Catching Up

I know...I know...it's difficult to make your entertainment decisions without finding out my take on the movies I've seen, the restaurants I've tried and the wine I've been drinking. (There's a big laugh here, folks.)

Be patient for those movie reviews. I've been conservative with my restaurant adventures as I'm pretty stuck on Bonefish Grill, but Barbara and I did go to Peerless for the first time to celebrate our birthdays (you see...the birthday trip wasn't enough). Finally, I haven't been adventurous with the wine, either. Same ole same ole when I've opened a bottle...Oh! I did have a bottle of Pinot Grigio that I'll tell you about--I usually drink reds, so this was different for me.

As you know, May was not without excitement and adventure. The Nashville Excursion is well-documented, of course. The following weekend, I ventured up to Johnson City, picked up my girl (Hannah) and then we went to Emory & Henry College in Emory, VA, to make sure Natalie (Hannah's BFF) graduated. The graduation was lovely and that is an understatement. It was outside on the lawn--the weather was absolutely beautiful (a little chilly at first) with the sun shining and a nice breeze. This was probably the best graduation ceremony I have ever had the pleasure of attending...even better than my brother's Graduation-From-Notre Dame-With-the-President-as-the-Commencement-Speaker. With the exception of the college president mis-pronouncing Danica Patrick's name (as she was pointing out significant historical events that had happened during the students' four years at E&H), this was the perfect graduation...perfect music, perfect weather, perfect speakers (a student and then a guest speaker--some Virginia politician...I don't have this program, either.) who both incorporated perfect stories and perfect humor into their speeches...I could go on, but I think you get that it was sort of...perfect.

Afterwards, Hannah and I headed back to JC to spend the rest of the day together in honor of me since she wouldn't be home on actual Mother's Day (the next day). It doesn't matter how we spend our time...any day with Hannah is a great day. We did have some great burgers with her friend, Robin, visited Robin's home, and hung out at Sears while they fixed Hannah's flat tire. We also checked out some digital cameras at BestBuy where the customer service was terrible and they were out of every camera I was interested in. I got off the interstate on the way home and thought I would see if there was a BestBuy at EastTowne (what old-timers call what is now Knoxville Center Mall). On impulse, I went into Sam's Club and found the perfect digital camera (mentioned in a previous blog as my Happy Mother's Day To Me/Happy Birthday To Me digital camera). Got a great deal on it and now I and my camera are living happily ever after. This was really an exciting day of Independent Momma-ness for me. I was up and out very early and back home probably around 9pm. Never once did I think I would fall asleep at the wheel! (That would be bad, of course.)

The next weekend was Birthday Weekend. Hannah was home. We saw a movie...we ate...we hung out. Her visit was multi-purpose, however, as there was a big graduation celebration for BFF, BFF's best boy, and BFF's brother. I started recognizing the Big 45 with the afore-blogged May 15 dinner with pal Jennifer and enjoyed a few other meals-with-pals-in-honor-of-me in the two weeks following.

May was a good month. I relaxed. I decompressed. I caught up with friends....even setting a record by having lunch with my dear sweet Pierrette not once, but twice! Still, I have other catching up to do. While I chipped away at household neglect tiny bits at a time, there is more work to do. This I know, however: it's not worth it to let a job consume me as much as I let the last one consume me. My goal for the rest of my life: keep my priorities in order and do a better job loving me.