vw, it's really great to see you so very happy. You deserve it.

NORA! Hey, girl! And thank you!

sj, thank you, honey. It's fun. It really, really is.

VW!! Congrats!

Very, very much that.

Also, well, 'ello. I'm trying to (slowly) get back here.

Thanks all for the well-wishes! Calli and I are indeed in France! We are having a fab time. We're finally at our house on top of a mountain in the Languedoc, having a lazy Sunday morning.

Oh, shit. amyth, you around? One of my former bellydance acquaintances is applying for Cray Cray K's old job, or I guess BC's? She wants me to put in a good word for her and or tell her whatever I can. Honestly, the first word that comes to mind is RUN.

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, smonster. I packed light and only brought my iPhone (SHOCKING!) so have been offline until we got to La Fumade with their stable WiFi. Has she made it to the final round of interviewees? Because C. is doing her final round of interviews this week. If she doesn't have a grueling round of interviews with C., the recycling folks (which I'll be absent for), and a bunch of other folks, then she didn't make the final cut. :( If she did, I think it all depends on her ability to get along with difficult people (person). I told N. not to apply for it, but she already had a job, so your friend would have to weigh the pros and cons. (N.'s job is going permanent, btw!)

Also, it's BC's job, K's was eliminated.

Congrats, vw!!! So exciting!

I hope Daniel's recovery is continuing well. Same for Frankenbuddha's mom.

::waves to Shir::

I'm sure there's other stuff I forgot, but it took me forever to type this on my iPhone.

eta: ~ma to Stephanie.

vw, I am so, so happy for you both!!! Congratulations!

Wow, a Shir and a VW visit, plus bonus amyth posting from FRANCE. Been a busy morning already.

It’s good to *see* you! How are you and the family?

We are good, thanks. Mostly just settling into the new school year. I think, I hope--knock wood--that this will just be a regular year for us.

I think, I hope--knock wood--that this will just be a regular year for us.

I hope that for you too! Though, I've decided that there is no such thing as "normal" for me. DF keeps saying, "When things settle down...." And I finally said the other day, "Honey, I don't think things are ever going to settle down."

I know what you mean, it's that difference between good stressors and changes (like oh say getting engaged!) and just plain hard ones.

Exactly. There's been some hard stuff too (being unemployed, Toto getting diagnosed with diabetes, and his dad being in the hospital for a week, for example). But, for now, it really is a little easier with someone else around.

DF keeps saying, "When things settle down...." And I finally said the other day, "Honey, I don't think things are ever going to settle down."

Allow me to quote omnis, from an email exchange back in August:

omnis: Shir, dunno how to tell you this, but you are always busy. Not sure you'd know what to do if you weren't busy.

Me: Lies and evil lies and some more lies. I come in the forms of Busy, Busy as Hell, (Somewhat) Less Busy, Meh and Procrastinating.

And my ~mas to those of you who in need for them. I'm trying to catch up, but too afraid to forget anyone in individual ~ma requests.