You are not alone in that, Kalshane.

I'm glad you had fun, Sean. Much needed.

Hey all! Don't expect any of you are up at, say, 3in the morning?

I'm up. Canna sleep. Boo.

How the hell are you? How is Ireland? I've been following along in lj, but, you know, how the hell are you?

I'm not bad! Mostly in the throes of trying to figure stuff out while working a full-time office job and paying all the bills, you know? So I guess normal. I got hit in the face with the big fat fish of Real Life when I first got here, and that was like going to finals week during Christmas break when you're naked. In short: not fun, and largely unpleasant. But I think I have things sorted out, with the exception of, you know, knowing what I want to do with my life. Which is pretty scary. Really scary.

It's a gorgeous autumn day here in Dublin, though, and I bought a digital camera to replace the one that got stolen a couple weeks ago, so when I go to the coast this weekend I will finally be able to take all the pictures I've been itching to take since I first got here. Hoepfully the weather will stand.

What's on with you, darling?

You are not alone in that, Kalshane.

Okay, good.

Speaking of getting old, and 3am, this working night shift crap was a whole lot easier 9 years ago. Ugh.

I'm glad things are settling down for you finally. Those first couple of weeks sounded rough.

I'm good. My best news right now is that my final round of chemo is tomorrowtoday, which means my treatment is done. Now we go into the surveillance phase, and, obviously, it is my fondest wish that they surveil exactly nothing out of the ordinary. Am mulling over ways to celebrate end of treatment.

Beyond that, I'm going to visit family in Pensacola in October.

Can't wait to see your pictures.

this working night shift crap was a whole lot easier 9 years ago. Ugh.

I expect so. For me, I expect this is true for a sad number of things.

Speaking of getting old, and 3am, this working night shift crap was a whole lot easier 9 years ago. Ugh.

Switching to first shift after you decidedly are a second shift sort of girl isn't so easy either. My roommate keeps trying to *talk* to me in the morning; all I can manage is a grunt in her direction.

I'm glad things are settling down for you finally. Those first couple of weeks sounded rough.

In complete sincerity, they were the roughest time I've had in a long while.

I'm good. My best news right now is that my final round of chemo is tomorrowtoday, which means my treatment is done. Now we go into the surveillance phase, and, obviously, it is my fondest wish that they surveil exactly nothing out of the ordinary. Am mulling over ways to celebrate end of treatment.

That is the best news you could have given me. I'm so glad, Jen, I've been thinking about you a lot these last few months.

Much good surveilance wishes to you, Jen.

I expect so. For me, I expect this is true for a sad number of things.

Yeah. I understand that. This is just the thing that's currently kicking my ass, so of course it's what I'm lamenting.

Switching to first shift after you decidedly are a second shift sort of girl isn't so easy either. My roommate keeps trying to *talk* to me in the morning; all I can manage is a grunt in her direction.

I wouldn't mind 2nd shift at all. Sleep until noon, have a leisurely time of getting ready for work and still get out early enough you can do something with your Friday night is not bad. It's pretty close to my weekend/vacation schedule as it is. But yeah, going from that to having to wake up in the morning would suck. Perky morning roommate is just insult to injury, methinks.

She's sort of the "bless your heart" type anyhow, and while I'm not especially Grumpypants in the morning, I just like to conserve my talking energy for the entire day I have to spend on the telephone, you know? Of course you do.

Second shift is like manna from heaven. I did it for most of the summer, and it was seriously the best shift ever.

This is just the thing that's currently kicking my ass, so of course it's what I'm lamenting.

Oh, hell yeah - I completely get that. Didn't mean to be anything other than sympathetic. I can't imagine having to make the switch.

That is the best news you could have given me. I'm so glad, Jen, I've been thinking about you a lot these last few months.

Thank you. That means a lot.