Cheers!

The last couple of weeks have been mad crazy.  I don't know how many miles I've put on my car between my Uncle's funeral (70 miles), picking my daughter up from the airport (150 miles), going to the Avon awards luncheon (90 miles) and various other heres and theres.  Plus I've had to deal with the additional  mental strain of losing an Aunt last week (who's funeral is in Arizona--too far for me to attend) and the physical strain of taking a newly 21 year-old work colleague out on a pub crawl last weekend and then my class reunion this weekend. I think I've had more to drink in the last 10 days than I have in the last year combined!  I don't drink much anymore and after all of the money I've just spent I understand why! I'm worn out and ready for things to slow down a bit, but it has been nice seeing people, reconnecting with some I hadn't seen for a long time. After listening to some of them talk about their husbands and children I definitely realize how lucky I am! I need to remind myself of that more often.

Sunrise

Because of the husband's new job, the alarm goes off at 4 a.m. 6 mornings a week. I actually rather like it--since I don't have to be at work until 8, it gives me some quiet time to try and get a few things done. Of course, I'm usually in bed by 8 every night. Guess its a good thing I don't have a social life! And I can watch most of the evening TV shows I like on-line so I've not missed much. I'm sure about the time I get really used to it, they will move him to a different shift!

Secrets

A guy I used to party with a thousand years ago (before the husband and kids) comes into the store quite often. The other day during the course of our conversation he made a reference to "secrets", more than once. I think I know what secrets he is referring to (again, before the husband and the kids!), altho I'm not sure why. But like I said to him, this is a small town--there are no secrets! The thing I find so funny about this is--again, it's a small town. Many of us have a "past" that we don't talk about anymore. Maybe pretend it didn't even happen. But come on, folks, true secrets are hard to find. Someone was there and remembers, even if we pretend we don't! I'm probably not explaining this right, but I just find it so funny to wait on certain customers and make small talk with them, act like we are casual acquaintances when we used to know each other quite well! It's just so hilarious!

Eat'um Up, Yum!

It's Fair time! Our town hosts one of the bigger County Fairs in Southern Illinois and it's a "big deal" around here. We have a very nice fairground and there are lots of activities that will go on all week. I remember as a child getting so excited when the fair came. My parents would take us out for corn-dogs and cotton candy and we would get to spend money on the rides and games. The sad part was the Fair meant the summer was almost over. Now, as an adult, I just get excited about the Elephant Ears! The last couple of weeks have been hectic--one thing after another-- so it was nice to take a break and get my yearly fair-food fix!

I Swear, I'm Not Whining!

During High School and College I was a very social creature. I was always doing and going. Then I met my husband. He seemed rather sociable himself at the time. That was my "drunk weekend" summer--in otherwords, I didn't sober up from the beginning of April until about the end of August! I tell people I was drunk when I met him (at the bar) and when I sobered up, we were living together, so I just stayed and married him! It's really not so far from the truth, actually. And it turns out his social side had more to do with alcohol than I realized. Our "drinking buddies" faded away when we quit drinking. He would do well as a hermit. Once we had kids he hardly ever wanted to go to other people's houses, and he got mad at me when I invited people to our house. Plus, when you get married and have kids, it seems your single friends fade away. I still bowled, and had a bit of a social life there, but then I broke my ankle and that was the end of that. Before it healed enough the local Bowling Alley closed and it was just too expensive at the next town. Quite a few of my friends and cousins drifted off to other parts of the world. So now here I am at a point when my kids don't need me to be home and I've gotten past the point where I feel like I can't go out if my husband doesn't, and I have no friends! It really didn't happen overnight, it's been gradual and I only really noticed it had happened the last few years. I do still have one friend. But she still has young children and her social life is mainly limited to driving them around! She's been wanting to get together and go see a movie, but we have very different interests genre-wise! She likes horror flicks and I just don't. There is one club in town, the Garden Club, but that takes money to join. There used to be the Jr. Women's club, but it faded away for lack of interest. There is lots of church groups, but I don't do church. And the VFW does alot, and I think I could join now since my brother is eligible, but it's mainly a bar and I don't drink much anymore. I'm sure this is just a "dry spell" and I'll get out again. Anyway, that's what I keep telling myself!