Wrap-up, Ta-Ta, and See You Later

I know! Three days in a row with the posts. What is up with that? It's been a crazy week. My last week at work and Abby was sick (she's fine, now) and I've been thinking about the next two weeks I am free from work and school and how excited I am to get to go visit the family. I don't think that last sentence was very well-written, but I'm too lazy to fix it.

I spent the past week trying to get everything finished at work and even a little ahead so that my coworkers don't have to pick up much of the slack. Keila, my dear friend and student worker I've adopted, is going to take my job when she returns in August from spending the summer with her family in Texas. Since I actually dearly love my successor, I've tried extra hard to tie up all the loose ends so she won't have a mess to deal with when she begins trying to figure out all the crazy stuff she's going to have to do because it's a university. She will have to work with about a hundred different departments and colleges all over the campus and it gets really confusing and it's so easy to make mistakes, but she's sharp as a tack, so hopefully she'll survive. I worked there for two years and just began to feel comfortable with some tasks related to my job when I turned in my notice that I was leaving.

My photographer friend, Nic, and his girlfriend took me out to dinner Thursday night at their favorite Mexican place. (Note to Emily: do not ever drink five Margaritas in one evening, no matter how delicious they are and how cute you think you are while consuming them. You will pay the next day.) I was so ill Friday, I didn't make it in to work until 11:00. It was brutal, but I knew I had a ton of work to finish on my last day, plus, my wonderful coworkers were giving me a party that afternoon complete with homemade chocolate ice cream, so I put on my eyeliner and dragged myself into work and I swear I will never drink that much again. I still feel like crap today. I'm too old for this. (I seem to say that frequently, yet never learn, do I?)

This visit to Arkansas will be my first since my mom and Auntie Linda bought a house together, and I can't wait to have both women all to myself for coffee every morning. We are going to have a blast. Auntie and I are going to Tunica, MS to visit the casinos one night while I'm home. I've missed the hot, bright lights and the noise and the free booze. I've also missed Emily and Reece just a tad bit. We're going to have some fun, too. And, I'm looking forward to spending time with Grandmother Bera. I told her to have some stories ready for me. She can tell some fascinating ones about The Good Old Days when she's in the mood!

Note to my friend, Sandy: I am so sorry I didn't call you last Sunday after you were nice enough to invite me to your house for dinner! I had a nasty migraine all weekend, probably from the stress of the last couple of weeks, and I didn't call you. I e-mailed you but didn't hear back from you, but I know you read this blog, so please forgive me! I'll call you when I get back to Columbia and maybe you can come for dinner with Emily, Auntie, Halen, and me while they're all here.

I should probably get to work now on my house. It's a disaster and I need to get it cleaned up before I leave. Plus, my friend, Dawn, had offered to keep Milton while I'm away, but then she and Tucker decided to go on a cruise instead, yes, the nerve of them! So, I'm going to have to take the fish to Arkansas for the next two weeks. Plus the dog who's in diapers now. Geez. It's going to be crazy. I promise to post some pics while I'm away!

Now, finally, look at this Youtube. It's so cute and I used to have a puppy that looked just like one of these. Bye!

I Got You, Babe!

Bye, Estelle

One of my all-time favorite characters is Sophia from The Golden Girls. I loved her brash, blunt mouth and how she could shock even Blanche sometimes. I, too, carry my purse to bed with me at night. Today I read that Betty White said, "Estelle may have left us, but Sophia will always live on." Here's to you, Sophia!

Jocular, Pithy, and Scintillating = Words Not Used to Describe This Post

This is a photo Lisa sent from Zambia. Lisa's doing a great job of keeping everyone posted on her Peace Corps adventure.

Back to the ordinary:

I took the day off yesterday to attend a library conference in the morning and take Abby to the vet in the afternoon. I ran my legs off all day and it was so hot I was miserable. I dropped off Abby at 7:30, then went back home to get ready for the conference, which was over at noon, then ran errands, including having my car waxed, then decided to do a little shopping before I met with Abby's doctor. Turns out Abby's fine, so the frequent stress-induced indoor urination is "behavioral." Duh. I was pretty sure of that already, since she's able to hold it all day while I'm at work, but when events alter slightly from the ordinary, she pees all over the place. I prefer to call it emotional instead of behavioral, since I don't think she has a choice. There's nothing medical I can do for her, so she'll continue to wear a diaper whenever we vary her routine and hopefully I'll still be welcome in my mother's house.

I have been home all day with a migraine, but it's better now. It started at the mall yesterday. I should have known. A little more stress than usual, the heat, and the mall sent my brain over the edge. I did find a skirt, however, for $3, so it was worth it. Yes, three bucks, marked down from $55. How about that? I never have such luck. And, I haven't worn a skirt in several years. All this change!

Next week is my last week at work and then I'm going to Arkansas to visit the family and some friends. Can't wait to see the boy and girl. Reece and I already have plans to see the third Mummy movie and spend some time at Petco and definitely have ice cream at least once. He asked me if we could go to the water park while I'm home and I quickly demurred. I told him I'd like to be considered his indoor aunt.

I'll be celebrating my birthday while I'm home, which means CAKE! Emily is going to Florida for several days while I'm home, but she's coming back in time to return to Columbia with me for four or five days. And, Auntie Linda and her granddaughter, Halen, are coming up while Emily's here and we will continue the party for a few more days. I don't know when I've had so much FUN planned. Can't wait to get started.

Almost forgot - THIS BOOK is one of the best I've read all year. Highly recommend it, but know that you won't want to put it down once you start reading it.

A Visit From the Golden Girls

This is the only photo I took all weekend, but I had a great time with my mom, Auntie Linda, and Roxy. Of course, Abby was stressed having all that company and that damned dog she thought she'd gotten rid of, and of course she started peeing all over the place, so I had to put diapers on her. Never thought I'd have a baby in diapers. Geez!

What are you doing on July 4th?

Hope everyone has a good holiday! It's supposed to stop raining here today and the weekend is going to be mild and dry! That will make it perfect for going downtown and hanging out and stopping in all the great shops. My mom and Auntie Linda are coming up tonight and staying until Sunday. I worked on the apartment all week, cleaning, organizing, etc. That's one of the best aspects of having company for me - it inspires me to get the house in order!

My brother, Dave, took the family to Chicago this week for a family vacation. Emily texted me a few photos of the Chicago skyline and a view from the Sears Building. She's having a blast. They even got to go to a Cubs game and she texted me to watch the game and look for her. Of course I did it, but didn't see her. They're in Minneapolis now at the Mall of America. I told Dave he'd need to put diapers on Dawn and Emily before they got to the mall because they won't be able to contain themselves when they see all the shopping possibilities. I should have included Reece in that diaper joke, too, because he's as much a shopper as his mom and sister. I hope Dave is taking some B12 and drinking lots of coffee.

I'll be "Ca-chinging it" at the casino, I'm sure, while the fireworks are going on everywhere. Can't wait!