Guess what, I'm still alive

It's been a whole month since I posted last, sorry. That's the longest break I can remember since I started this thing (though I haven't gone back to validate the claim of longest, you can check if you like). Life is just kinda slow for me lately, a new and interesting (in it's own way) thing to experience.
I go to work every day. I drive the same route, with a few new starts or stops along the way, and very few complaints from my customers. I'm starting to forget what a weekend feels like, but I'm saving a lot, even in the short time I've been working. There's a small snaffoo as to when I should stop working, but I'll make it to the weddings and to NYC without too much trouble from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal I'm sure.
The family went on our annual vacation, and I actually got to go this year. I've missed the last two, so it was great to have time to hang with everyone and have a bit of a break. We swam, cooked out, I made a cake for Julie's birthday (then proceeded to pile the layers wrong and ended up with an icing-glued toppling disaster held together with candle skewers and covered in M&M's in an attempt to salvage the whole thing) and some great lemon bars. We talked a lot, listened to some great music, did lots of crosswords. It was a great time. The babies were super cute, and the family time was just so much fun. I love feeling like I really belong with my family, a thing it took long years to achieve. Now I'm just one of the bunch, and am totally comfortable and included in the crowd. They laugh at my jokes, take my opinions seriously, and let me love their kids. I miss my far-away family, and it's so great to have some time to just chill together at an awesome resort.
I took a 36-hour trip to MI yesterday and the day before. I got my third laser hair removal treatment (they turned up the laser, ouch), got to stay with Mary's family and actually visit with her before her big day (she's getting married on my partent's anniversary), hung out with Brandon (I suppose I'll get over him ditching NYC for Grand Rapids someday, the pie at Perkins helped), and had dinner with Lisa on my way through Chicago (it was supposed to be lunch, but the traffic changed our plans). It was a great little get-away, and I read/listened-to a book on tape about the Appalachian mountains. My thoughts are all in a slow southern drawl now, but it was a pretty good book. Not Barbara Kingsolver's best, but still good.
I took up biking in the last couple weeks. My butt still hurts after a half hour on that little seat, and I still walk up most hills, but it's fun. I'm already seeing the effects of the different muscle use, and I know the long rides are good for my heart. I could get used to this cross-training thing, if only it wasn't prompted by injury. Keep praying for my knee, it's a little better but still frustrating.

So, I guess a few things have happened in the last month. Oh, I also got my hair cut today. It was getting long enough to braid, so I got it trimmed a little. Not too short, but not too shaggy either. Wedding extravaganza coming up, see so many of you in the next couple weeks!!!!