Catch up, not ketchup

Has it really been since April? What a slacker.

OK, take a deep breath, sit down, shut up and hold on. I'm going to give you the short version.

times are very bad in newspaperland and the mothership laid off one of my best friends at the s-t. caren and i went to big bend for a hiking breastfest3 and i dangled my size 6.5's at 7500 feet over the south texas desert. back to work and for the second quarter, we lay off (volunteer and otherwise) many more. lost another one of my best friends. liz and i are talking, hell, even drinking together every now and then. nothing to it don't go there. but we admitted that we aren't complete without one another. she's off in facebook land doing her thing and i'm nesting in my house, thinking of ways i can survive early retirement. one word: mexico. my mom had a slight stroke and i've been helping dad and my siblings care for her. i cook on sundays and take food over. she's doing great and we convinced dad that he needs to continue his volunteer work at the hospital. my car is paid off and first paycheck went to .... drumroll, please, a new bedroom set. zak attacked a cat. cost me 1100. shit. caren and i are muddling through. i like my life. she likes hers. she bought me sheets today. in some lesbian relationships that's akin to a proposal. but not this one. her book convention is at the end of the month in phoenix and she bought me a ticket. her book, let it shine, is coming out in october, I think. then we're going to a gay, end of summer fete in new orleans at the end of august. southern decadence.

i guess that a wrap ... exhale.