Wow, Zen that's exciting! I hope this is a good move for you.

Oh, man, where the hell was I working where there were sticky hands all over the damn place? Kinda surprised those things are still around, but I guess the stuff you get out of gumball machines doesn't change all that often...

I keep cutting things off my to do list that I am just not even going to attempt before my vacation. It's pretty soothing. And mostly justified. Mostly.

Nice milestone, Zen!

So we have 2 new cars in the family now. DH bit the bullet and traded in his favorite truck since it had like 240K miles on it and was having serious issues. Hated doing it. And now after just a few days, it is back at the dealer with an engine light and they are replacing fuel delivery stuff or something. Sigh. At least they were shamed into giving him a loaner. Still he is not a happy camper.

Then a couple days ago my son Bobby calls us to see if we will co-sign on a car for him. His Jetta is really feeling its age and we couldn't come up with any good reasons not. The darn kid has watched ads for probably a year. He finds a brand new 2015 Golf at $5K under sticker. Last 2015 they have. Sensible car at a great price. So we said okay. He is super responsible and a good driver. He'll make the payments.

So my car is like ancient next to theirs! Not that it is next to theirs since it is in NY, but you know, it will be when I get back to Florida.

How is Bobby doing, Laura? How about the other one, still no good direction? Wasn't he going to New York with you or something?

In high school, I was pulled over for speeding and I did not have my license or the registration. I got away with a warning due to being a blonde high school girl who might have spoken in a Virginia accent when she heard the officer's accent.

I'd already done the whole hands on the wheel thing. You know, where he asks for your license and you say, "It's in my wallet in my front left pocket, I'm going to reach for it now." And he asks for your registration and you say, "It's in my glove compartment, I'm going to open that now." Do you all do that?

I do that, ever since my bro was pulled over because either the car or the number of large teenage males inside it matched the description of an armed robbery. Cops approached the car with guns and told him to put his hands on the wheel, etc.

Extended version: The car was an old beater and the driver's side lock was broken. So when the cop -- still armed -- told him to "use one hand to unlock the door and open the door with the same hand" he couldn't comply. Led to some frantic pantomiming of trying to open the door, pointing to lock that failed to remain up, etc. Eventually cops clued in and asked if there was some reason he couldn't open the door, and he said he needed two hands. Tragedy avoided.

Scary, Burrell.

Tep, I have gotten in the habit of eating my egg salad out of half an avocado. Each spoonful is basically like your egg and avocado salad, but I don't have to cut up the avocado to make it (chopping, dicing, etc. not my strength).

I don't really reduce the mayo (still on Atkins, so fat is my friend), but you probably could if you wanted. Or mash up half the avocado into the egg salad and then dump that into the other half.

Super scary. I haven't had cause to feel afraid, but so many of my "kids" that DH coaches in basketball have problems continuously. They learn young to be super well behaved. Being a black teenager nearly 7 foot tall intimidates the insecure. They are my sweet babies and it hurts to see them hassled so often for no reason.

How is Bobby doing, Laura? How about the other one, still no good direction? Wasn't he going to New York with you or something?

Bobby is good. Going to school. Working. Responsible and charming. The other one, still finding his way. I am in FL for a week and he is in Otter Lake dog sitting. I haven't made a lot of progress with him and starting to panic since I can't bring him back to Florida until/unless he turns things around. Says he will take on-line courses for school full time. We have registered, but now it will likely be January before it starts. I could really use his help for work at my office, but he can't be relied on for that yet. This parenting thing is often not so great.

There's a large storm system moving out of the state. My joints are in agony. I did not need to know this about my shoulder, that it will, with little provocation, send shooting pains along my collarbone. I hope it's not a cyst in the end of the collarbone, like with the other shoulder. And the fingers. The bad thing about colder weather is that it hurts more.

Tep, I have gotten in the habit of eating my egg salad out of half an avocado.

Nom. That was dinner last night. (Well not out of an avocado, because I like squishing up half an avocado. It's like Play Doh.)