I have spent the last hour having a lovely conversation with the lovely Genevieve (friend Jen in Oz) and downloading clips from Sifl & Olly.

It’s been a wonderful use of my time. Truly. Very relaxing.

Sifl & Olly has got to rank as one of the top comedy shows of all time. Yes, it’s about sock puppets. Yes, it aired on Mtv. But Sifl & Olly is to me as The Three Stooges is to those with Y chromosomes. I can literally fall from the sofa to the floor laughing at this show. And now, it’s gone. Just when I realize what a gem it truly is.

Of course, now I’m on the hunt for copies of the episodes. It’s always something with me.  =)

Justin is on his way to becoming a cousin tonight. Dan’s sister is in labor as this is written. Justin has decided that Auntie Kate is having a girl. Why? Because he likes girls with ponytails. Really. He’s been telling me it’s a girl for seven months. Now he can’t wait. When I walked into my parents’ house to pick him up, he announced that tonight he would be a cousin. He’s very excited. It’s a shame the baby wants to come in the middle of the night.

And I guess, quietly, I’m a little concerned for how Justin is going to react to having to share the limelight he’s owned for five and a half years. His Auntie Kate is his Grandpa’s little girl, and her baby will send him over the moon. I just hope Justin understands and doesn’t get too hurt…

Justin’s question tonight that had me speechless: “Where do flowers go when they die? Do they go to heaven?” No. “Why not? Doesn’t God want them in heaven?” Um… well… okay… (stalling)… they don’t have a soul. “What’s a soul?” Um… um… ACK! Anyone who thinks parenting is easy needs to live with Justin for five minutes. Really. It’s as complicated as it gets.

So. Okay. Of relative interest (not to mention confusion) was the give-and-take with Max today. My cell rang at 8:45am today (while I was at work), and it was Max. Just wanting to wish me a good morning. Um, okay… He planned to stay up all day after staying up all night - to get his sleep schedule back on non-vampire hours for the L’Abri conference this weekend. I felt bad for him. There had to be an easier way of getting off a night schedule.

He also called to tell me he’d written and recorded a new song last night. Like, completely. He played it for me through his cell to mine. Needless to say, the guitar and drums sounded great, but the vox was unintelligible. So…

Work: mindless.

As I’m heading home from work, Max calls to ask where I’m at. He’s just about to go home and go to bed, but he wants me to hear his new stuff. Half an hour later, I’m sitting in his Jeep in the driveway, listening to new music. Good new music. I had the chorus of last night’s song in my head for hours afterward.

Poor Max. His eyes were droopy, his hair was a fuzzy mess, and he looked like he might fall asleep on his steering wheel at any minute. I felt bad for him. But I can’t fix him or save him.

If I tell myself that enough times, it might sink in.

So, preparations are now beginning for the big trip to the Dominican Republic! Melissa and I leave on Saturday… eight days on the beach… all the alcohol we can stand… naps every day… books and music… swimming… beach… ACK! I cannot WAIT to go! I had some reservations, especially since I’m a quasi-homebody (and you know, there’s someone I’ll miss a lot while I’m gone), but now I see that this is the bReAk I need. We need. And we’ll never get it while in the same city.

Isn’t this just ludicrous?

Paid some bills and realized just how broke I am. Peanut butter and jelly will become the staple of my diet while I study for the Series 7. Believe me, there’s not enough money for anything else.

Wish I could have leaned over in the Jeep this evening and kissed Max on the cheek. But that’s not allowed. I’m lucky to get a hug anymore. I don’t know why I wanted to do that. I’m sure it would have been really weird. But it’s getting kind of stressful. That tension between where you want to be, where you know you are, and where it seems you are is sometimes hard to take.

Ah, well… focusing on the sweet smell of ocean air right now… These issues will still be here when I get back.

Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt,

michelle