Look at Miss Ohio

...and I'm back.
That interim was due to my first actual 'vacation' since January, 2000 when I canoed the Everglades, and that was a whole lot of work for a vacation so maybe it shouldn't count. That trip I paddled 86 miles, worried about alligators and mosquitoes, ate potatoes for 10 days straight and spent 27 hours in a 15 passenger van with 9 other people. Not the basic definition of a va-cay. I was in the UK for about a week visiting my dear friend Liz, who is on YL staff outside of London. Whadda trip! It was retreat that was so absolutely necessary for me; to be away from the chaos and hurts that have been flung like ice cold buckets of water, coming from all directions and leaving me disoriented and dripping. In a way I was jittery coming back to the US from such a haven. I guess I should give trip details, to record for posterity, but I don't really want to. Maybe later. One of the highlights was seeing friend Sarah Beam and her brother (known as Iron and Wine) in concert in Bristol and meeting the two American guys and the Canadian girl and hanging out with them all night. Another was seeing 23 high school students doing a mad Easter-egg hunt relay and the ridiculous activities hidden in each egg (cheers to Caroline for the idea) like yelling "I REMEMBERED TO WEAR PANTS!" or getting their entire team to bark at the others. It was entertainment more for the leaders. Best part was just hanging out with my friend after not seeing each other since last July.
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I think my desire for constructive criticism is waning. Is that an age thing or is that just b/c of present circumstance? I care less and less what people think. The places where I could use polishing or trimming are very low on my list of priorities at the moment and it is reprieve but also makes me wonder if it'll make me callous. I want to improve upon myself...later. Present is full. Like the Gillian Welch song, "She said I wanna do right but not right now..."
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Returning from the UK I am thrust back into a flurry of activity. Today and tomorrow I'm back at work at BB before leading a canoe program over the weekend for camp. Then next Monday through Wednesday I'm back at work, then another two-day program for camp, Then work again Saturday through Wednesday, then another camp program. My next day off is sometime after the 15th. Then to Myrtle Beach for the Birthday week on Memorial Day. Whew!