An hour and a half from now, I will be holding one half of a giant pair of scissors and cutting the ribbon to oficially open the new homes that have been built on the other side of this base (the VP of the housing company will be holding the other). My family and I have been chosen to be the ribbon cutting family because we've lived in the crappy homes the longest - homes that will be demolished a week or so after we move out.  The military is recognizing the role that the...

In our family, I'm usually the one getting hurt - and often at very inconvienient times. However, today it was my husband's turn, and he managed to score the most untimely injury yet. He tore his ACL during a fight (sanctioned) at Phoenix Raven school.  Just how bad the tear is remains to be seen (he's in the ER now awaiting the results of an MRI).  One thing, however, is clear: no Phoenix Raven for him.  He can't complete the last 4 days of the training.  If it's ...

My mum flies home today after a three week vacation here with me and mine. It's been a wonderful time....I don't want it to end.  I don't want her to go home.  I don't want to put her on a plane and have the big Atlantic separating us again.  I don't want to let her go. I'm not going to let her go.  We have re-established the mother-daughter relationship again; we've re-connected in a way that I wish I had the words to adequately explain....we're close again, and I refu...

I've gone crazy.  Completely crackers.  Lost my mind.  I'm an utter lunatic.  I've been bitten by the sock knitting bug.  Mum bought me a pretty spendy sock knitting book, a very comprehensive one that allows you to customize patterns and make socks to fit their recipient.  I'm making a made-to-measure pair of socks for her as a 'thank you for buying me the book and look at how I'm using it' present.  Actually, I'm feeling pretty guilty about bloggi...

If I've done this right, you should be able to play the clip of me and mum seeing each other for the first time in 11 years.  It's not much; Dave wasn't as on the ball with the camera as I'd hoped and the lack of sound doesn't do much for the ambience (although you can hear me starting to cry at the sight of her), but you still get to see my big ass. This is us at the top of the Arch last week: Mother looking out the window at the Mississippi below: This us cramme...

Mum arrived safely - 3 hours late, but safely nonetheless - and it's been go go go since then! Thursday morning we were going to stay home to help her get over jet lag, but she said she didn't notice any and wanted to go out - so we went to the mall and then to that behemoth flagship of modern American consumerism, Wal-Mart Supercenter.  She was aghast not only at the size of it, but at the prices too.  Not WAL-MART prices, prices in general.  Take today, for example: she bough...

It was spring photo day for my children's school district a couple of weeks ago.  I haven't purchased school photos (spring and otherwise) for a couple of years, mainly because they've been incredibly expensive and generally not very good.  This year, though, I'm making an exception.  The photos they all brought home are very, very good, and I was very surprised - they're not what I would consider 'normal' school photos.  Well, Jake's photo is pretty much a standard schoo...

Tomorrow morning, I'lll be putting clean sheets on the bed in my daughter's room and doing a little light housework. Tomorrow lunchtime, I'll be having difficulty sitting still. Tomorrow afternoon, my husband and I will be driving to the other side of St Louis.  To Lambert Airport, to be exact.  No, I'm not going to be dropping him off, not this time.  This time we'll be picking someone up. We'll be picking my mum up.  She's arriving tomorrow for a slightly-over-...

I was going to say that not much has happened around here since I last wrote, but that's not true.  Things have happened.... For instance, my patient upset me.  Notice I said patient, in the single tense, not patients, which would include the Mrs of the couple.  She's more understanding.  The Mr is the one who both upset and pissed me off a little.... ....he knows that I'm going to be taking some time off when my mum comes to visit.  He's known since I first starte...

In 20 days, my mum will be here for a three week vacation.  I haven't seen my mum in an obscene length of time; this visit is far too long overdue and is much anticipated.  I'm so looking forward to just hanging out at home with her, watching her interact with her grandchildren as she gets to know them up close and personal.  It's going to be a wonderful opportunity for everyone.   My dad won't be there in person, but he will certainly be there in spirit.  He's ...

...since I wrote an article.  I haven't had the urge or the need to write; my creative urge is being satisfied elsewhere - and I've been really fucking tired.  We got new living room furniture, and I've been making some American Primitive art pieces to go with the new furniture.  It's looking pretty good - I'll take some photos this weekend and post them so y'all can see what I've been doing. I worked 13 days straight a couple of weeks ago.  I didn't do it for the mone...

I haven't been very active here at JU for weeks.  Months, maybe.  The reasons for that are varied and many.  First of all, this having to log in every. single. time. I visit JU is tiresome.  Irksome, even.  I don't like it, and I'm tired of doing it....hence my distinct lack of participation around here.  Next, I have a family and a job to take care of.  I love both of them, by the way.  I've become very attached to my patients - and that was a dec...