Mobile or HOME? I think you've answered your own question Michael, if it's still not home to you in Mobile. I'm proud of you helping in colleges, high schools or with oil spills. You need Michelle and her powers of muddling mint to make your drink ;)

I'm really ambivalent about this weekend. It's my last weekend to remodel the house. Done or not. I plan to celebrate. I'll clean after that and after pictures will be forthcoming. I'm writing my hardship letter to explain why the bank should consider short selling my house. It's in His hands now and at the right time. I'm excited it's done and I'm sad I'm leaving years of work. It's kind of like graduating. Next chapter! Have to go make up a menu for my celebration dinner. I can see seafood in that picture.

I'm really sickened by what's going on in China and the many school children are in my prayers! Hope that gets cleared up soon.

I am going to see an internist in June for my osteoarthritis. Before I go, I contacted my parents and sibs for their medical history. I found a spreadsheet that they could just check with an X for conditions. It was clear as a bell when I got it back... Xs all the way across the osteoarthritis row, HA! Mom and her parents, dad and his parents. Duh! No diabetes, but boy the heart stuff is ugly. Guess I better get on a good diet (I did quit eating red meat months ago, but need to up the fish intake) and get more veggies introduced.

Michael----good luck with those big coices coming up concerning what to do job and home/wise---no easy answers!
Honest---I thought you WERE in your 30's, or just early, early 40's!
Young at heart!!!

For the record I am 52. Don't look it, don't feel it and I definitely don't act like the average 52 year old.

Lost Boy to the end....

Today is the last day of my 30s, and I am loving life. I decided earlier this week that if I was going to become a "blue-haired old lady" I was going to do it on my own dam* terms, so I had my hairdresser strip all the color out of several strips in my hair and put bright turquoise and vivid emerald chunky highlights in it. I must confess that I love the insanity of it, and it contrasts quite interestingly with the coppery color of the rest of my hair. My co-workers and boss reacted well to it... I assured my boss that I am a professional (I deal with clients exclusively by phone and email... until late October), and by the time our conference rolls around my hair will... match the conference logo (which is purple and an orangey-gold). He laughed.

I went to a cooking demo with some neighbor ladies today, then we shopped, had a great lunch, and went to Trader Joe's together. Now the sun hid behind a storm cloud, I've battened down the proverbial hatches, and I'm waiting for a big, ugly storm to come and go.

I'm in a great mood, and as soon as this silly storm's over, I'm ready to have a great weekend and greet my 40s with open arms... and green and blue hair...

I had a dream last night that my neighbor and I were counting my gray hairs and we were laughing and jolly??? I don't know what that means. I put in my ten hour day between the two jobs and have found a second wind to go outside and plant the honeysuckle gold flame I bought. I think I will plant my pots tomorrow even if I may have to hustle them in if we get a frost. I love Spring

The H1N1 vaccine has expired.
How do I know this?
I took Katrina and Neil to get some blood tests done this
morning and decided to make the trip to the health dept.
to get their shots.
We filled out papers and waited almost an hour til the nurse
came out and said the vaccine had expired this morning and
was on it's way back to the labs. SHOOT!!!!

I had the only 2 trees in my yard cut this week.
Didn't want to but it was necessary. The stumps have been
ground up and the mulch taken away.
Soon if all goes well, we will no longer have water standing
in the backyard when it rains. Then perhaps I can have
flowers and a patio where Neil and I can sit and enjoy the birds.

I found a hummingbird's nest today while I was visiting my
sis. I noticed a hummer attacking another bird and knew from
experience that an attack like that meant there had to be a
nest nearby. Sure enough I found it about fifteen feet
high in a maple tree. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael, there's no place like home!

Michael, retiring? You are much, much to young for that. Now a career switch to international globetrotter, referee for the Olympic soccer team or some similar exciting occupation, I can see. Have fun running and I hope you don't have to help in the clean-up because it won't be needed. Germany just opened the biggest windfarm in the North Sea.

Am I glad that nobody gave me a Derby ticket for Christmas or birthday! There is a chance that part of the races might be cancelled. Lost already twice power here this morning and we are under tornado watch. The picture- perfect first of May weather was yesterday.

Wow that's a lot of turning points listed here, Michael's right, a good high school teacher is the gift of the gods, and leaves lots of time for playing.
Me, I'm wallowing in my sabbatical, just started an Arabic course, and I'm sleeping almost as much as I want. Finances are hard this year, but so what. I've found loopers on my mint, and the sweet pea has flourished but never bloomed. My plans this week are to get to the pro gardener's shop and buy food for the citrus and for the plants. No compost this year, first in the new house, and my garden shows it. But I've hand cleared nearly a quarter acre of weeds and junk, and we'll see.......
Someone stole the battery right out our car last night, and this morning was spent in putting in a new one. The rains have stopped till October, the heat is starting to build, and the loquat season is nearly over. My first attempt at loquat jam was a disaster - we'll see what I can destroy next.
It's Coffee Time, sacred in our house. Peace.