Stuff From The Last 24 Hours (in no particular order)

Cody, Marquee and myself went to the airport and picked up Austin yesterday. We got a good parking place, just two rows past the handicapped parking. We had taken my mom's car instead of my own so we didn't have the Princess Parking tag. She had one but it expired. At any rate... it wouldn't have mattered... it's a long walk to the "welcome area" and it hurt like the dickens but I wanted to see that goofy kid come up the escalator. Totally worth it. I missed him so much.

Austin had a good time in Pennsylvania. With his dad's lack of involvement in his life, it's good for him to have a solid bond with other male family members. His brother is buying him a hookah for Christmas. They used one there and Austin liked it. I joked that it was totally inappropriate for his brother to get him a "hooker". Ha. It's probably also inappropriate for him to buy him a hookah but I don't think it's illegal. Is it?

He had three Thanksgiving dinners: one that his brother cooked, one with his brother's girlfriends grandmother and another with the girlfriend's other grandma. He said the food was good... and it was mostly traditional but it wasn't "southern". My boy was raised on casseroles and congealed salads. And they didn't have sweet tea.

He wondered why it is that you have to pay to go into Pennsylvania but you don't have to pay when you go into New Jersey. This has something to do with tolls. Maybe one of you can explain that to me.

They had snow while he was there. He was impressed with the way they cleared the roads.

Charlie took care of getting Austin back and forth from Newark. Charlie is this guy we met when he was living with my friends Ethan and Josh many years ago. At that time Charlie was operating a small organ company, repairing and selling organs and setting them up. Ryan worked with him for years... and moved to Pennsylvania when Charlie's career path took him up there... and they have been roommates ever since. Charlie is my age-ish (maybe a few years older?) and has been a wonderful co-parent of my kids.

Anyways... so the boy is back with us. Now we just have to convince him that he has to get a job here on the south side of town so that he can get a car and start driving so that he can have some independence.

My work is happy busy - which is better than crazy busy, like life used to be for me. December is traditionally our slowest month so the staffing changes won't be as big of a deal as they might be at another time of the year. I've offered to put in extra hours as needed and to be available on my days off if someone calls in sick. I can really pull it together and be at the office in an hour or so. I have the opportunity to work full time but unfortunately, I really just can't. Part-time is a struggle for me and my ability to walk/move/sit/be pain free has declined over the past few months. It makes me sad... but I'm pragmatic about this stuff. But I do want to help out as much as I can at the office.

Other than the weekend of the 15th and 22nd when we'll be in the mountains, that is. We aren't going this weekend. I really need to focus on Christmas shopping and figuring out what I'm going to buy and what I'm going to make.

I've also decided to start using hot rollers again. That look is somewhat back in style, I believe. It's easier to set my hair on rollers than to straighten it. I have to do something to tame my hair after I blow it dry ... I think I've told this story before... when my niece Tiffany was about ten she was watching me dry my hair and when I got through she said, "you need to put a relaxer on that head". It's still funny! And still true but I try not to use any chemicals on my hair.

I went to sleep at about 8pm last night, completely worn out. I woke up at 11pm thinking it must be close to morning. I saw every hour on the clock after that but kept falling back to sleep. I finally had to give up around 4am and got on the heating pad. Every morning I have to get on the heating pad to "unkink" my spine.

Instead of watching the news this morning, I watched the movie, "Same Time Next Year" with Alan Alda and Ellen Burnstyn (I think that's her name). It was nice to be wrapped up in a love story instead of worrying about the Financial Cliff.

By the way, I need to give you guys a disclaimer and warn you that I plan to toss out occasional obnoxious "told ya' so's" over the next four years when stupid things in the "Affordable Health Care  Act" (or whatever the official name of that monstrosity is) come to light.

Anyways... I'm running out of time but I wanted to warn you that it's coming. Color me red.

Time to get a shower and trade the comfy pjs for work appropriate clothing. Have a Wonderful Wednesday, y'all. Love and hugs.