Last week I was on Stacation all week as most of the household was away on vacation. I’m not gonna lie.. it was glorious. The first half of the week was crazy-busy and after that took a few more days to wind down, but I did end up finding a good balance with work and “me” time. 

My main goal was to not have goals. Ironic no? 

But it really worked. I just did the next thing I needed or wanted to do and didn’t feel bad about not finding more time to read a book, write, or meet up with people. 

As I said, the first part of my week was busy and that was mostly because of all the daughter-taxiing I had to do for my mom. Quite honestly, I’d already reached the limit to what I could stand with her OCD and accompanying mannerisms. It was like everything she said was nails on a chalkboard. 

On Thursday or Friday she group texted my sister and I that she’d been cleared to drive again. I gave that message a heart and said “great news” and the immediately texted my sister privately and texted “praise Jesus.” 😂

On Wednesday I donated blood and it was like a non-event. It’s usually a one to two week ordeal where I get rejected a couple of times for low hemoglobin and I pump myself full of iron supplements, oranges, and red meat. This time I was a success on the first try and was in and out in about a half-hour (new record). Praise Jesus. 🤣

On Friday I had a game evening with my kids. I say evening as they’ve both slipped easily into their preferred summer routines and don’t get up until about 2 in the afternoon. I don’t blame them… I remember those times. I was such a vegetable in the summers of my youth and also a late night TV junkie. 

I recently had to explain who David Letterman and Johnny Carson are/were. 😂

Johnny and I were born in the same state, Iowa, and one of the things he did was leave and endowment to his alma-mater, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. That money was used to start the emerging media arts program. Now my daughter is a Sophomore in that program. Small world.. Thanks Johnny!! 

I have to admit though, despite this, I always preferred David. Shhhhhh… don’t tell John. 

When I told my daughter who Johnny Carson was.. I said “you know, the guy your program was named after. The guy whose money you got in that scholarship that covered part of your first two years of college.” Ha! 

She said, “oh yeah… wow.” 

Wow… that was a tangent. Anyway the games were good. I won Catan Seafarers (again) but my son won the other two. I wanted a rematch of Taco Vs Burrito but they weren’t having it.

The weekend was pretty chill. I did a bunch of reading and collaborating on lit mag subs; deciding on finalists for the contest. Once that was done (lit mag stuff is never really done).. I gifted myself with planting flowers and sushi. Solo sushi Sunday funday!

Jim and his boys arrived home late Sunday afternoon and it was very quickly back to business as usual. Which is where things are now…. House chores, getting groceries, cooking meals, and checking things off my expertly curated to-do lists. 

I’m looking forward to my next vacation which will be Nebraska City in July for a yet undetermined number of days. It’s the MFA summer residency and the first all-in-person one since the Pandemic took hold of the world. All alums have been invited to come down, hang out, and participate in a reading. I do love readings and the thought of going to Residency and hanging out with cool people with NO Work required. 🙃

And with that, my time here is up. No rest for the wicked, as they say. 

Peace and Love, 

~Miss SugarCookie