Sometimes, you’ve just got to escape. And here I go. This has been a most difficult week for me, in terms of managing just about everything. Bills piled up and were all due at once, because I have about the same capacity for finance and opening mail as a two-toed sloth. Work was full of obnoxiousness, replete with staffing problems, micro-management, befuddled therapists, angry kids, and scheduling conflicts. My office, conveniently located in the center of the building, seems to be the water-cooler office. People seem to like to come here. I’m not sure it’s for my wit and wisdom and charm. Ha. It might be because I try to keep my ears open. It might be because I have snacks in here. I might be because they just can’t get enough Kelly. I don’t know. I enjoy my co-workers, but sometimes it’s awfully hard to get things done. But mainly this week was difficult because my oral surgeon opted to put me on steroids in an effort to fix whatever the problem continues to be with the right side of my mouth. They alternately make me feel very awake, very tired, and very very irritable. Picture how you are when you’re in prime PMS mode and periodtastic. It’s been like that. I did not lose my temper with anyone or anything, for which I gave myself a cookie this morning, but it took effort. I felt off-kilter and out of synch.

Balance was maintained this week in a few different capacities. I gave some thought to how I will manage this blog. I think what will happen is there will be a section of online journaling, which is essentially what this post is, a section on therapy, workplaces, and how to manage that, and a section of fiction work. That way, people will be able to access whatever they like best, without having to read through everything to get there. Figuring that out inspired me to get moving on it, so hopefully those changes will get implemented this weekend. I was also really grateful that my clinical supervisor invited me to speak at my old university as part of a recruitment. That felt really good, because I have nothing but positive things to say about my old program. My professors were and are wonderful people, who have contributed so much to my life.

I was also very grateful for Sweet Donnie, who made amazing spaghetti last night, and went with me to the recruitment and learned a bit about my old school. He gives the best foot massages in the world, and his voice and his touch are like a tranquilizer to me.

I was also really grateful for an awesome day yesterday with the kids. We took them out to the land and did archery with them. It went much better this time than last time, and I hit the target twice when it was my turn. It’s a lot of fun, and good stress relief!

Kristi has been totally amazing this week, both in surviving a drive to TX with our mother, with two high-maintenance schnauzers, as well as dealing with the fact that mom has been sleeping pretty much since arrival in TX, and going out to Sex and the City, which is SO not her thing, with two aging cougars who then danced to the Pussycat Dolls. She may need extensive PTSD therapy on arriving back home. I got a laugh last night when she sent me a picture of a Versace belt asking, “Do I want this?” (Really, it was quite weird.) To which I replied, “Yes, because it’s Versace and you can always Ebay it.”

Which brings me to a point. There is a very very very fine line between haute couture and cheap-ass crap. I will never forget seeing a pair of gold Gucci sling-backs with a few sequins placed casually in the Gucci front store window when I lived in Vegas, and thinking, “Hmmmm…..those are really quite hideous. And they’re only $900 on sale.” Later the same day, I was in a Target way out in Green Valley, and saw pretty much exactly the same pair of shoes minus a few sequins. Homo Sapiens are amazing.