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.

Comments

[Lilian]

Hello. I just wanted you to know that you're not a solitary mute blogger.

[colleen]

I'll have to scroll down what's going on.

I'm with you, I like the 13 Thursday to put my week in order in some slanted way. I like to talk bullet lists. I think it has a certain stream of consciousness poetry.

I hope you enjoy Dave Matthews. I saw the band with John Meyer for the firs time last year at VA Tech: http://www.looseleafnotes.com/notes/2007/09/waiting_on_the_world_to_change.html

[Poe]

Congratulations on the light at the end of the tunnel! I admire your stamina, and can totally empathize. I love nothing more than being so immersed in the production of a goal, that all else falls by the wayside.

In my opinion, time will go by anyway, so why not have something remarkable to show for it?!

[Paul is a Hermit]

I wouldn't want to be on the other side of the exit door come the end of Monday. Hope all goes well for you.