Apologia

I've really been meaning to post before this. I wanted my next blog to be some sort of trip journal, but I've been too busy! I figured pictures would be worth my usual thousand words, so I've spent my time on those, and I think I'll post my trip journal on my actual web page, anyway.

So let's see, while I'm apologizing, what are my other excuses? Pretty much ever since I stepped off the plane life has been nuts. First I had to put my place back together, of course.





It kinda looked a lot like this...










And the bed I really wanted to sleep in, and the path to the bathroom I really wanted to use looked something like this...









But at least the new floor they put in after creating this chaos looks really really nice...







So, anyway, putting the place back together took a few days, and once I got back, it was back to work, back to band, back to choir. I had given up on the idea of auditioning for a solo for the Sing for the Cure concert, only the newsletter that went out on Monday said auditions were still going, so I sent the director an e-mail and started working up the bit I wanted.

I auditioned Tuesday, and then on Wednesday Amy and Katy hit town, and I ate dinner with them and the HCB crew. Then rehearsal.

Then on THURSDAY after I got back, September 13, 2007, the really really big event took place. Kerri IMed me in the morning and said she might have gone into labor! (She wasn't sure. As she pointed out, she's never done this before.) :-)

Well, it was labor, and at 3:20 that afternoon Dylan was born! Hooray!!! Ever since then it's been seeing friends, rehearsing, and seeing the new baby! And unpacking. And doing laundry. And cleaning my apartment for this past week when my buddy Dave got into town, and I've been giving him house room. (He let me drive his sweet little silver BMW convertible, yay!)



Dylan had his first Friday celebration on September 21. It was great to see him, and even better to see Kerri out and about! I've missed her! I got to hold Dylan on Friday...












And again today when I went over to watch the UT game at their place...




So, yeah, I haven't had just a ton of free time, so no travel blog yet. Soon. At least there are pictures. Check them out! I'll be posting more as events warrant. You know, my free time being what it is. Life does just seem to be getting in the way these days.

God, I'm loving this ride!

Welcome back, Laura!

Welcome back, Laura! I got back from Italy about, ohhh, an hour ago. I haven't slept since 9pm last night, local time. (Got up at 4am this morning, Roman time, and been chasing the sun all day. I think it's finally about to set.)

I had a fabulous trip, and none of my five jars of pesto, two jars of salsa di rucola, one jar of olive pesto, or bottle of olive oil were broken! (I pretty much expected to open my suit case and be regaled by a tantalizing/demoralizing aroma of basil.)

Tim carried my suitcase up, such a nice boy. I unlock my door, and it smells kinda funny, but then I've been away a week with the A/C set higher than normal, so maybe just stuffy?

Hmmm. My kitchen light is off, but maybe when Tim checked on the place Tuesday...

Wait... why the HELL is every book I own piled in front of or on top of my couch?

Wait... where the hell's my coffee table? Why...

Okay, good, laptop, television, all in their normal places, but why... did someone steal my BOOKCASES???

No.... They're still ther-- HOLY CRAP! NEW FLOOR! WTF???

Tim indicates the folded note, marked with my complex number, that I barely noticed stepping over as I came in. "Maybe it says something in there?"

It does. Okay, well, new floor. Tim opines that I shouldn't worry about it until after I've had plenty of rest. Smart guy, that Tim. I peek into my bedroom.

And wail.

My bed is covered with various contents of closet and washer dryer alcove, not to mention a pile of clean underwear I'd left on my couch. Great. The flooring crew was kind enough to move my pile of underwear... That's... disconcerting.

Then another wail, "I can't even get to my bathroom!"

Tim is much better mentally equipped to deal with this than I am at this point. He clears off my bed, forges a path to my bathroom, then leaves to fulfill some prior engagements, but not before giving me a hug and telling me again not to mess with it tonight.

Like I said. Smart guy, that Tim.

So, I'm home, I'm safe, I'm exhausted, I had a blast, I'm now highly amused at the state of my apartment, and I'm going to bed.

I'll post links to travelblogs and photo albums when I get them up and running.

There's no place like home!

P.S. (Added Sunday, September 9) -- I'll say this for the flooring people. Upon closer inspection, they've added a quarter-round wooden molding around the baseboards, BUT... they were incredibly nice and cut it away where they put my bookshelves back in, so the shelves all still fit. That's quality work.