Class of 2005

More variations on the diploma scroll theme, one for an order.

My very favoritest uncle in the whole world had a heart attack this week. He had a quintuple bypass and seems to be doing pretty darn well, but please send him some healing vibes just the same. Some of you may remember Uncle John's writing that I shared with you when he was writing his Notes from a Prairie Prison essays, when he was a prison chaplain.

Simon's car will cost almost $600 (replace the solenoid-something plus change out the snow tires to the regular tires) to fix so we're going to pick it up tomorrow and it will sit in the driveway until he saves the money to fix it. Now I'm back to thinking we should keep the car since we've put a shitload of money into it and can never get that back in a sale. Plus, sharing a car for just these few days has reminded me how convenient it is for me when he has a car. And we all know the world revolves around me and it damn well better revolve conveniently. I want him to work as much as he can this summer so he'll really need a car for that. Steve and I can't carpool anymore because our hours don't mesh. So that's today's plan anyway.

I finished watching the Julia Butterfly Hill memoir on DVD from Netflix. She's amazing! Steve watched a few minutes of it with me a few weeks ago but it was way too tree-hugging crunchy granola for him. I loved it though.

Last week Steve went out to get the mail and ran into our dairy farmer neighbor fixing fence across the street. He told Steve the Christmas tree farmer sold some? all? of his property so houses will be built right behind us within 3 years. (They just added a pool or hot tub or something to their house last year, so they probably just sold some of the land and are staying put.) Steve emailed me this news at work so I emailed him back this: "We're moving. Start packing."

As you know, I love our house and it's location but I won't tolerate McMansions packed together like sardines within a stone's throw. I thought we'd live out the rest of our years here but now I'm thinking moving wouldn't be all bad. Simon just has one more year of school and we can live anywhere we want. I want a little cabin in the woods but Steve doesn't want a long commute to work. He's been working such mega hours for the past few months and will continue for a few more months that I never see him anymore so a solo cabin in the woods would suit me just fine right about now. A kitchen, bathroom, great room, bedroom, studio and deck or porch - and an Internet connection of course - and I'm one happy woman. Reggi, Venus and Verona come with me. Oh and I'd need to win the lottery so I can afford all that and not have to work. I'd become a permanent recluse, I just know it.

This is our backyard view we'll be losing. Some builder must have offered them a shitload of money because his wife told me when we moved in that they'd never sell. Steve and I said to each other at the time, "Until the price is right." Everyone has a price. Can't really blame the guy for looking out for his and his family's future. Still sucks.

Can you tell everything's getting to me lately? This 4-day trip to New York City with Gretchen this weekend is absolutely perfect timing, as these things always are. I bet the animals are the only ones that will notice I'm gone.

Okay, I'm not really that morose but I did call my counselor today for an appointment. I'm seeing her tomorrow morning. It's usually some time in March or April that I call her for what I call my "annual spring tune-up". Steve explained to me this morning that this is always his busy time of the year. (He's a project manager for a student loan division of a bank.) To be honest, I guess I never noticed because to me he seems like a workaholic year round. But it must always be especially bad this time of year, because like I said, this seems to always be the time of year I call Debbie to help me sort things out. I told Gretchen I need to take a tape recorder with me so I can just play the tape every spring and save myself the co-pay. God forbid I actually learn the lesson once and for all.

Simon's due home from work any minute. Damn, I love the sound of that! Words I was worried I'd never get to say again. I'm headed to bed.