I know people have been wondering where I went...  I promise!  I haven't vanished!    I'm just having an incredibly hard time loading and logging into Bravenet pages.    I think it's that darn McAffee software. 

As a result, I've opened another blog on my website, using our new blog features!  We have our own little community over there, so if you folks want to check me out over there, I'd be tickled.

Come visit my new blog at Wicca Forums!

So I'm back, after a prolonged absence...  I had been using FlyGuy's computer instead of my laptop because as you all know, my laptop locked up and died...    Well, there was another blasted McAffee update, and I couldn't get onto the blog here, again because of those banners Bravenet uses! 

This weekend, FlyGuy managed to bring my computer back from the dead, so now working on my blog on my beloved laptop.  Thank goodness!! 

There's so much to catch people up on, it's hard to know where to begin.  All I know is that I'm just glad to finally be back. 

Sorry I haven't been around as of late...  We got some rather shocking news a few days ago, something that has the potential of really shaking up of Pat's professional life and consequently, our lives.    Then, as is my track record for when I get really bad news, I got horrifically ill.    Last night was my first movement in several days that didn't involve going to bed or the bathroom. 

I'll write more later, as I have to take Pat to work, but I know there were a few emails in my inbox that said "Where are you?" 

The weather here has been incredible...  Monday night, after Pat got home from work, we were hit with another incredible thunderstorm.    I had never in my life seen so many flashes of lightning...  We were getting like two flashes every second.  I tried to get video, but a lot of it didn't come out.    Pat and I sat in the sunroom and watched it as it passed, which was lots of fun.  We were actually pretty nervous about the storm, because it just looked so bad.    The winds were strong, the thunder was incredibly loud, and the lightning was non-stop.  And we saw some incredible lightning bolts. 

Poor Lokie spent pretty much the whole day Monday in the tub hiding.  He was the only one who really wasn't impressed with the thunder. 

Tuesday was another boring day, but a day where it just didn't stop thundering.  Again, poor Lokie spent the day hiding.  We did go out though, in the morning before the storms really got cranking.  I have to tell you guys, I'm so glad the retrograde is done with.    Everything in my immediate circle has just been going all haywire.  My computer broke, the fridge broke, the stove broke, the washing machine broke, my husband couldn't fix the boat, my car was sounding like poopers...  Not to mention the general insanity that people seem to be suffering from lately.    As usual, though, things got worse before they got better.  When I went out, my truck's ABS brakes were activiating for no reason, and a belt was sounding God-awful loud.  *sigh*  Even better, I went out to run an errand...  I found this awesome sea scrub at a local giftshop that turned out to be a goo deal, so I wanted to pick it up...  But when I got there, the store was closed.    1 hour of my life down the tube. 

And, to make matters worse, I got so frustrated I gave in to the desire to binge eat.    I did end up having an attack of conscious, though, and I crushed up my bag of chips and scattered them in the yard, during a thunderstorm of course, asking for my willpower to be restored, and to not give in to temptation and binge eat. 

The day's coolest news had to come when we found out that The Simpsons contest that they were holding for Springfield's from around the country to compete to host the world premiere of the movie was won by Springfield Vermont!    How exciting is that?  Especially since Springfield, Vermont is just across the river from me...  About 5 miles away!!  I was hoping to get tickets to the premiere, but the theater says the tickets are being distributed by FOX and will only be for VIP and press, not public.  Ah bummer.  I still might try to sneak over there to see the celebs walk the yellow carpet, though. 

Oh, and for you guys who couldn't tell, I redid the theme to my blog.  I just loved the background, and it's nice and juicy!  Very summery, and completely in keeping with my intent to eat healthy!  LOL! 

I think Pat and I must have had too much Mexican on Sat. night...  We were both feeling pretty darn oogey Sunday.    We forced ourselves to grocery shop, and I swear, this week I'm going to stick to my diet.  I bought a lot of frozen meals, healthy snacks, and I'm going to exercise.    Anyway, after we got home, we just crashed watching old movies.  I love old movies when I feel icky. 

When we felt a little better, Pat and I wasted another few hours in front of the tube playing "Rayman Raving Rabbids" which, I have to tell you, is a hilarious game.  Anybody who has a Wii and has somebody to play the game with HAS to get it. 

Monday (today) Pat got up super early for his extra shift today.  I'm so glad he doesn't work this schedule often anymore...  I can't take getting up at 4:45 in the morning.   

This morning was odd not only because of this shift of Pat's, but because we actually had a round of pretty severe thunderstorms at 7am.    That's really, really uncommon for this area.  Also bad news because thunder in the morning means oppressive heat and humidity for the rest of the day.   

For lunch I ended up driving in to see Patrick, help him break up his day a little bit.  He's working with a couple of people who make him nuts, and I make a nice excuse to leave the hangar for a bit.    Thank goodness the hospital cafeteria has decent chow.    I ended up stranded at the hangar longer than anticipated because a massive thunderstorm blew through.  Holy crap, it was incredible.  We saw dozens and dozens of bolts and the sky was this rich, dark purple with green undertones.  Beautiful to look at, horrible to drive home in. 

Now, because I had to stick around the hangar, that means I had to talk to people I could, quite frankly, never see again and not be the lesser for it.    The most awkward, uncomfortable moment had to come from a friend of mine (usually not this rudely forward, I don't know what this person was thinking) who asked the baby question.    Questions, actually.  "Are you trying?"  "When are you going to have them?"  "You need to hurry, I wish I could have had mine younger..."  Seriously, why do people need to ask about another couple's baby plans?    It's not an easy issue for us, and certainly not one we want to discuss in casual conversation with people we don't know well enough to talk about such things with.  It's just awkward for everybody. 

After the storm, having had quite enough of nosey questions that made me want to shove my high-heeled boot into the askers forehead, I went home.  How terrible is it to say that my day was largely ruined by a nosey series of questions?   

I'm going to clean house. 

On a side note, for those of you who want to chuckle at the crack team of criminals we have here in the great state of New Hampshire:

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Leaf it to New Hampshire, where a bank branch was held up by a man disguised as a tree.

Just as the Citizen Bank branch opened Saturday morning, a man walked in with leafy boughs duct-taped to his head and torso, and robbed the place.

"He really went out on a limb," police Sgt. Ernie Goodno said Sunday.

Police said the leafy man didn't saying anything about having a weapon, just demanded cash, and was given an undisclosed amount.

Although the branches and leaves obscured much of the man's face, someone who saw images from the bank's security camera recognized the robber and called police.

Officers said James Coldwell, 49, was arrested early Sunday at his Manchester home and charged with robbery. Arraignment was not expected until Monday.

I seriously don't know what's worse...  The robber dressed as a tree, or the horrible puns by a Sgt of Police.