anticipation

It is 1:59 AM Friday morning.

This is not a Favorite Thing Friday post. That will be up later today once I figure out what object in my possession I love the most, this week.

Currently, Charlie is on the way to pick my mother and Jim up at the airport. They were due to arrive at 10:45 PM, but the plane they were suppose to board in Chicago had mechanical difficulties - so they were delayed by three hours until repairs could be made. That right there, that would be enough for me to say "Yeah. Thanks, I think I'll drive the rest of the way."

Air travel. Definitely not my forte.

When I called my mother yesterday to tell her that we'd be picking her up at the airport tonight, she indicated that her friend, Virginia, had offered. But when I mentioned that Virginia, who just recently had a hip replacement, probably shouldn't be out driving that late at night, Mom said "Oh no, we'll be arriving early, so we'll have lunch and then come over."

When I told Mom that her plane didn't arrive until 10:45 PM, she didn't believe me until she pulled up her itinerary and then she moaned "OH DAMN. How did that happen?!" The flight that Mom thought left Greenville, South Carolina at 6:00 AM, didn't leave until 6:00 PM.

Eh, minor detail.

So instead of getting out of bed at 4 AM to catch her flight, Mom and Jim slept in until 10 AM and then spent the afternoon swimming. Hopefully, they get to sleep on the plane, since they will need all the energy they can muster to watch the kids when Charlie and I take off for our 10-day Cancun vacation tomorrow.

Or not.

Ever since we had Molly put to sleep on Sunday, we have spent the past five days completely ripping our house and garage apart. We have cleaned and organized our living space like it ain't never been cleaned and organized before. I cannot tell you how awesome it feels to know that even the space beneath the washer and dryer is clean.

And behind the refrigerator.

And underneath all of the shelves in the garage.

Sparkly clean.

In the process of this huge organization spree, I am purging with reckless abandon. Thus far, we have generated thirteen 20-gallon trash bags full of various supplies for Goodwill and there will be more. What prompted this mass exitus of material from our house is that I seem to be going through a major life transition where I feel like all this "stuff" that we have accumulated over the years is just weighing me down.

If there was one thing that I discovered during our 21-day cross-country adventure, it's that you really don't need that much "stuff" to survive. And I think that part of the reason we had such a wonderful time on our adventure, is because we didn't have that much "stuff" to lug around, wash, pack and be responsible for.

It is extremely liberating to have less.

While Mom and Jim are in town, I am pumped to get so many things done. So many things that have languished because I haven't been motivated - or had the opportunity - to get them completed. So many things that I will now be able to do because I have another set of eyes and hands to help during the day.

Tonight, I pulled together a laundry list of stuff to do (when we're not spending quality time together - of course!!) that includes organizing my files, bringing our van in for the recall that was issued 12-months ago (nothing too significant, but needs to be fixed, nonetheless), print out a copy of our credit report and verify that any accounts are accurate with our records, learn Photo Shop, repair our fence, finish organizing our garage, pull together an emergency supply box, wash the screens and windows and plant some flowers. At some point, I also hope to solve the world's energy crisis.

Or at least, see how fat I can get this yellow orb spider.


I discovered this fine specimen today, while I was sitting on our front porch doing some work on my laptop. Once I got over being squeamish, I swatted a few flies and threw them in it's web to watch what it would do. Then I got even more squeamish than I had been, originally.


I just have to remember exactly where this baby is.


The last thing I'd ever want to have happen is to walk back wards in to it.


Because I have been known to do things like that.