Well, my return to work was of course eventful. I think I should have stayed on the beach. I was great at making sure the waves only touched the very tip of my beach chair and I became a professional in the art of applying sun tan oil.

Yet all good things must come to an end. I am not even going to go into details about work. It seems to be repetitive. All I will say is that I will be passing out the Village Idiot T-shirts before leaving today.

On the home front all is well. DB went to camp last week and is visiting relatives this week. Last week I missed her, but I also realized the importance of having time a lone. This week I am really missing her and have to come to realize the quiet is just too quiet. I can't believe I just said that....but I really hate knocking around that big house without her. It just doesn't feel right.

R and I are taking full advantage of our time alone. Last night after a glass or two of wine we decided to hit the hot tub.....au natural.

It was a beautiful night and hanging out in the hot tub was the perfect way to melt away a Monday. This morning while we were getting ready for work I thought of something.

AM: Honey, do you think any of the neighbors could see us last night?

R: You worried?

AM: No, I was just wondering if any of them were hanging out upstairs in their houses and caught a glimpse. That would be embarrassing.

R: No, that would be funny.

AM: Seriously, I mean what if when I walk out to get the paper they are covering their children’s eyes and rushing back into their houses?

R: That would be classic AM.

AM: You aren't worried about it?

He stands there with the Cheshire cat grin on his face. I know he is trying to hold back the laughter and jokes. If you knew R that in itself is very very difficult.

AM: Never mind.

R: Hey, if anyone saw us last night at least they got a good show.

AM:

R: Maybe we inspired romance on the block.

AM:

R: I wonder if they could see your tan lines from last week?

AM:

R: Maybe they...

AM: Shut up...I get it. Enough already. Go fetch me some hot tea.

He throws a pillow at me and soon is well on his way to making AM naked and neighbor jokes. I fear I opened a whole can of worms with the boy.

At lunch today he sent me the following text message:

Honey, I drove by the house and thought you should know that the neighbors are protesting outside your door. I think the signs said Heathen.

Yup the boy is a riot. But I do love him. I admit I am helplessly and hopelessly in love with the boy. Last week when we were on vacation everyone kept asking us if we were honeymooners. I am guessing we were the kind of couple that made single people want to vomit.

Yet, for once in my life I know that I am really in love and I know he really loves me. And for the first time for me love is just easy. And I am savoring every moment of it.

Now let's just hope that I make it through another work day and that my neighbors don't start asking me if I am a nudist.


Take care out there everyone....

AM

Hey Guys!

Wow...seems like it has been ages since I have written here. The kids were at camp last week so R and I took a much needed grown up break together. It was wonderful and I feel relaxed and refreshed. Sometimes I think with this crazy thing we call life we all need a little down time.

So, today it is back to the real world. I must admit that I enjoy the vacation mode much better than the walls of this office. They seem smaller somehow.

I return to work with a much needed tan (I was starting to glow in the dark) and a very Margaritaville state of mind. I don't know much but I am certain that no one will be walking into this office holding a frozen concoction anytime soon. And I am pretty darn sure that people might notice if I kept my bathing suit on and sported those old trusty flip flops.

Guess vacation can't last forever. And all in all it will be a short return to the work place. R and I are taking the kids out of town for the 4th of July. I can't believe that July is quickly approaching us. It seemed only yesterday that DB was getting out of school. Man how times flies!

I can't write much now. For some reason my employees actually expect me to get some work done. I dread catching up with their antics from the past week. Yet maybe my golden brown tan will blind them from revealing anything they may or may not have done that would fall into the category of stupid.

Oh, a girl can dream can't she???

I am off to get this day truly started. May the force be with me...and with all of you. I am dying to know what you Streamers have been up to the past 10 days! Inquiring minds want to know....

AM

Is it Friday yet? Did someone make today a Monday or what???? Today has been none stop since 5 am and I am getting a bit tired. The pool seems inviting right about now. I wonder if I could somehow rig my laptop to work on the super cool floatie chair we bought the other day?

Working at home can be cool sometimes, but today I actually wish I was in the office. Ok, someone slap me for saying that out loud!

As I watch DB and her friends play outside in the pool I sit and wonder why us grown ups can't have 3 month long summer vacations?? I mean we work hard all year long too right? I think we should be able to sleep until 10 every day and play outside until our Momma's call us home for dinner. In fact I am tempted to run out there and join them. They look like they are having a blast out there! Oh to be 8 again! Just even for a day!

I also realized today that I must stop drinking ice tea as if it's going out of style soon. Seriously people I am an ice tea addict. You Yankee folk might not appreciate the gratification from a really good glass of cold ice tea on a hot summer day. I think it's a staple for us southern folk.

I might need to join a 12 step though. It appears that I am polishing off about 10 glasses of my favorite beverage a day. I'm even making sun tea outside as we speak. Ya'll know what that is right?? Man, nothing like sun tea.

"R" who is 50% Yankee and 50% Mutt has been making fun of my constant tea guzzling. He also thinks it is amusing that I have to pee every 15 minutes. Tea goes right through you. He has yet to truly appreciate my love of tea...I am working on it, he's coming along slowly. I will convert him soon I have no doubt!

We have a kid free weekend coming up and that is a rarity for R and me! We are pretty excited. He asked me today what I wanted to do...and my reply was simple. I said, " I don't care what we do...I am simply going to enjoy the silence!" All of you parents know exactly what I mean.

Gotta run....it appears DB and her friends need to be refueled with some ice cream! Toodles Streamers!

AM

Seems I have a little pack rat on my hands that has no idea what it means to part with anything.

I am working at home today and decided to set DB to a much needed task. Cleaning her room and getting rid of things she no longer plays with or wears.

I made a huge pile of stuff in the middle of the room. I told her to go through the pile and make a keep pile and a pile for the Women and cChildren's shelter. Seemed simple enough....should have known better.

DB was in her room for quite some time. She was quiet and "on task" which meant I could actually make some calls to clients. After about an hour she prances into my office and tells me she is done.

I walk into her room and the first thing I notice is that she has moved the big pile to the other side of the room into another big pile.

AM: I thought I told you to make two piles DB? One to keep and one to give away. Do you want to get rid of all of this stuff?

For a moment I am really proud. First of all proud because she wants to give her things to someone who needs them and secondly because she apparently is making HUGE progress in her pack rat problem.

She starts laughing.

AM: No way Momma. I decided I need to keep it all.

DB:

AM: DB that is not what I asked you to do. Most of this stuff you haven't played with in years and the clothes no longer fit you. We need to get rid of some of these things.

DB: I do to play with this stuff.

She reaches for a few games that are so dusty I start coughing. She goes through the pile explaining why she should keep each item.

She tries on some clothes that are so tight she looks like a Hoochie Momma.

DB: See Momma...this skirt still fits! *smiles*

AM: Your butt is hanging out DB! You can't wear that. Those clothes are all two sizes smaller than what you wear right now.

DB: That's not true! They fit fine.

AM:

DB: Let's keep them for the dress up box.

I look over at the dress up box which I made for her when she was 3...it's been over flowing for years now.

AM: No DB.

She is starting to get frustrated.

DB: If we give these clothes away are you going to buy me new ones?

AM: What???

This kid has more clothes than Paris Hilton. She has Aunts and Grandma's whose favorite hobby is shopping. She has more name brand clothes in her closet than any child should have.

DB: If I give this stuff away you have to replace it.

AM: No, I don't DB. If you are so blessed to have so much you should be happy to give away the stuff you no longer need to someone who can use it and needs it.

DB: Why don't they have their own stuff?

AM:

AM: DB you know there are a lot of children in the world who are not as blessed as you.

DB: It's not Christmas time Momma, we give stuff at Christmas time.

And then it hits me. This child has no idea what it means to give to others outside of the holiday season which is a huge problem with many people.

I try my best to explain to her why it is important to help others in any way that we can. I explain that we should not just do this during the holidays but throughout the year. She listens intently. I can see the wheels churning in her little head.

DB: Momma, if I have to give my stuff away to other children...what are they going to give me??

AM:

I have always given to different charitable organizations, but I realized that I usually go through DB's room to collect items when she is gone at school or something. She never misses the items...and now she is fully aware that someone is trying to give her stuff away.

I apparently have a lot of work on my hands. I need to find a way to show DB how important it is that we help other people. I need to make sure she is more involved in the process.

We have 3/4 of the pile now in bags for the Women and Children’s Shelter. She decided the remaining 1/4 is to be held onto for just a while longer.

I was going to take this stuff to the shelter on my own when she was gone tomorrow. Yet I just decided I will wait until Wednesday when she can go with me. I think it is crucial that she see first hand what I mean when I say other people are not as lucky as she is. It will be a big step in teaching her the importance of charity. I can only hope she understands after our visit there.

I think so many of our children just simply take so much for granted and assume that everyone lives the way that they do. Maybe we all need to take a second look at that...and make sure our kids know the value of helping others. It will be a gift we give them that they will carry through out their lives and pass onto their children.

I just realized I have a long way to go with DB. She just walked in here with a little note pad. I asked her what she was doing. She informed me that she is making her birthday list for next month so she can replace her stuff!

Lord help me!

AM

I have not been able to write for a week. I spent a few days just trying to sort out some thoughts and emotions and taking some much needed "me" time.

Then I spent the rest of the week on the business trip from Hell.

I had to go up to the East Coast to spend a few days with one of my Yankee clients. He is a nice guy but he lives and breathes in full speed. After the first day with him I was worn out.

Yankee man is all business from 9-5 but when the day is done Lord help those around him. He enjoys long and big dinners with lots of cocktails. Just as we are sitting there trying to digest the enormous amount of food we shoved into our bellies he starts getting his second wind.

Yankee man is one of our biggest clients. So it appears that usually these trips to see him entail a lot of ass kissing and pretty much catering to his ever whim. And believe me the man has whims!

The first night after dinner (which started at 7 and ended at 10) he wanted to take us to a cigar bar he frequents. I was exhausted with jet lag and had just put half a cow into my stomach, but what are you going to do?

I put on my best smile and "Oh sounds great!" attitude and my reps and I headed to the cigar bar. Everyone there knows Yankee man by name. He is larger than life and the whole smoke filled room lit up when he walked into it.

He introduces us to everyone...and I mean everyone. My head was spinning from so many hellos and nice to meet you's! It's drink after drink....I pretend to be keeping up, but I finally just start hiding them behind things or passing them off to my reps. If I had tried to keep up with the boys I would not be alive to write this.

Finally at 3 am Yankee man has decided it's time we should leave. THANK GAWD! I am practically running to the door. Bye, Hasta la vista, Adios! By the time I make it to my bed in the hotel room I smell like a dirty old man and feel like I have been run over by a big semi truck.

I get 3 hours of sleep. 3 short little hours before I have to get up and repeat the whole nightmare AGAIN!

This was the pattern for three days. By the time we got to the airport I seriously thought I might just pass out and hope I made it back to DFW somehow. My two reps were feeling the same way and they are younger than I am. We looked like we had been rode hard and put out wet! It was a sad sad sight!

"R" picked me up from the airport. We were supposed to go meet some friends of his for dinner and drinks. He took one look at me and said, "Look like we are having a DVD night."

DVD? Please. Looks like we are having a get AM's butt home and to bed as fast as you can night. I showered and I crashed and burned. Not a pretty sight I assure you.

I am thankful for Yankee man as he is one of my best clients. Yet, I am thankful that our face to face time is limited to 3-4 times a year. I fear any more than that and I would be a walking zombie.

Spent yesterday with DB at the pool doing nothing and loving it. I think I have sweat out all the liquor Yankee man poured down my throat and I no longer smell the sweet stench of cigar smoke. That's a good thing right?

Well, gotta go catch up with ya'll. It's been too long and I missed you guys. Hope everyone is having a great Sunday afternoon! Take care out there,

AM