Do you have any Showcase Cinemas near you?

I'll check into that. (My responses have been much shirtened since all my typing is now one-handed.)

(My responses have been much shirtened since all my typing is now one-handed.)

Hee. How is the cute baby in the other arm?

Looks like it's been an eventful day in Buffista-land.

So far the visit home has been going better than I expected. At least, it's less harrowing. We still don't feel like we know anything about Dad's prognosis, but it's out of our hands, and we'll face what needs to be faced when it happens. He's tired, stooped, frail, and sometimes barely seems to eat more than Annabel, but it's hard to tell how much is the cancer and how much is the chemo.

I'd forgotten how green and lush Alabama is in the early summer--it really almost verges on the tropical. And the twilights are full of fireflies.

Ex-Army Brother and his family came a few days before us and left today (they live in Modesto). He bought five lbs. of barbecue (pulled pork with sauce) from our hometown place, and Dylan and I are still eating on it.

My nephew is stationed at the Baghdad airport now. They got mortared for the first time last week, but no casualties. My oldest niece, his big sister, had a bunch of pictures from their deployment ceremony. I'm simultaneously proud of him and even more personally infuriated at Dubya & Co. than I've ever been before.

The strange thing about this visit is that I feel more at peace here than I have since I left at 18. It's like I'm finally secure enough in who I am that I can accept that I've inherited many of both my parents' worst traits (along with quite a few wonderful ones), but that I'm still myself, and in control of my destiny. And while my mom still says things that make me want to argue, what's the point? It's not like I'm even consciously thinking, "I shouldn't pick a fight because she has so much pressure right now." I just don't want to.

Oh, and I've been reading the wip several chapters at a time to see how well it flows and if I've been keeping characterization and voice consistent throughout. And you know what? I can write, and this is a good story I've got going.

So. That's my life, right now.

ADORABLE (but not sleepy)

I'm skipping because Oz has to go out, but

I found my new! job there, and it seems to be a great resource, though I'm not sure how much they'll have for Louisiana.

Aww, but I'm not there anymore. If I were, I'd already have a job.

My nephew is stationed at the Baghdad airport now.

My nephew just got back from that same duty posting two months ago.

Still mad at Dubya.

Still mad at Dubya.

Yup. I'm not expecting that to stop any time ever, but I expect it'll be more intense for as long as Nathan is over there.

Still mad at Dubya.

Ditto.

Waving at Susan...

Yay for the powerful job~ma! That rocks. Congratulations to everyone with a good new job!

Plei, it's like Cashmere said -- going out with the baby on your own, in the beginning, is daunting. It took me a long time to get used to getting the car seat in and out, and planning where I could go that would have a cart to put it in, etc. For a long time, when Jake was that age, I never went anywhere but my mother-in-law's house, just across town.

We didn't have Reel Moms here, either. And even if we did now, Sara's too big. She'd be running up and down the aisles.

Forgot everything else I wanted to say, since I'm tired but also keyed up -- I did a mystery panel at a semi-local bookstore tonight, to promote my book, and it was a lot of fun. Decent turnout, great questions were asked, and complete strangers actually bought my book and asked me to sign it! Very cool. And then an hour's drive home. I don't think I'll be in bed for awhile.

P-C if you are tempted to try that job - have miracleman point you toward the writeup he did of his experience.