Just Stuff

I too, love Asimov, Mish, and the quote is terrific. And Lydia - don't wait for the invite - just GO to the shower!!! I know Brandy is in need of support. Wish I could just fly in and show up. I know now that her mom isn't coming she is dreading it.
You are all so damned productive. Lydia raising kids (I'm sure it feels more like 5 than 4 most of the time), Melisa going to college, Mishy teaching classes. My big news for the day is I am taking Darrel's dog, Keegan, to the vet for his yearly checkup and shots. Don't misunderstand though - Keegan is one of my favorite "people" to hang with. (Talk about unconditional love!!)
Lydia - hang tough! I too, can so identify with how you are feeling. And you definitely are NOT mean or morbid. You are (dare I day it??) NORMAL. Brandy and I have had this fantasy since almost the day we met about both our husbands being gone and she and I living as the weird old ladies back in the woods that the towns people warn people not to go near.
Darrel and I have 4 kids between us, the oldest will soon be 29 and the youngest will soon be 24. When the 24 year old left home about 6 years ago, after graduation, it was like being handed a brand new life to do anything we wanted with, at the age of 41. We really haven't done much except some traveling and moving to the most isolated spot we could find, but the "clothing optional" rule that went into affect the day Derek moved out is still fun! :-) Of course, I can't say that there wasn't much I wanted to do while raising my daughter that I didn't do, (but I did wait until she left home to go to college and get a degree) but then I was not a great mother. It wasn't until she was grown that I truly understood what an important and fulfilling role that is. I would do a lot of things differently if I had it to do over.
My ex (we were married for 14 years) was a traveling salesman (every stereotype and traveling salesman joke totally applied in his case) and I too was more lonely when he came home than when he was on the road. Finally got to the point that I dreaded his returns, so I knew it was time to move on with my life. But, we did not have the basis for our marriage that you and Kelly seem to have. It is rare and if it's what you want, fight for it.
I find myself a temporary "work widow" lately, too. Darrel is also in the gas and oil field and the company is doing massive reconstruction on the gas storage plant. Since Darrel has been there since it was built and oversaw all the initial construction, he has to be there every minute work is in progress. He worked 96 hours in the last 8 days and I'm not real sure I would recognize him in daylight at this point. As I told Brandy, the only good thing about all the hours he is working is that I now have until 8 or 9 p.m. to make it look like I did something productive with my day, instead of until 4 p.m.
Derek and I are going to a dance at my sister's bar Saturday night (Darrel will no doubt have to work and be too exhausted to even think of going) and I am Derek's designated "babysitter," as after last weekend I have no desire to drink. (I hope that will be the last stupid drunk story I"ll have to share for a long, long time!)
Well, time to go treat the ducks to their weekly treat of all the lettuce and other vegetable scraps from the bar. I hear them raising hell out there - I don't know how they know when it's Thursday. I imagine them in the chicken house pulling out their little calenders and checking the days off.