Wednesday

One thing that I notice about me and blogging - if something I talk about doesn't happen, I just don't mention it again!! And i'm sure at some point someone must wonder...whatever happened with that?? I weighed this morning and I still weigh 154, so I wasn't going to mention it, but thought twice!! On the Atkins diet in the past, I usually lost weight every day or every other day in that first phase, of course, I'm not complaining about losing 6 lbs. already, and I think no matter what diet you're on you have to do some activity during the day to lose any weight. I spent the last 2 days at dentists or in bed, so i'm sure why nothing's happening, but I didn't gain anything back either! This morning I went swimming in the pool a little and will be doing housework all day, so i'm sure that will kick my body in gear! I'm already past my goal of losing 5 lbs. before the cruise, so i'm happy no matter what!!

As for the root canal, what a relief that was!!! I have had absolutely no pain since the Endodontist numbed my mouth! No pain during the procedure or since. I feel a little soreness if I bite something on that side of my mouth, but that is no big deal. I was prepared to take a pain pill last night and decided to wait and see if it started to hurt, but didn't even end up taking my Ibuprophen. And yeah, i'm relieved because if Lesley's 9 year old son didn't have any pain after his root canal, how am I going to look if I say i'm in pain??? I couldn't let him out-do me!

I am spending this morning doing laundry and packing for the cruise!!! Only 3 more days!! I couldn't be any more excited it!!! At the same time, being an anxious person like I am, there are a million things to do and that stresses me out!!! There are about 40 of us going from Walter's family and they are all booking their shore excursions, so we need to get busy with that, I have lined up someone to feed my cats/get the mail, emailed an emergency contact number to whoever might need it (especially my next door neighbor who is overly involved in my life!!), asked the next door neighbor not to harrass or shoot the person coming to feed my cats/get the mail, shopped for motion sickness medicine, gathered our passports and boarding documents, got the letter from my ex-husband authorizing me to travel to Mexico with Cameron, called our cell phone company about international rates and packages, and still need to do a million more things! My 22 year old step-son, Sean, is coming with us also and plans to meet us here Saturday morning before 11. Sean is habitually late and i'm a little stressed about that, but Walter and I have agreed and have told Sean that we will NOT wait if he isn't here. He can drive to New Orleans and pay his own parking ($15/day) if he isn't here on time. We've offered that he can spend the night Friday night and be assured to be on time, so we'll see. I am not missing the boat!!!

My 24 year old son, JP, is in the Harris County jail in Texas, where I visited him this past weekend. I recently found out and spread the news that his trial that was scheduled for July 14 has been reset until December 1st. I've had a couple of comments here and several emails from people who are surprised at how long away the new date is. The sad thing is that this is the reality of having so many people in the prison system there. Someone "had priority" over his case and got his court date and other trials are already scheduled for the next 6 months. I would imagine some high profile case got JP's spot, but if i've learned anything over the last 16 months, patience is a requirement to get through a situation like this. His attorney told me from the beginning that this process takes years, and I believe her! I am trusting God in this whole process and have long since turned this over to Him. Several months after the last trial was supposed to start and was reset, our investigator found a lot of information and witnesses that backed up some of JP's story. Had the trial happened then, none of the new information would have been available and there would have been nothing to back up his version of the story. It is overwhelming to me how many people are in the county jails there. I was looking around on the internet today at different stories about Harris County and came across this 2006 statistic. I know a lot of these people deserve to be in jail, but many of them probably don't. This may be a morbid topic to some people, but it is currently my reality. JP did participate in a crime after being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I feel (and hope a jury agrees) that he has served his time when the trial finally happens. Anyway, here are the numbers:

Walter has started working on his latest project - building a catwalk and pier in the backyard. We live on a river and currently have to borrow the neighbor's pier to fish. We built the house ourselves (it took 15 months!!) and moved in May 2007. There are still a million projects to do, but we take them as we can! Walter's brother did come out Sunday with his tractor to grade the front yard, which now I know really means turn it into mud!! Here is a view of the beginnings of the catwalk that will lead to the pier. It is right along the side of the boatslip if you can't see it.

Tonight I am going to meet some of my graduate school friends for dinner! We try to get together every month and It's always so great to see them! The bond we all have is incredible, and we are all so very different! We range in ages from 25 - 46, some married, some single, some with kids, some not, but we formed relationships during our 2 years in grad school that will last the rest of our lives, I believe. In the picture below - top row: Kelly, Courtney, Becky, Christine B., & me. Bottom row: Jessica, Judith, & Christine W. Even more exciting, FIVE of them are considering interviewing for 2 job openings in my office!! Yay!! I expect to hear who got hired shortly after the cruise and I hope it's one or two of them!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!!