Blog vacation

Apparently, I took most of the month of May off this year. I have to get a grip on writing again. There are just too many things going on, many of which I don't want to (or can't) discuss here because they are too close to the bone at this point.

One of the events of the last several weeks is that Beast's aunt died, the sister of his mom. This leaves his dad as the last of the Old Guard. Aunt M (yeah, just did the requisite Wizard of Oz thing in my head) was a terrific woman, and I feel fortunate to have gotten to know her just a little bit. The funeral was good. A bit weird for me, but good as funerals go. But it's hit Beast hard.

Sparky graduated. We got his grades last week, which got us grounded in reality after weeks of believing all the nice things people have been saying about him since school let out for him. ...sigh At least his grades weren't so bad that his college scholarship will be affected. At this point. I'm worried, but I'm trying to let him fly on his own--if he crashes, it may be the only way he learns. Just like most of the rest of the men on my side of the family. Genetic flaw? Goofy nurturing techniques? I don't know.

We've been attending graduation parties almost every weekend. We also helped Amy move. Twice. Long story. If you know her, go read her blog for more about that. The place she's in now (as of yeserday) is lovely. I'd live there in a heartbeat! The intermediary place...let's just say it needed lots of TLC. Or dynamite.

I am finally starting to catch up on the huge backlog that accrued in April, at the end of our budget year. Have learned that I can blow through 80 items a day on a regular basis and still manage to keep my insanity and general assholish behavior under control.

Katherine is still a complete wreck. One of her coworkers committed suicide last month, so she's justifiably upset about that. But she's already so close to the edge for me that I don't have a lot of extra rope to throw her. We're supposed to go to a party at her and Alan's house over the weekend of the 4th, but she's completely pissing me off about it. The only thing that's keeping me from bailing is that Elizabeth, Ken and Baby J will be there (and Marie and Jan). It may be the only chance I get to see the little guy!

And amidst all of this I'm trying to keep a grip on all the things that need doing/buying/organizing before Sparky heads off to college in August. We are slowly buying things, but I think I'm going to wait till the back-to-school sales start before I really go to town on shopping. And we need to find out about his roommate and negotiate the big stuff with him and his family.

Oh, and there's the mission trip next week. And Sparky's outrageously bad allergies. And my weight. And, and, and....

So yeah, having listed this--and, as I said, this is not even close to all of the stuff in the air--I'm now wondering just exactly why I'm not panicking every second of the day. And night. Hopefully I won't start now!