Hi, Nicole!

Maybe he can come visit you, Brenda. Or you can meet downtown for a drink. You never know what could be actual serious work of the PTB and what could just be the PTB version of a practical joke...

Hi, Sarah! Sorry you're not feeling better. We haven't chatted in a while. You available for a call?

Boy the timing of family matters can be annoying. I get paid tomorrow, but the plane fare I need is down to two seats. We borrowed a chunk of money from Hubby's sister, but we're still 12 dollars shy in the bank account to cover it. Banks are not known for "Oh, that's close enough" tendencies. Hubby just said, "I've got 20 in my wallet, I can go to the bank and put that in," but I want more than a couple of bucks in there in case the bank decides to process something obscure before my paycheck hits the account.

So, I wait for my paycheck to hit the account, then I head to Jet Blue's website and see if I can do it. Hubby is devasated at the idea of my not getting back for the funeral, but I can't see my mother being anything but outraged at my going into debt--even if it's to family--for this. Though she may be in the afterlife demanding I pay my respects regardless, I don't know.

If I can't make it, I can't make it. If my family holds my less than sterling financial liquidity against me, then I know how to qualify them among people I know. I'm at peace regardless. Though then I'd be confronted with the moral quandary of having three days of compassionate leave from work and no funeral to go to. Which could certainly be spent in home-based remembrance. Possibly spent over a nice cup of cappucino in a coffee shop somewhere.

If I can't make it, I can't make it.

exactly. Might be the universe telling you something. You know that we support you either way.

Hi, Sarah! Sorry you're not feeling better. We haven't chatted in a while. You available for a call?

Feel free to call anytime. I'm not going anywhere.

Which could certainly be spent in home-based remembrance. Possibly spent over a nice cup of cappucino in a coffee shop somewhere.

This gets my vote.

OMG. On a "webinar" listening to someone (who I adore) READ a presentation I've already heard him give before.

Hence, me being here.

I just friended a few high school friends on facebook. Now I'm all nervous. Why? No clue. Suzi = dork.

I'm a fairly promiscuous facebook-friender. I've got y'all, college friends, a high school friend or two, people from choir, writers, two of my adult nieces, etc. I'm comfortable with it because facebook just isn't where I spill out my soul. It's more a sort of quick and easy way to keep vaguely in touch with a lot of people, and if/when I sell a book it'll be one more avenue for publicity. However, since it's the one place where a little bit of all my peoples are gathered, I'm aware that if anyone pays enough attention, they might see a side of me that surprises them. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing--just that otherwise my college friends wouldn't know I'd gone liberal, my church friends wouldn't all know I write, my writer friends wouldn't know I'm a Christian, etc.

And that goes in both directions. Based on Facebook, I want to get to know K from church much better, because now I can tell she has interesting quirks I haven't observed in our brief interactions around music ministry and having kids around the same age. And I'm realizing that I'm not the only one who's shifted from my rigid collegiate theology and politics, so I can't wait to compare notes with L next time we're in the same general area. (Which could happen soon, since he'll be moving to Knoxville to be an assistant professor of philosophy at UT, so we're planning to meet in Chattanooga or Huntsville next time I'm in the South.)

One of the guys I friended has friended me back already. I can't look at facebook from work, but last I heard from him he was in the process of becoming a forest ranger. Curious if he followed that path.

I say listen oto the universe Connie.

I'm going at 5 pm to sign the lease! This is kind of sudden, but also not that sudden. I've done a lot of looking online and making phone calls and this apartment was the first I saw in person. But it's a good place, ithad everything on my list: 2 bedrooms, acces to the bath that's not through the bedroom, dishwasher, washer dryer hook ups, close to work , nice kitchen, takes cats.

It also has -- fireplace, built in bookcases,and a deck/balcony thing, not a huge one.

Also no yard, shade and the deck looks over single family homes.