Random Bullets of Home

• Little One and her Grandpa are watching Dora in the living room. There was a big, red chicken blocking the path to the quiet forest and it refused to wake up. Dora decided to get a horn from her backpack to wake the poultry. Just as I was thinking the exact same thing, Dad said, "I'd have thrown that rock at it." I nodded in agreement even as I laughed.
• The computer purchased for my mom's birthday is all set up. I also organized the chaos that was her desk in Little One's toy room. It's really very nice in here now.
• The computer came with games. While I'm rather superior in the fact that I don't play many games myself (I don't know why I'm so proud that I waste time in other ways, but I am), I have spent hours aligning fuzzy creatures in Chuzzle. I've only reached level 9 and my score was upwards of 194,000. Oh, and I collected 3 trophies for my trophy room! I, um, have no idea how said trophies were collected, though Mom and I read the tiny descriptions as I clicked and dragged the little creatures about. When she plays, she sees different matches than I do, which I find interesting enough to mention. I wonder if she would have thrown a rock at the sleeping, big, red chicken...
• We had steak yesterday with Brother, his wife and Little One. It was absolutely exquisite. Today will find me returning to the meat boutique to acquire more top sirloin.
• At 8PM yesterday, as the house quieted into sleep (my parents go to bed even earlier than I do), I was feeling not great. Near tears and weighty with sadness, I prepared to sigh myself into a self-pitying sleep. Instead, I got up and crept down the stairs to exercise and wrote a large section of my book chapter. So while I'm still not doing well, per se, I am getting better enough to fight my way out of the worst moments.
• There's something about being home that makes me wish for my own family though. There is a pronounced ache that there's nobody for me. This is very sad.
• I discovered - as I was cleaning and organizing - that I know my house much better than the one where I grew up. I couldn't find a hammer to place pictures in the hallway. I wanted a canvas drawer set to store some of the many toys that clutter this room. I needed to put extra phone cords away and had no idea where to store them. It pleases me that I've made my own space - fairly far from here, actually - where I have knowledge of where items are and where they should go.
• Unfortunately, I live in that place alone. I obviously keep getting stuck on that point lately.
• Chienne rolled in something gross during her morning outing yesterday. I found myself barely awake - before 7:00 - giving the dog a shower to wash the disgusting smell from the fur of her neck. She's now shiny and smelling of Garnier shampoo plus conditioner, but that was hardly the way to begin a relaxing day.
• 'Prout, after a beginning that had Friend stuffing him in his carrier while he lunged at the sides in a failed attempt to escape, has settled in nicely. He's still jumpy - he doesn't trust easily - but will return quickly after scampering away. He continues to bite Mom because she lets him. He tolerates Little One as she waves toys wildly at his head.
• Mom and I are seeing a show tomorrow night - it was the reason for my long weekend. The plan is to drive south afterward - leaving here at about 11, I think. Traffic should be light. I plan to sleep tomorrow while everyone is at work or school. We'll see how it goes, but I must be back for group meeting on Wednesday so people may offer their congratulations on my cover.
• I haven't read blogs since leaving home on Saturday morning. I'm oddly OK with that, and hope that good stuff awaits me in bloglines.
• It's good to be home. The drive sucks (though I listened to an audiobook that rated high on the erotic scale even for me this time. I found myself blushing more than once.) and the daybed in the back bedroom isn't so comfortable. But it's nice to be around people I love. I really do - at some point - need to move closer again.