The Power of A Firm Mattress and Water Pressure

Ahhhhh.....it's good to be home.

The blog has been in fantastic hands--the visit counter hasn't wobbled more than a little--and I have vacationed in the Caribbean for a week. A couple thoughts:

1. Why don't I take more vacations? I need them. Not for the physical rejuvination, because frankly, I think I'd be more relaxed if I had hiked the Himalayas. No, I need mental vacations. Forced changes of scenery restore the soul. It's like I'm rebooted.
   
2. Why am I obsessive about this blogging business? A week and 1/2 out of commission and I must tell you, my reaction to Kim J. exploding things, Buffalo's snow-in and Foley's (yawn) personal proclivities was to settle deeper into my chair (watching Disney shows), bed (rocking to sleep) or table (gorging myself on some sort of exotic food). It's fun being completely apathetic.
3. Why don't I read more? The Internet has consumed my extra time (at the end of the day, after the kids get in bed). But I'm missing out on some good reading. For example, I got 1/2 way through the book Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, which I must say does not live up to the funny David Sedaris expectation I had, was more sad, not very well-written (but who am I? I just started a sentance with "But", and this sentence is a complete run-on to boot, there are misspellings scattered for everyone's enjoyment, so there!) and just plain disturbing. Let's see: sexual abuse at thirteen equals "first boyfriend" (33 years old). No father. Psycho mother. Born gay. Very important, that last part. Gay since forever. I know we're talking chicken-egg stuff here, but it is a tough sell that his environment had zip to do with his sexual development. Digressing. I'm digressing. I should read more--just not books like this clap-trap. I ordered seven books from Amazon pre-cruise, and because I'm a complete tight-wad, did not pay extra to actually receive the books in a timely manner and so had to read a book about a psycho family. Hello!? That's what vacations with families reinforce. Why read about it? Again, I digress. So, why don't I read more? I'll be reading more. I need perspective. I need balance. I need to save my eyeballs from certain blindness because they are glued to a computer monitor.

Yet, for all that, it is great to be back. It's great to enjoy the comforts of home (more comfortable than a cruise, if you can imagine that). It's great to come back to a community of people smarter than me. Like Gina Cobb and Maxed Out Mama, for example. Two very generous ladies, smart and, I imagine, very beautiful (I've never seen or met them). I expect that their beauty matches their brains.

I'll write more about the Disney Cruise and other stuff tomorrow. Now, I'm going to get the sleep I didn't get while vacationing.

New Guest Bloggers

I wish to warmly welcome two guest bloggers who will keep the place hummin' while I'm gone. They are awesome people with great blogs of their own.

Maxed Out Mama the incognito Georgia economist in banking and a specialist in real estate will be gracing you with her very prominent presence. She has an interesting background that some of my readers might like knowing about--she is a survivor of traumatic brain injury. Amazing. There are at least three of my regular readers who have experienced the same. Mama has tremendous insight and lots to share.

Gina Cobb is a lawyer and mom from California who is just coming up on her first year in blogging (just a tad less than me). Her focus is politics and world events. She has funny takes and interesting links. She will help expand your blog-horizons.

I am profoundly grateful to these women for a couple of reasons. 1) They are helping me in my time of need 2) They are helping me even though we have never met face to face and 3) They give me hope.

Why do they give me hope? Do you ever wonder, as the world goes mad, if you're the only one who believes certain values and holds important ideals dear? Maybe you're not as narcissistic as me (in fact, that's probably a given), but I wonder. And then I read their blogs and other people like them and know that I'm not completely, ideologically alone. (I do have one quibble with Mama. She believes the flu epidemic is going to come home to roost *cough*--couldn't help myself--here soon. I'm not so sure.)

Anyway, please enjoy. I'll be cruisin' the Carribean, so pray that were safe from pirates, rogue waves or a last minute hurricane. Hey! Ya never know.

Back on the 15th.