Black hole sun.

You know what? When you fry your brain for two and a half weeks, the cells that foster creative inspiration are the first to die.

Of course, that statement is not approved by the Federal Agency Responsible for Validation of Random Statements That Appear to be Factual, but still. It's my hypothesis and I'm sticking to it.

I am officially off work until Monday. Tomorrow promises to be the greatest day of the summer thus far: cleaning crew at 9, book reading and deck sitting at noon, tailgating at 5, Franti and Dave Matthews at 7, and...drum roll...best for last...MY AWOL HUSBAND WILL BE HOME BY MIDNIGHT!

So much goodness packed into so few hours. I'm not sure I can handle it, but I'm damn sure going to give it my best college try.

You notice there is no blogging factored in there, which is for the best, really, considering there is nothing bloggable in my blogless brain. I figure it's best not to force the issue, just be patient in a "build it and it will come" sort of way.

If I had more than three readers out there anymore, I'd throw the old "ask me anything" inspiration bait out into the world. To do it now, however, after months of neglect, might result in horrific echoes throughout the blogosphere, my pleas for prompting curiosity bouncing off the empty comment box and into the realm of the internet with hollow clanging sounds.

And we wouldn't want that, now would we?

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to do.*

As of 6:05 pm last night, the ties that bound me to two plus weeks of stress filled, harmony destroying, life compromising, teeth grinding obligation have been busted wide open.

I feel like a prisoner set free for time served and good behavior.

I thought I might spend the weekend in a vegetative state of mind-body-soul recovery, but eleven hours of sleep overnight seem to have worked some rejuvenating magic, and now these next two days - OF FREEDOM - loom large with possibility.

There's a trip to the recycle center in store, followed by three hours at my monthly food bank project. A little hanging up of fourteen days of haphazardly discarded clothing, a little running of the long neglected vacuum cleaner, a little cruising of the grocery store aisles, and a lot of reorganization in store after that.

And then, who knows, maybe a little brain cell regeneration?

Because, you know, it's the incredibly petty normal things I've missed the most.

And all that's left to say about this gloriously inglorious period filled with frustration, satisfaction, challenge and envelope pushing gratification is...

IT'S OVER!!!!

Can I get an AMEN?

Of course I can.

I now return me to my regularly scheduled life.

Damn if typing those words out loud don't send a tingle up my spine.

* Paraphrased. A classic. I KNOW! Apologies.

In the town there were two mutes, and they were always together.

1. First line title courtesy of the Carson McCullers book, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I selected it because I've been feeling a bit mute here of late, and I prefer - always - to believe I'm not alone. A mute blogger is sad enough; a solitary mute blogger is nothing short of ... I don't know. Virtually tragic?

2. This has been the month from hell. You know this if you've been stopping by, and I'm sorry to remind you of my personal angst yet again. But I do so with good tidings of an end in sight and a heart light at the prospect. I won't have to work Saturday as previously expected. I will have to go in for a few hours Sunday afternoon, but after that? It's over. OVER. DONE. Last deadline not only met, but supremely conquered.

3. On top of that, I've been advised by my boss that my presence in the office after Monday will not be tolerated. There will be no argument from me on the point. And I don't have to count these banished hours against my precious store of vacation days, either.

4. So, as you can see, I'm started to de-stress a wee bit. It's been more like an unraveling than a gentle unwinding, but the end result is the same: the stress is evaporating.

5. My husband will be home a week from today. I didn't do any of the great "hey, let's pretend I'm single and live alone!" things I had anticipated when he first left town all those weeks ago. But, after Monday, I've got three days to make up for lost time.

6. Wednesday night is already booked. Franti and Spearhead are opening for Dave Matthews and the boys. I am so very much looking forward to this unlikely pairing of two of my favorite bands EVER. I am also very much looking forward to being hung over and HAPPY ABOUT IT on Thursday morning. My dates for the evening? Two charming young 20 year-olds who, amazingly, believe I'm "cool" to hang out with.

7. We have no plans for the fourth of July, and the twisted, frustrating irony of it all is that I have no doubt my better half wants nothing more than to be home, sweet home after so much time away, while I want nothing more than distance from here after so much time grinding my life away in the trenches. I imagine I will suck it up and all will be well, but - as I said before - there is a vacation in our very near future. Threat? Promise? Whatever works.

8. I took a good look around my house this evening, unencumbered by the bleary eyes that have been representative of the last several days. Wow. It's gone to hell and I've barely even noticed, cared, or frankly given a damn. My son's HAZMAT area (aka his bedroom) has undergone a sort of continental drift down the stairs and into the main public rooms of the house. He has been given ample notice of the impending storm should he fail to redress the situation, post haste, and I have every confidence the situation will rectify itself by the time I fall into bed tonight. Or at least by the time I fall out of it tomorrow. Or else.

9. You know, I wouldn't have posted at all today except I happened to notice it was Thursday. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love the Thursday Thirteens. My life in bullet points. I can usually handle that much, if nothing else. Although here we are at number nine, with only four to go, and I'm fast losing steam.

10. I haven't been to campaign headquarters since May. That quite sucks. But there's ample room on my late summer and early fall schedule for jumping right back in where I left off. Did I ever mention the postcard I got from one of our HQ leaders three days after the NC primary? I quote: "Hey, Jennifer. Looks like we did it! We took off for Florida the Friday before the primary, so I missed the big day. Been catching up on golf, reacquainting myself with reading for pleasure and basking in the sunshine. There is life after politics, if you're interested in that sort of thing. There's also a good deal of political work remaining to be done. I trust I'll see you soon!"

11. I loved it. This guy - who spoke at the giant rally at the Dean Dome just before the person who introduced Obama - is about my age, has been in the political realm his entire life/career, appreciates the world away from the trail but never loses sight of it as he wanders, and can hold the most captivating, intelligent conversations on any subject you can dream up of any human being I've ever met. He's already retired - sold his business for a bundle of cash - and now devotes all his time to the candidates and/or causes he feels most deserve it. I'd like to be him when I grow up, I think.

12. I am so out of touch with the world around me right now. It's almost scary, this complete immersion in a single focus, living in "get through it" mode. I manage to pull up the headlines every couple of hours, but beyond that, if it didn't happen right in front of me, I'm clueless. And also boring.

13. BUT. That's all about to change, in a matter of days. Final deadline is Monday, ready or not, and once it comes, it's gone. My life - my MIND - will be my own again, the days at my command, the world my oyster.

Did I mention how happy this makes me?

Downright delirious, it does.

Stolen Moment(s)

Four more day until sanity can return. So to fill the void, a meme. And while I've seen this bit everywhere, I opted to steal it from Charles. Because you know what they say about imitation and flattery. Nobody deserves the honor of being imitated more, in my book.

A photo meme. And as Mr. Hill says, sometimes the result can indeed be amazing.

How it's done:

    * Answer each of the questions below.
    * Surf over to Flickr (set up an account if you don't have one — it's quick and easy) and type your answers (one at a time) into the search bar.
    * From the choice of pictures shown only on the front page, click the one that moves you.
    * Once the page with your picture opens, copy the URL.
    * Surf over to the Mosaic Maker, set up your mosaic, and paste your URLs.
    * Click "Create!"

Here are the questions:

   1. What is your first name?
   2. What is your favorite food?
   3. What high school did you attend?
   4. What is your favorite color?
   5. Who is your celebrity crush?
   6. What is your favorite drink?
   7. Where would you go on your dream vacation?
   8. What is your favorite dessert?
   9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
  10. What do you love most in life?
  11. Choose one word to describe you.
  12. Your Flickr name?

Here goes...