Updating While the Wind Blows & the Power's on

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted, but then again, there have been a lot of demands on my time during the month of October.  I guess you could say my work and social calendars were pretty full, and who besides me is surprised about the social calendar part?

I'm typing as fast as I can, because I don't trust the winds blowing all around to refrain from playing around with the power lines and trees and what-have-you.  As of last night, our school administrators announced that school would be closed both today and tomorrow, which makes for a strange week because there are holidays on Thursday and Friday of this week.  And I guess the family/student/teacher meetings that were scheduled for tonight and tomorrow evenings (during which the library is run ragged selling books) will have to be postponed--I'm thinking probably to the following Monday and Tuesday.  It's a shame because everyone had everything prepared. . . and then we had to run around all weekend making preparations for something else entirely.

So where have I been since the not-so-happy ending to my interview situation?

Well, that weekend, even though I didn't feel like it, I went to a party at the house of two of my trivia teammates (husband and wife).  It was the first time I'd been to their house, and I was the last of my team to have seen it since they moved in--I was thwarted by bad weather the last get-together.  I walked in not knowing anyone else, but everyone was very nice and I actually wound up sitting in front of the fire pit outside (it was chilly that night!) chatting with someone for a while.  I didn't know any of my other teammates were going to make it, but a few more did show up after about an hour or so.  It was a very good distraction from how bummed-out I felt. . . not to mention my one teammate who showed up later mentioned I looked chummy with the person I was talking to.  I didn't see that person the rest of the night, so I don't know.  Maybe I dropped the ball on that.  But I did ask around at the next trivia night, so maybe word will get back to him.  Who knows?

As I mentioned, Younger Sister came in for the weekend.  Unfortunately, she did not get to see the kids (family had something else planned) but we had a nice little brunch at home with the parents.  We spoiled Mom with presents for her birthday, and YS gave me some pretty cool glasses that were a bit of nostalgia for our childhood.

YS thinks I had the Barbie in gold. I think I had a similar one, only she had short hair.

Most of that week, I was in a fog of panic over the impending book shipment signaling the start of Hell Week--I mean the book sale--and trying to get everything graded in time for midterm grade reports.  Seriously, I kept forgetting my birthday was that week.  We did celebrate in an understated way, at a little diner, just me, my parents, and my cousins who went with me to L.A.  The funny thing was that my parents got me a cool travel bag (yes, I felt spoiled) and the only wrapping paper Mom had that was big enough to cover it was "pink Disney princess."  So all the little girls in the diner were eyeing my present!

After that, we had another brunch at my parents' with Older Brother's family and my oldest first cousin's family, and that was a lot of fun.  I got to see my niece and all my nephews, including Bunny!  Then right into more work, cantoring Mass, buying enough honey maple turkey breast to bribe The Cat for taking her steroids--oh, and this past Saturday, I went to a wedding.  (Another event where I didn't know a soul besides the happy couple, so I think this shy blogger deserves some applause for being brave.)  We danced, we ate yummy food, we had a good time.

I was so busy with everyone at brunch that this was the only photo I got.

And then I went back to hurricane preparations.  Honestly, I think I wore myself out yesterday with all the scurrying around.  Also, generally I feel a little anxious about the whole storm situation--I keep thinking something might fall on the car, but trees are kind of unavoidable in this area, so I will keep hoping the branches stay on those darn trees.

The Cat can't figure out why the patio chairs are in the living room, but she is doing best to take a nap despite their presence.  I've got water coming in off the one corner of the ill-fitting air conditioner in the dining room (no surprise), but other than that, things are O.K. for now.  How the next 24 hours will go is anyone's guess.  But already it's looking like a big puddly mess out there.

I hope all my East-Coast friends affected by Sandy are safe, and I ask everyone else to keep up those prayers!