I'm sure none of you have really noticed, but I haven't been around much lately. Part of it is summer, but a lot of it has been things I just can't talk about here. I'm the only person making rules for my own expression, but I tend to stick by them.
1) Don't talk about work. Especially in a negative fashion.
2) Don't discuss the problems of friends or family without consent.
3) Don't discuss things about the children that they may one day resent you for revealing to the internet.

In other words, no dirty laundry.

Which has made it a little difficult to post this past summer. This is not to say that our summer was one tragedy after another, because it wasn't. However, it was a lot of "unmentionable" things, interspersed with actually trying to enjoy our summer. (You know, that thing that's GONE now? Where the heck did it go?)

About the time that I last wrote, I was facing a major job change, a lateral move within the company to a position with less creative challenges, more deadlines, and more accountability. Don't get me wrong, I do like this position. It appeals to the list-making, check-marking side of my brain, but it's tough. There is so much to remember, so many things to double check, and it all has to be done so quickly.

In addition, good, dear friends of ours (and some of our family as well) have been faced with some difficult, life-changing situations.

That was summer.

Now, school has started, and with it the early morning routine that involves me waking up so early the birds are impressed. Lion, who worked from home so that the kids didn't have to go to daycare all summer (give him a hand folks!) is getting ready for one of his busiest work seasons. My new position is starting to gear up as well, as we head towards the holidays. Choir has begun. All the organizations we are involved with have come off their summer slow-downs. The dog is shedding about a metric ton of fur a day. Relatives are visiting. Friends will need help moving.....

It got me yesterday. Nailed me right to the floor. Anytime I end up listening to "Round Here" by Counting Crows over, and over, and over, and over in the same day, it's a bad day. Really, it was a four stars out of five for worst emotional health day ever. And why? Nothing horrible had happened that day. It just...piles up, and flows over.

I don't really know how to end this. I hope to be around more, but I can't promise a thing. If anybody's still reading, please know I haven't forgotten the internet. I'm just kind of busy.

Take care, all of you.