May 5, 2004

20040505

Cinco de Mayo and Jenny's birthdayToday is Jenny's birthday and all her college buddies are taking turns taking her out since yesterday. As we're just the parents, we don't get to celebrate until Saturday, if she can squeeze us in. I ran around all day yesterday, buying things for her apartment, which she will be moving into next week. Her internship starts on May 17, but we're moving her up there May 15. That will last 9 weeks and then she comes back home to finish her last semester...and then we shall have successfully graduated our SECOND (and last!) child from college. Other parents can relate to that joy. . On the disaster preparedness front, I've not been too busy, got sidetracked by writing stuff. One of my critique partners went to a conference and got to meet editors and such and she's been filling us in on things she observed and learned. I also need to somehow design a webpage for our group - we're beginning to have some real successes - 4 published books within this year and I think 7 short stories! Including one of mine! So we need a webpage to send folk to so they can check us out and decide if they want to read us or not.Echo and Flint are joyeous that summer weather is here. Daily walks are routine now. And amazingly, both have taken to wanting to go ride in the car. Flint never had a problem, but Echo was always leery. She did it, but didn't much care for it. Now when they think I'm going in the car she runs out and waits and if I open the car door she tries to get in! I meant to mention something nice that happened. I went to One-Stop to mail the packages to Iraq. I'm buddies with the folk there and explained what I was doing. I told them about my sister's chat group and how the guys she sent the Little Debbie brownies to carefully cut them up so everyone in their group/battalion/squadron or whatever its called, got one bite. (I sent two boxes in each of the 3 boxes I mailed). All the folk in the One-Stop thought that was a little sad - I explained they aren't really going hungry but the treats are sadly lacking. So... The gentleman who works there charged me surface/non-priority...but told me he was sending them PRIORITY. I guess everyone likes to do their little part for the people over there. It was a a touching little gesture and I truly appreciated it because I seriously couldn't afford to send the 3 boxes priority.