The Middle Passage

What could be better than sitting alone in the wee hours, sipping coffee and reading the blogs? This is the fourth time I've started an entry here, only to be interrupted by the mayhem as usual. Hopefully, I can make it to the publish button this time.
So, once again, the best of the recent news is that Brother #1 stopped in for a few days last week. He was in New Mexico for some kind of anti-terrorist training, and took a 4-day layover to hang out in Cactus Town with us. I had tried to make some plans, maybe drive up to the mountains and get out of the hellish desert heat, but he nixed all that, and we spent most of the time hanging out in the house, or "The Resort," as he calls it, watching the FIFA games on the Mexican channels. So that was easy. It was great having him here, actually. I guess I forget how nice it is to have another adult around, especially one who can make pleasant small talk, and is up for a movie or a trip to the supermarket.
The plan for today is to load up the van and drive 5 hours to pick up my daughter, Sweet Child, from Girl Scout Camp. I predict the first words out of her mouth will be an accusatory "Why didn't I get any letters or emails??? I was the ONLY one!" Sigh.
I'm looking forward to seeing her though. Then another 2 hours back to the hotel in Phoenix. So, all in all a long day's journey.
These are the days to cherish, I think. A road trip with all three kids together, with a clean hotel bed at the end of the day. Beautiful Girl is almost 15, Sweet Child is 12. There are only a few more years of this. The Boy starts Kinder this fall, so I do get a kind of childhood's coda.

Beating Against The Tide

Where was I? Oh yes, the meeting with the counselor. All went well until about the middle of the session, when My First Husband announced he would be serving me with legal separation papers, -- at work, so as to spare the children any anxiety. It's those little considerations that make me wonder where it all went wrong. Anyway, haven't seen anything yet, and yesterday was my last day of work, so I hope it's expensive to serve someone.
Yaay! I'm able to return-paragraph! Blogger must have received my pleading e-mails.
Otherwise, what. Nothing accomplished on any of the projects. Well, I did join the Parent Teacher Organisation for my son's school. He'll be starting Kindergarten in the Fall. That's looking like a good entry into society point. Gigi talked me into it, and since she and her 8 siblings have all ruled this town for 60 years, she knows everyone. --She has turned out to be such a good friend, I can't believe she's lived just across the street all these years!
Last Sunday she invited me to breakfast with two of her sisters, a niece, a daughter, and a local artist. One of her sisters held forth about the DaVinci Code, Michael Ledwith, and the secret life of Jesus. It was probably the most interesting conversation I've had in this town, outside of a classroom. Then we all went to the Artist's house to look at her paintings. Which I now desire.
So social life is good.

Driving to Distraction

Today I am driving 6 hours to spend 1 hour with a therapist. I will be meeting my First Husband there, the topic will be our middle child. We've been married 15 years, but 18 months (or so) ago, FH decided he preferred to be single again, moved into a ratty little apartment, and has been busily doing everything in his power to create a life without me. He has told all our neighbors and acquaintances that we are getting a divorce, that I threw him out, and on and on. Anyway, I haven't seen any paperwork, just anger, hostility, and that irritating look of pity from the general population. Evidently, the children are having some trouble processing their feelings about the situation. So we'll see what comes up. My take on the deal is that we are still a family, with one member who wants his own space, and isn't comfortable unless he's alone in a room. Anyway, it looks like a long day, but any day off work is a treat! So, still can't use the return key to start a new paragraph. Maybe this blog will have to be in the form of some kind of dreamy, stream-of-consciousness poem.

Out of Chaos

Here we are at the first post. Hmmm, so many decisions, so many rejections during the set up. I'm exhausted, and what was the point again? Mostly I'm thinking this is going to be a journal of change. I'm hoping that some documentation will get some kind of actualization of desires going. Here are my goals: 1. Find out how to start a new paragraph. -- Every time I hit return, blogger kicks me down to the publish button. 2. Lose weight. 3. Get an online BS in Nursing. 4. Go to Turkey. 5. Manage my finances as per David Bach's excellent advice. 6. Put together the perfect wardrobe, as per Doris Pooser's excellent advice. 7. Develop a social life.