Hi, Cindy! I still owe you pictures. Sorry.

Erika, I'm sorry. I know those types of feelings.

It took us 3 hours to makes the 1 hour drive to the wake last night, which would have sucked even my anxiety levels weren't already at 7 to begin with. We stayed for the last hour of the wake and then got a quick meal with mom and stepdad. The least cranky person at the end of the night was the teething 7 month old. Now I'm awake because I just fed ltc and I can't fall back to sleep. I have to be up in 3 hours to get ready to go to the funeral.

{{Bitches}} So sorry for the life anxiety. I hope there is renewing rest to happen this weekend.

Our family has a wide variety of "success" stories in career, health, and happiness. I am confident that for my parents they were most concerned with 2 of those 3. They wanted us healthy and happy. As a parent I know that is my concern. Yes, I want to see them reach their full potential and all that. It would be damn cool if they were spectacularly financially successful and took care of their aged parents!! But the only thing that causes me anxiety and loss of sleep is their happiness. I know that comes from within and their isn't much I can do about it but let them know they are loved.

Both are here at the moment. Both still finding their way. Wish there was a way to skip the lessons we have to learn for ourselves.

I honestly look at everyone in here as hugely successful; you're all succeeding at surviving this life and making something of yourselves in the ways that matter: rich family lives, jobs or hobbies or side-efforts that you are passionate about, a close circle of found family that provides support and love. We're all reaching for something and I think that's what matters--having goals and dreams and never letting go of them. It makes life fascinating and worth living. Go, you all! Like the Doctor says, "I've never met anyone who isn't important."

edited for correct word usage.

Tubbs showed up overnight, so I didn't get a picture. But he left me 41 silver fish, so hey. Snowball keeps leaving me gold fish. I think she feels sorry for me.

you're all succeeding at surviving this life and making something of yourselves in the ways that matter: rich family lives, jobs or hobbies or side-efforts that you are passionate about, a close circle of found family that provides support and love.

This is all that matters to me.

I put the pyramid out and got Ramses! Slowly inching my way to a remodel. I'm thinking the Zen garden.

I bought the pyramid this morning -- I'm hoping for Ramses.

I forgot to bring home the papers that I wanted to grade over the weekend. Oops. I supposed I could go to campus tomorrow morning to get them, but I don't really want to. I can grade them on Monday.

((Cindy)) So, so good to see your pixels 'round these parts again.

She was basically tactful the way she said it, less like she was disappointed in us and more like she knows there's no point in comparing the outsides of people's lives to the insides of our lives. I don't *want* the careers my cousins have. I don't want their lifestyles. And my mom gets that, but it's still the first hint I've heard that she has some issues of pride going on there, about how her kids measure up.

Haaaaa, we were just talking about that in therapy today.

I got Xerxes IX!!!!! I am very excited, I've been waiting for him for days. Four! Four days.

Tubbs showed up and ate all the Frisky Bits. But at least I got a picture of him.