Summer~

Wilmington, NC

Summer!  Finally- wasn't sure I would make it but I did- kids are out of school, virtual school starts tomorrow, just a few teacher workdays left.  Summer.  Transition with all of it's joys and sorrows (yes, I know that is a cliche', but apt.)  Promising myself that next year will be different, that I will do things differently, be a better teacher, have more patience, be involved- be awake and aware.  Hopefully.  Vowing to spend the summer writing on the blog, making art, getting things together for next year- high hopes that balance precariously with the reality of having a hard time getting started on things, wanting to just be still, quiet, alone.  I have a sudden great love of silence.... the aftermath of the chaos I suppose.

Actually, off to a fair good start here- last weekend I power cleaned while Charles was in Charlotte.  The living room, kitchen, studio and bedroom are ready for summer- the bathroom (ick as always) and Rose room need to be done yet.  And the porch, the dog-room that will be transformed into man-cave (one of the potential agenda items for this summer), never ending work on the yarden.  We have had our first tropical storm (Andrea) and the mosquitoes are out in full force, finding me particularly tasty as always.  Let's just say that if I lost a pound for every bite, I would be below my goal weight soon.

Ok.  Updates and roundups, since I haven't posted forever and ever:

The Manz:  is my super-star.  What was a lark last summer- submitted on a whim for an extra bit- has uncovered an unexpected talent and has taken him amazing places, with more to come.  It was just a year ago round about that I put him in for 'Caged'- which turned out to be Iron Man III.   Since he began with that last August he has been in the following movies:  Iron Man III, Catching Fire, Safe Haven, Adrenaline, My Name is Paul, The Remaining, Dale Archdale, We're the Millers,World Made Straight and Tammy.  He is background in most of these- featured in Catching Fire, made the trailer for My Name is Paul.  Television-wise, he has been in: Revolution (ep. 5 and 15), It's Supernatural, Lizard Lick Towing (catch him tossing tables around in ep. 306), Banshee, Homeland, and Under the Dome. You can spot him in upcoming commercials for NASCAR and (a leading softdrink that I can't say in the blog).  He has been working steadily at this- and still tow-trucking between times- has traveled to Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Black Mountain and various other local places for shoots.  (Sometimes I get to go along!  Hopefully lots this summer- though most things are filming locally right now- but we are hoping for at least one trip to Nashville).  We got to attend the Iron Man III local premier and party- fancy eats, champagne, red carpet et all.  Keeping fingers crossed for the Under the Dome premier- downtown at Thalian Hall- Stephen King will be there and I am hoping to get a glimpse!  Other things- saving up for the National Beard Championships in New Orleans in September- working on growing it longer.  The beard is the 'moneymaker' and the longer the better.......

The Boy:  (Who is still my boy, even though grown)  Will graduate in December officially!  Hooray! In the meantime he has moved to a larger, nicer apartment with a new roommate.  Still close to work, but in a much better section of town, the Peppers live in the same complex, and his roommate is nice.  He has finally inherited the Saturn and has his first set of wheels~ and rumor has it that he is looking for a dogg.  (Dogs are welcomed at the apartments- his roommate has a chihuahua, which is supposedly good for a chihuahua, but not his type of dog).  The roommate, btw, is a girl- not a girlfriend, but a girl none-the-less.  He also has moved along at the bookstore, acquiring the small perks that come with being a faithful employee.... looking now ahead to his future career, applying to graduate school for computer science if he hasn't a worthy offer.  Happy, healthy, red-haired- planning summer adventures and living his life.

The Doggs and Turrello:  Max is pleased to announce that he has hair (mostly) on his butt.  Still missing a few patches the spine stripe and by the glands, but it is mostly back.  Bear is the same as usual.  Turrello (the cat) has decided to take up acting like dad- while he hasn't made it on screen yet, he found an old pair of Groucho Glasses (with the nose and mustache) somewhere and that has become his new favorite toy. Along with his unusual love for rose petals (his window basket now has dried rose petals scattered on his quilt- he steals the roses Mr. Owens cuts me from the yarden and plays with them until they fall apart)- Turrello has become quite the.....male equivalent of diva?  Charlie Sheen?

Me:  Ok, me.  It's been a rough year, but we are finally getting things settled down and improved.  Good news is that all the assorted testing turned out ok- there is just a chemical imbalance in the brain that makes the flow of electricity disrupted.  Thus the sleepiness etc.  What is causing it?  We don't know yet, but I started new meds a week or so ago and they are helping.  A LOT.  I still sleep bunches, and am not so great with numbers/time, but I am doing better!  Hooray!  This has been my wake-up call- I am *not* doing leadership things anymore, time to give that load to someone else.  I am going to live, make art, write- do more of what I like and less of what I don't like- the pay is the same, I've glass ceilinged career wise (at the point where I would lose money by going to higher education, but they are cutting teacher pay across the state- at this point I am 'grandfathered' in and safe, but if I left then came back, it would be their opportunity to put me at the new, much lower, tenure-less pay rate.  And I'd have to wait tables.)   Maybe I'll write a book.  Paint everything.  Who knows?  My goal is to enjoy myself and live again- not spend all my hours working.

We are planning on traveling this summer some- out to Texas to see Mother at least- when depends on 'Cupcakes' schedule for filming.  I don't care when- just so we go (I miss Mother- and everyone- terribly)- and just so everything is smooth sailing.