Coming up for air

What a busy few months it's been, boys and girls. So much has been going on since my last entry. Given my state of my mind during that week, The Man and I decided we'd try to head to NY so I could spend my birthday with family. Everything fell into place beautifully - the vet had room so we could board Buster and Lucy for the long weekend. The Man's eye was healing well (he had a little more surgery on 8/30), and we had both already scheduled 8/30 and 8/31 off, so we didn't have to worry about missing work. It was so nice to be home, surrounded by family. I really needed it this year.

School has been taking up a majority of my free time. And when I'm not working, or working on school stuff, I'm demonstrating stamping workshops. And I've demo'd only 2 workshops since my last blogging (will try to find some time this weekend to post pics of what we've made). And the really sad part? I'm taking only one course right now. Basic Math. Yeah. I suck so hard at math that I'm struggling through the basic stuff. And I'm taking algebra next term! Yee-haw! May as well get it out of the way so I don't have it hanging over my head for the next two years. Thank God The Man has been helping me when I need it. Which is pretty much all the time. In college he majored in math (and how's this for a math mind - he can look over a Rubik's cube, then put it behind his back and solve it - and that's just sick), and he has the ability to help me work through a problem without giving me the answer, and without making me feel like an idiot, though I know I am. He'd be an awesome teacher. My course advisor tried to talk me into taking two courses next term, and The Man said, "You're struggling with basic math now, have already signed up for algebra next term, which is more difficult, the holidays are coming and you're going to take a second course?" He didn't verbally end the sentence with "Are you out of your mind?" but it was written all over his face. So I emailed my advisor and the registrar and said thanks but no thanks, one course is sufficient for next term.

In other news...

File this one under "That ain't right." It's Tuesday, October 23. It's 11:15 pm. It's 72 degrees outside - and I'd convert that to Celsius for ya, but there's a leak in my brain - the air conditioner is on and it's still so warm in here that my fingers are swollen. How's that for "This sucks ass!"? I shouldn't complain. Every day of warmth is one less day to worry about snow and how people around here lack the skills to drive in it.

The woman at work who's daughter was killed and granddaughters were shot in the head? Both granddaughters are out of their comas, are gaining strength and can get around with walkers! They've still got a long way to go, though. Last I knew (a few weeks ago) neither of them was able to speak yet. But they're both alive, responding, walking, and that is just nothing short of a miracle.

The Man and I went to Game 2 of the ALCS, a week ago last Saturday. Which the Red Sox lost. In the 11th inning. Around 1:30 AM. We weren't able to get tickets to any regular season games, and the Friday morning before Game 2 he called me at work and said, "I've got a crazy thought..." We agreed it'd be best to stay in town, so we got a room at a really nice hotel (I try to not think about how much it cost to stay there for just the one night), drove there, then took the Green Line over to Fenway and then after the game took a taxi back to the hotel. It was so nice after the game knowing we wouldn't have to fight the crowds on the Green Line, or with traffic trying to head out of town. What a warm and fuzzy feeling it was when we got into that taxi, knowing that within 15 minutes we'd be snug as bugs and sound asleep. Even though the Sox lost that game, we're so glad we went. Neither of us had ever been to a playoff game, and it was quite an experience. The crowd was so alive, and very well behaved that night, and seemed to behave throughout the entire series. The game we attended, there was no beer was spilled on us. We didn't hear a lot of swearing. Well, until we were walking down Lansdowne Street after they put Gagne in to pitch the 11th. But the words we heard aren't suitable for printing here. The closest we'd been to a playoff/World Series game was in 2004 when we took the tour of Fenway on the first day of the World Series. I kid you not, it felt like there was electricity in the air. It was incredible. I'll never forget the feeling. We briefly considered trying to get World Series tickets this year, but the home games are on weeknights, and with our schedules, it'd just be insane. So we'll suffer with the rest of the nation (Red Sox and otherwise!) through the ramblings and idiocy that spew from the mouth of Tim McCarver. I'm so throwing a party when FOX stops signing him to cover baseball.

The weekend before The Man and I went to the game, my Haggis buddies and I went to 4 fabulous Enter the Haggis shows in 2 short nights. I so needed that break. I'm glad The Man and Zee continued to encourage me to go, even though the weight of the world that's been on me was telling me otherwise. Wish we could have weekends like that, say, every other month. Good friends, good food, good booze, good music. Doesn't get much better than that. :-)

Well, it's getting late, my mind is mush thanks to the splendor of mathematics, and I've got another long, annoying day ahead of me at work tomorrow. So, toodles for now. Hope everyone is well. And hope I can find some more free time to keep up with bloggings. Because, really, what I've written here is only the tip of the iceberg.