What, really? August? Huh.

Random thoughts about life, not necessarily connected in any way shape or form.

**So my week of vacation is less than a week away (huzzah!). After so long anticipating, it will be sweet to be in the company of good friends again (sadly this year we will be missing a couple of our number due to family obligations).

**Saw both my parents and my brother yesterday. We celebrated my dad's seventy-fifth birthday, just the four of us. My brother's family was on the Cape, but he didn't join them this weekend. He's doing better. He starts physical therapy on August 10 - but he's already testing his range of motion and using the arm. He went off to pick up his dog and take his painting stuff out to catch the five-o'clock light. He may not be able to work on the house, and the forced inactivity is driving him a little insane, but he has time to paint now. Which is not a bad thing, in my opinion.

**My dad enjoyed his day with us - he got a couple of books on golf, a plant, and some shirts. He also got "tickets" for the local movie theatre, so he can take my mom to the movies. Which is something they used to do, but haven't done in a long long time. This is the first year in several I've actually been around on my dad's birthday - usually I am traveling for work this time of year - and I would have this year, too, but I didn't actually have to go to Stockholm. So that was nice. And my dad has never made a big deal about his birthday - for many reasons.

**My mom and I had a lovely chat - I love just sitting and talking to my mother. She'd talked to her sister recently, and I got to hear all about how my aunt is doing. I kinda wish I knew my aunt better - but since I only met her for the first time less than ten years ago, that is sort of a hopeless kind of wish. Which is really okay - I'm not pining. My mom's family are not any kind of close, so I never really had that anyway, even when her parents were still alive. From what my mom says my aunt is gripping onto the past, past hurts, past wrongs done her, and past miseries. Which make their conversations draining and difficult for my mom.

**As far as I can tell, I've received all the boxes sent back to me from Azkatraz - except for the tea lights which were coming back from the decorations chair, who took them home before packing them up and sending them back - mostly because they were all mixed in with all of her decorations stuff already - and not directly from San Francisco.

**The big box arrived with the plethora of tee-shirts included. I need to dig out any HP themed fabric I have... Which, admittedly is not a lot - but even touches might make the theme quilt sparkle a little. Anyone have any I can have? Fat quarters are fine - even scraps are good...

**looks like rain again... damned weird weather pattern!

HA!

Part of my job is moderating/running a two-and-a-half-hour teleconference for about twenty/twenty-five people every two weeks. I've done this for literally *years.* And while the lineup of people involved has changed and grown over the years, I have stayed on through three different companies holding the contract for this particular client. I have not missed a teleconference since I took over as moderator, summer of 2003. That is SIX YEARS for those playing at home. Six years of every other week. For many many many of those years I had to schedule everything around the two week schedule - including getting ill. I've moderated the teleconference with laryngitis. With a fever of 102. Sick or otherwise not at work. Because for five of the last six years I've had no backup. And nobody who could take over if anything happened to me. Thank providence I didn't have to go in for surgery.

This particular part of my job is why I am so damned valuable to my client, and why I was one of the "key people" they wanted to go when they chose the new company for the contract.

The schedule for the next quarter is out, and I am about to miss my very first teleconference IN SIX YEARS because I am going to be on vacation. I get to have a vacation, because I have very capable backup now, with the company that currently holds the contract.

I can't wait.