Decompressing

It seems we jumped over spring weather a bit.  Normally, we have several months of 60 and 70 degree weather before the humidity really climbs and we spend our days in the 80's and 90's.  But we've had some really hot days, though not quite as humid as it can get, and I have to say, I'm a little cranky with it.  I just have to remember how cold it was this winter, though, to appreciate the warmth.

But it sure makes me glad the next project up on my docket is the baby blanket.  

It's a small thing, relatively speaking, so it won't be all over my lap for a long period of time.  And they usually work up pretty quickly, especially with the yarn I'm going to use, so I'll be done in a matter of hours (maybe 10 or 12 of them) instead of days or weeks.  I'm almost entirely certain which pattern I'm going to use.  I even know right where it is!  As I'm feeling right now, I intend to start that tonight.  Put the TV on in the background and lose myself in the yarn.

I'm in need of some decompression time.  I haven't quite managed to get myself back to an even keel after all the craziness and emotional upheaval of the last week or so.  So I'm hoping that the easy and repetitive task of crocheting will help to center me.  It's worked in the past.  I expect it to work again.

Status Report

What I can tell you with absolute fact is that law school graduations are boring as all hell.  Even when there's a great deal of excitement surrounding them, they are still incredibly boring.  But I made it through, and I was extremely glad I was there.  And afterwards we had a lovely dinner out with all the best parts of the family in celebration.  
But I was glad when it was over, and all the excitement had died down.  There was an insane amount of hoopla, and chaos (though it was the good kind) and I was much relieved for it all to be over and I could decompress.  It's hard for me to be always "on" and I don't handle the whole thing very well.  There were moments where I had to "check out" for a bit.  Just get lost in my own head and block out everything that was going on around me.  

That doesn't mean that I wasn't taking notes about all the social interaction and people watching, and mentally plopping people into new stories, of course.  

The weekend felt a lot more hectic than it actually was.  Really, after the craziness of Friday, it was fairly low key.  Got to spend time with my baby brother (half brother, if you want to get technical), who flew in as a surprise for Brub, and who we don't get to see very often because he lives half way across the country.  In fact, it's been about four years since we last laid eyes on him.  But he's a fantastic human being (despite by whom he was raised) and he was a joy to have here.  And despite that he's younger than me by 14 years, he's quite a bit taller and kept a close, protective eye on his big sister.  He's one of the big reasons why I was able to stay sane in all the chaos.  

Now, life can get back to normal again, which will be nice.  And I can get back to the yarn and the words, without this looming over my head.  There is much work to be done.  And I'm looking forward to it.  

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my mom--who is the best mom in the entire world--and to all the mothers out there.  May your day be filled with joy and celebration.

Graduation Day!

It's a big deal, to graduate from Law School.

Brub is 7th in his class.  Well done, Brub!  

Of course, there's going to be a lot of sitting around and doing nothing and waiting.  But our cousin gets to put Brub's hood on, during the ceremony, because she's a lawyer too.  She's so freaking excited for him, it's adorable.  

After all the waiting, and the ceremony, that's when the fun can begin.  We're having a wonderful celebratory dinner.  And visiting with the close relatives.  I'm going to do my damnedest to do that, and not dwell on the other, hurtful things.  

Wish me luck!  And send Brub a congrats!

Pomp and Circumstance

I'm not doing so well on the whole putting up posts thing, am I?

I've been very scattered lately.  I'm having trouble focusing on any one thing for any length of time.  

On top of that, there's a big to-do tomorrow: Brub graduates from Law School!  Huzzah!  We're all super proud of him, and very excited for him and his future.  But it's not the ceremony, of course.  After that, there's a party.  As well there should be.

But you know me and crowds...

So I'm not looking forward to all the hoopla of the afterwards.  Big crowds of people, needing to be "on" and socializing...Yeah, I'm shuddering just thinking about it.  I can fake it, but I'm going to be drained--physically and emotionally--by the end of it.

On top of all that, there's more drama...the kind that hurt me several weeks ago.  I'm not going to hash it all out, but I'm certainly having to shore myself up, be brave, and do what is best for me.  I don't want a confrontation, that serves no one, so I'm going to have to employ the "walk away" technique. I've been visualizing it in my head, so I think that if the need should arise, I'll be able to tactfully say that I don't have to take that kind of attitude/abuse, and then walk away.

But at any rate: Graduation!  Yay Brub!  Congrats!

Food Day

There are only 14 people in my office. So we take birthdays very seriously.  Whenever someone's birthday comes up, there is cake or dessert of the person's choice, and we order lunch from that person's favorite place, all of us chipping in to cover birthday person's lunch.  It's fun and nice.

In May, there are no birthdays.

But we didn't want to go a whole month without having a celebration, so we decided to appropriate Cinco de Mayo and have us a food day.  There is so much food, good food, that I'm going to be grazing all day.

I'm pretty sure they'll have to roll me home.

I mean, I've already eaten way too much food, that I had to get up and take a walk just to get it to settle.  But it's a fun celebration, and it's nice that everyone has brought in something different.  And it's really good that everyone is such a good cook, because everything tastes awesome.  

And makes us all feel a lot more connected.   

The Weirdness of Cats

Simon loves the bathroom.  I'm pretty sure it's his favorite room in the whole house.  And when I find him asleep in the dirty clothes basket, well, that I can understand.  But when he's stretched out on the bathmat in front of the sink, I have to wonder why.  It's not a cushy one, it's thin like a towel, so why does he like to lay there?  He also likes to sit on the counter next to the sink.  

And if I have to go pee?  He races me in and then hides behind the toliet like I can't see him.  Then the instant I sit down, he comes out like "Surprise!" and rubs up against my legs, wanting pets.  Then gets mad when I'm done and get up and walk away.

He knows the bathroom is a source of water, and since we spoil him, when he jumps up on the sink and sticks his face under the socket, we'll turn the water on to a trickle so he can drink.  And this is one cat who doesn't hate water.  Oh no, not Simon.  He likes to jump in the bathtub after someone has had a shower so he can play in the puddle.  And when he's on the sink and in my face when I wash my hands, I'll pour water over his head and he just closes his eyes likes it's the most awesome thing ever.  

This morning when I locked him out of the bathroom, he sat outside the door and yowled like I had mortally offended him for not letting him in.  He's got quite a yowl too, as he is half Siamese and sometimes makes those weird calls that Siamese are prone too, but they are tempered and twisted a bit from his tabby half.  When I was done, and opened the door, he gave me that indignant cat glare, walked in haughtily, and flopped down on the bath mat.  I don't think he appreciated my laughter, because he didn't beg for pets.  

Cats are strange.  Mine are at the top of the list.

Here's my boy: Looking regal.