and the getting lost, or not really getting lost but thinking I'm lost because the Mapquest mileage seems to be off by quite a bit.

Stinky knocking her elbow getting out of the teepee we found during out hike.

Then when we finally get there, we go through that transition period. The girls are suddenly out of their elements and their phones don't work, and there's no computer or friends to talk to and it's all a little bit disconcerting for teenage girls.

There's usually weird attitudes and meltdowns to contend with on the first day too. One kid always seems to want to do the exact thing that her sister just said she hated. I've been through it during almost every vacation, but I always hope we can skip that initial transition phase. It seems no matter what age they are, we still have to suffer through it.

The girls during our kick-ass hour and a half long hike.

Without even being aware of it, the next day things change. Everything is easier and the girls are so much more amenable. We're having actual conversations about books and music, instead of what some dumb boy at their school said or which girls are pregnant.

My daughters finally adapt their "guest" personalities - the ones they usually reserve for other people's parents. They take it upon themselves to help. They decide between themselves what activity they'll be willing to do. Suddenly, we're all going on long hikes and laughing and then cooling down at the beach.

Stinky stuffing herself with s'mores.

On the last night, we've all but forgotten the initial stress of the trip and try not to think about all the musty smelling clothes we'll have and the sand that will follow us back across the state line.

The girls all hopped up on sugar on our last night.

We make s'mores and we all get a little sugar crazed. It's okay, though. Because everything is hilarious and my girls are totally charming. I am in it and aware of it at the same time. This right here makes all the other stress worth it. It's always nice to be reminded that we can all hang out and have this much fun with each other. We're the entertainment and we don't need glowing boxes, or texting or social networking sites. Right then, we're enough.

My girls with my brother in Madison.

We ease back into civilization and home, by way of a visit with my brother in Madison. We wander around State Street and go to a Chinese buffet for lunch and the girls' phones are working again and Stinky goes on a texting rampage to make up for lost time. While we all look forward to going home and blogging and messaging and reconnecting with our friends, we're also glad that we got away from it all for a little while. The perspective is always worth the bother.

Lost Between Tomorrow and Yesterday

Here are some people fishing from far away.

I've been the worst, most selfish blogger lately. My excuse is that I'm on vacation and I'm getting the girls all ready for school and us all ready for our camping trip.

I'm not sure if I'll blog tomorrow. Then we leave for Wisconsin on Wednesday. I promise next week I'll be back to blogging and reading other blogs on a regular basis. RAWK!

And Babe, Don't You Know It's a Pity That the Days Can't Be Like the Nights

Here are some flowers on both sides of a fence.

So, yeah. Hey, things are going well here tonight. We finally finished up having Coadster's senior pictures taken. Whenever we get them in, I'll be sure to post some.

I know I just took a vacation, but I'm taking another one too. I'm off tomorrow and all of next week. It looks like it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow, so the plan is to run a few errands and then clean the hell out of my house. I think I might just stay home tomorrow night and read and/or watch movies with the girls.

On Saturday the girls are supposed to go to the Quad Cities with their dad for their family reunion. I don't have a lot planned for the day. It's supposed to get hot again, so I guess I'll have to wake up early and run before it gets up to 100 degrees.

Saturday evening, I'm supposed to go to a weird more casual wedding type reception in someone's backyard. Then my friend G. wants to go to karaoke again. I'll probably go watch, but I'm not quite sure if I'm in the mood to participate. I guess I'll decide when I get there.

What about you guys? Will you be running errands or running from the heat?

She Sees My Good Deeds, and She Kisses Me Windy

Here is a view from under a bridge. They've been working on a lot of the bridges around town that were exposed to the flood last Summer.

Today I flew without a net. That's right. I didn't write a list. What that meant was that I ran my 7 mile route, rode my bike for an hour, took photos around town, scheduled my massage for tomorrow, finished the book I started yesterday, but didn't do any real cleaning. I'm sure I'll feel like cleaning and organizing crap tomorrow...Ahem.

Here are railroad tracks as seen through some bars.

Stinky called to let me know that she got a shiner at basketball camp. She said she's fine, but that it does hurt a little. She sounds like she's having a great time though. Maybe I should make her play four basketball games a day to mellow her out at home too.

I Never Minded Workin' Hard, It's Who I'm Workin' For

This here looks like a pretty straight shot.

Soooo, I wasn't as good at getting the housework portion of my list accomplished. My rule is that I'm on vacation, so I'm going to try to get as much done as possible, but I'm not allowed to beat myself up if it all doesn't get done. You'll be happy to know that I did the important things, like run, reserve camping spaces for our quick trip to Devil's Lake in August, start reading the book that was suggested to me on Saturday night (Philip K. Dick's Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep?) and make chicken fajitas and de gallo salsa and guac for Coadster and I for dinner.

Just so you guys know, I'm doing limited blog activity this week as well. I'm trying to post every day, but I probably won't get around to replying to comments or reading everyone's blogs every day. Sorry, but it takes a lot of time to be a woman of leisure.

All Your Compliments and Cutting Remarks, Are Captured Here in the Quotation Marks

The name of this band is The Old Man.

So, this weekend was kind of weird. On Friday night I started my hibernation. The plan was to just rest. I had my jammies on by 6 and settling in with my girls to watch Coraline in 3-D around 9'ish. We got about a half hour into it, when our power went out. We hadn't been paying attention. There was this crazy, nasty thunderstorm going on all around us, and we were totally oblivious. We started calling and texting people to find out if they had power, and if they did, was there a tornado warning. Everything outside suddenly got quiet and that's when Coadster freaked. She was sure we were getting hit with another tornado. Luckily, it was just a bad storm.

Then I got a blinding migraine to match the weather outside. We went around lighting candles. I found my meds and had to lie down for most of the evening. The girls read by flashlights and finally went to bed around midnight. Our electricity came back on about one in the morning.

Here is our friend who was drenched in sweat after playing in such a hot, hot room.

I woke up migraine free on Saturday. It was the first day of my list making. I got almost everything on the list done too. Good for me. We'll see how long it lasts. I ran, cleaned my house, took all my recycling in and did a few loads of laundry.

I had to hang out in the parking lot with all the smokers to escape the opressive heat of the building.

On Saturday night, I met my friend G. She had two guy friends back in town for an informal college reunion. They were pretty fun and goofy and went with us to see some live music. The band we went to see was great, but the venue where they played was unbearably hot. One of the bartenders said the air was on, but it was WAY warmer inside than outside. I decided to hang out in the parking lot and then we made a break for it after the first band finished playing.

Back in the cooler confines of the Dublin where all was rainbows and unicorns and happy dolphins.

The Dublin was so much cooler and pleasant. I spent a few hours talking about books and music and drinking cool refreshing beverages. It was perfect.

Today I followed the list for my second day of vacation. I ran, got things ready for Stinky to go to basketball camp, cleaned the inside and outside of my car and went grocery shopping. I love that Coadster still giggles when we sit in the car wash and are getting sprayed by the thing that comes over the roof.

We'll see how tomorrow goes as far as my list is concerned. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on it, so that I don't get disappointed. It does feel good to get most of it accomplished though.

Good News Will Work Its Way to All Them Plans

Here is me dancing like a total dork. I will be doing this throughout my post to celebrate my upcoming, week long vacation.

Sooooo, one more day until my week off. What I didn't tell you guys, is that after I asked for the time off, I found out that Stinky had basketball camp out of town and then Coadster got her job. Coadster now works four ten hour days and gets one day off. On that day, she and I will make a college visit to UNI. I haven't been there since I was a student in 1983. It should be pretty weird. I wonder if it will look familiar at all.

More dorked-out dancing. Apparently, I never get tired of it.

The rest of the week will be mine. I'll see Coadster a few evenings and Stinky will be back on Thursday, but then they leave for the Quad Cities for most of the weekend with their dad. I can't remember when I've had that big a block of free time without work or my girls. I'm calling it my hibernate and reevaluate week. I plan on cleaning and organizing my life. Yeah, I know. A year would be more realistic, but I'm taking what I can get. The plan is to make a list for every day. I'll clean and organize one area of my house, then spend the rest of the day doing something for myself. It could include writing, drawing and painting, reading, watching movies, riding my bike, getting my massage or playing video games. The point is not just to try and get some work done, but to also spend quality time with myself. I know it sounds totally weird, but I'm one of those people who can't process things as I go. When I get busy and things get too social, I get kind of off-kilter. So, I know myself well enough to slow down and do things that I love, and get my feet back on the ground and my head back in the game. I can't tell you how much better I like myself when I make that effort.

I think I'm doing some kind of bizarre windmill maneuver here....Uh, yeah. Who the hell knows.

Tomorrow when I get off work, I'll run if it's nice, then I think the girls and I might watch Coraline with 3-D glasses. Yes, my whole family is just THAT nerdy. Thank you very much.

Saturday begins my Churlita mental wellness celebration. I'll write my list at the beginning of the day and run and do my chores and spend time with the girls. Saturday night I'm supposed to meet G.'s friends who will be in from Europe. She wants us to go to a show at a bar called Kandyland, but we're leaving things open to see how it goes.

Now, what are your plans for the weekend? Will you be celebrating your mental/metal health or will you be geeking out with your family?