Is the end of winter really in sight?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Let's poke around to see if we can stir up some good trouble, Leo. The time is right. You're in need of a friendly disruption or two. Fortunately, I'm sensing there's a forbidden temptation that isn'tso forbidden any longer . . . as well as a strange attractor you might find inspiring and a volatile teaching that would turn you inside-out in a good way. Are you willing to wander into a previously off-limits area? Hey, look. There's one of those mystery spots I was hinting about. I wonder what would happen if you pressed that green button. Go ahead. Don't be . . .Gaaaahhhhh! Unnhhh! Wha?! I mean WOW! That was *very* interesting.Try it again!

Free Will Astrology for this week. Seems appropriate since I survived the first "improv" class and am going back for more.

I didn't know what to expect and certainly wasn't mentally prepared to get physical but get physical we did with various activities.

We also were given notebooks and we're to be keeping a journal with homework every week. How awesome is that? And I'm being serious. I may have hated homework when I was in school but since this about is about ME, I'm all for it. :P

This week we're to be thinking/writing about such things as what happens if we perceive everything -good and bad -as a gift and how deliberately are we communicating with others.

I like that we're talking about being present in the moment, in the now. And I like that we're going to be having to do a lot of thinking on our feet. My brain has gotten stuck in its patterns so this ought to wake it up right?

Anyhoo...it's now my weekend and I'm exhausted. It's been a long couple of weeks.

Last week, popping down to FL to hang out with my parents and my aunt for a night was interesting but exhausting. It was great being in FL though with no snow and seeing people on the beach and others swimming! In February! Swimming!

I got down there in the afternoon and Sally and Pop came and got me from the airport. We headed over the hotel where my folks were staying and after saying hello to Mom, Pop, Sally and I headed off to dinner (Mom had "spent her pennies" for the afternoon and was resting). We ended up at a TGIF's for some pretty good food. Actually just thinking about the Tuscan Spinach Dip has me hungry...I suppose I ought to go make coffee and rustle up some food soon...

Anyhoo, we all had drinks and then after going back to the hotel after dinner, there was wine and more conversation. I had a bit of alone time with both Sally and Pop which was good but of course the topics were about the other person. Aaaargh! But you know you just have to survive those moments and get to the other side of it.

I stayed with Sally in her room, but with so much catching up to do, it was about 2am by the time we went to sleep. She's making the best of her bad situation, being trapped in her life with her drunk husband and a kid that is only cleaning up his act because he wants to drive the car now that he's 16 and got his drivers license. But then we were awake again around 3am because she couldn't sleep and was in pain. She's still got a lot of physical problems. But she carries on and gets things done. I am in awe of the strong women in my family. Even if they don't appear to always be strong, they endure whatever bullshit comes their way. I don't know that I would be as strong faced with the issues they deal with. I mean, I've dealt with my fair share of shit, but not the amount or kinds they have.

Ah, gotta love disruptions to ones routines.

Then I set my alarm for 8am because I wasn't sure what the plan was for the next morning before we headed to the airport to head back home. So not a lot of sleep. :(

We made our way back to the airport a little before noon and ended up hanging out there for the next 6 hours. We couldn't get all on the 1:30pm flight so we opted to stay and take the 5:30pm flight...very brave of my Mom to wait it out. Thankfully we eventually found a place she could lay down.

(Have I ever mentioned specifically what her disability is? Her equilibrium is shot. After getting a hysterectomy back in the early 80's, she was given an anti-biotic that had the side effect of screwing up her equilibrium. (She wasn't warned of that side effect ...but the religion discouraged her from pursuing taking legal action to sue them for malpractice...another thing I get to hold against it) so when she has been vertical for too long, it screws the equilibrium up and only by getting horizontal does it re-set it for her)

Anyhoo....so we ate dinner at the airport and Mom and I had a chance to talk during this long wait. As awful as it was that we had to wait around it was kind of fun to be hanging out with them at an airport (having them buy my dinner!) and be this family that was coming back from vacation together because we never do that. When we eventually got our seats and were on the plane, I made the observation to Mom that it had been about 30 years since we were on a plane together (not necessarily counting the trip down the week prior because we didn't get to sit together) ..the last time being when we came back from England.

And I'm so proud of my Mom for hanging in as well as she did. The flight was delayed and then the length of the flight seemed to last forever and that was really tough on her physically...I ended up requesting that an on board wheelchair be waiting for her when we arrived so that she wouldn't even have to walk off the plane.

The adventure continued after because my brother -who was picking them up -couldn't find the place I wanted him to meet us at. (We landed at a gate that was really close the entrance/exit I like to use that gets you in and out of the airport fast and easy...it's the one the city buses come to, as well as the shuttle from my work) so out came angry Pop and angry Jason. What a mess. My Mom was the one who finally got everyone calmed down and gave Pop hell for giving me a hard time. And insisted he apologize to me for giving me a hard time. She understood I was only trying to make things easier for everyone.

We eventually went back over to arrivals and found each other. And it was about 10pm by then. A really long day for my Mom. But I keep telling her she is stronger than she thinks. She may be getting older, and yes has physical limitations, but she can't just sit back and take it. She has to fight. Pop is actually glad my brother moved out because she was letting him do more stuff for her that she really should be doing for herself.

So whew. 2 days spent with people I love but who wear me out. Add that on top of my wonderful, fantastic quick trip out to San Diego for Scotty's birthday (have I mentioned how awesome that was?) and a full week of work (which included the monthly one on one/call review with my manager where I had to acknowledge, once again, that I talk too much!) It's now my weekend and it is blissfully free of any activities or obligations. I only have a date w/B to look forward to.

It's a beautiful, sunny day and the temperatures have been in the 30's. Woo hoo! Let's hope the "in like a lamb, out like a lion" is not the case this year.

I ended up getting a couple of vacation days next week but I may give 'em back because I don't have the cash to go anywhere and I might as well save them for when I actually need them. (I put in the requests thinking I wouldn't get 'em as has been the case for the most part this winter)....or hell, maybe I'll take 'em and just hang out at home...nah, hanging out at home just one full day is enough...

Well, I think I'm gonna stop this post here ..I need coffee and food. And then to tidy up my room. I've been putting it off long enough.

Onward. With a growling stomach.