Thanksgiving...

Finally went to talk to my boss - and will be working from home for Thanksgiving and Christmas!  It will be the longest I've been with the family since before I went to Kohls.  Was told firmly that this extension is my last, done the end of February.  It's been a long stretch, going from Halloween to the 20th.  But it's winter and the oil plan started up...  I was noticeably crankier than normal last week, I suppose it's a larger response to why I have trouble getting to sleep - a lack of hope, of short term goals to look forward to.  Have a few leads for more work - one permanent in Ct. which would be awesome.  Can't worry too much about the next gig, when I'm neck deep in this one - plenty of work for the next month or so - then only sort of busy.

Whatever - the loneliness is killing me, along with the sense of letting my minions down - They need goals, boundaries and rewards, and I sometimes think it all pizza rolls and TV remotes.  The big one cannot grasp how much time is pouring through his fingers - College apps, College visits,  Eagle project stuff, MB stuff - and the experience of getting a job, having some money, and a boss.  

Back in Florida

It was a great time home - And I'll be back in just 8 days. Next time is D. to a Aventura reunion (first since 96?), and then take S. to tour CCSU (first time there since 89?).  The hurt of leaving doesn't fade, though.  I find the simple things that I don't get to, and the things that only I can do bother me a lot.  The fact is Umpa and Kevin do help me out, and cover me at home...By the way the trailer is immaculate.

But of all the feelings, the since that my life has been torn down, that little is left of it.  As I pack, I hear "I'm going in to spend two days this week with N's class" - and news about both the potential filling that DE spot, and changes to day camp...And how is BUMC? Outside my home, and inside my home, things seem to work poorly..

Today brought new work - which is always a little stressful, but it's better than the alternative.

Camporee

Spent last night at Bridgewater Fairgrounds for the fall District Camporee - N. has been waiting for years to sleep over with the big kids...They built catapults and shot tennis balls back and forth at each other, S. and C. taught Webelo Pins.  It was neat to see so many familiar faces, around all the different units - It is odd to be attached to two units now - Troop 3, the one S. is in and Troop 4, where D. has rediscovered his enjoyment of Scouting (and for dinner they had ham! So they are winners in my book).  It was frosty and cold last night though.  There was enough frost to make snowballs in camp this morning. Shot over to the Pack 3 Penny Auction this evening, looks well run, well attended and hopefully profitable.  Tomorrow is a Doctor visit and a visit to Bunga and Umpa's.

21

Happy Anniversary, missed it again.  But I'll be home this weekend, and camping Sat. night at the Camporee/Webeloree.

Cindy Week, Part IV

Monday morning, after being up ridculiously early to watch us dock, Cindy came back to our room.  We had breakfast on the Lido deck, and then joined the big line to exit.  We waited in line, and dribbled out of the ship.  The second biggest blessing of the day (after having Cindy around) was next - we got to the the best closest spot in the parking garage, and found I owed even less than I had planned for! After all the rushing to get there and parking in the short term garage, it was like $55, rather than the at least $70 I expected.

I went to work for noonish, and Cindy cooked Pork chops, on the grounds that no one at the house in CT. wanted to eat it.  It was good, my dishes got magically washed, and the laundry as well.  Tuesday, she went off to Orlando to see a friend from her "It's good to be the Queen" website.  For dinner we went off to BWW to play Trivia with Anthony from work...Wednesday, my birthday was not hugely depressing since she was still around - we went to Joe's crab shack, and DQ.

Thursday, I took her back to the Airport.

Cindy Week, Part III - Cozumel

So Saturday was our excursion - which for my money started rather early, 8am.  We were to walk off the boat, to another ferry which would take us to the mainland, to a bus which would take us to Tulum - a oceanside Mayan ruin.  Was annoyed by another nickel and dime "water for sale" station on the boat.  Everyone there sells bottled water.  It ride was uneventful - the shore side town was a bunch of new condo's, then your average poorer scenery.  The guide really knew his stuff,  first stop was a new concrete building were they sold obsidian (which was the topic of the guide at that point).  Then we went off to the national park, with a bunch of single story flea market layout in front, and a mile walk up to the gate of the park itself.  It was cool - that guide was sharp - and understood his audience.

Over there? There's a fish?

Someone really wanted to say we'd been in the Caribbean, even though the reality of our glasses had precluded us going snorkeling.






We did some shopping there, and being dehydrated had the most potent margerita EVER! And $2 corona's - the ride was a bit blurry, but it passed and we shopped more at the duty free mall.

C.'s favorite part of the cruise was this, every day:

Cindy Week, Part II

So - The funniest thing that happened was a case of us reverting to our regular roles in life.  We were walking to lunch and got separated, and I ended up way in the front of the ship -  So I figured she would turn up either at our destination, the Lido dining room, or out by the pool, at the table where we had sat previously.  It must have been 10 minutes of wandering around - and we found each other by the pool, and someone proceeded to yell (speak loudly) that one of us had been "lost" - It reminded me that 1) I'm really used to being alone, and 2) that someone doesn't deal with peers and equals very often.  I finally said we could put this behind us and have lunch, or we'd have to come back here later for some people to apologize.  It was better to be reminded early, than on our excursion.  It does take some practice to just be a couple - as opposed to a repairer, and part time disciplinarian.  That first dinner, one of our wait staff came buy and offered to sell us a bottle of water (a simple liter) - we figured it was cheaper that soda, and even if you brought wine they charged a $10 opening charge.  Every dinner there after, some came by an filled our water glasses, for free.  Penny ante BS.  The appetizers were good, the entree's, were more up and down, never bad but some were better than others.  I was surprised the had a part of thier menu was entree's for an additional $18 each.

On the ship we watched Denver television channels - but no ESPN (other than the Mexican one, F1 racing and soccer).  It was odd - and internet access was as tenuous as you'd expect, and Cell phone service had a surcharge tacked onto every call.  
Next is our day in "Stinky Air" - Tulum....