m-a-lem,

I’m watching Top Chef Desserts, which letsbehonest is average at best. As much as I want to love it, I don’t, really. But it’s one of the few shows on our DVR I can watch with J.Lo away. The rest are for the weekends and, I assume, a dead-of-winter marathon.

And by the way, I think the dessert name “whoopie pies” should be banned from the English language.

I guess it’s time to really LetGoAndLetGod, as difficult as that is. Because otherwise, I’m simply frustrated and caught up in trying to solve an unsolvable issue, which is relocation. It can’t be done until our house sells, and nothing is selling. Period. But wait a minute and things will change? Patience is simply not my strong suit. Maybe it’s time to reread Job. And to not analyze the inner workings of miraculous things like adequate home sales in economically depressed conditions. We’re clearly not looking to get rich here – simply to provide. So all that’s left is prayers.

Otherwise. I’m hanging in there with the solo management gig, doing more or less well most of the time, although occasionally by the end of the day I silently devise plans to catapult the children into a neighboring state. Also, it would be really nice if the Dinner Fairy could put together something for me. The children’s food is easy. Mine, I sometimes don’t want to put forth the effort.

We briefly had ants in our living room, an inexplicable and never-ending stream, but I think I won that battle? It happens every Fall, and it seems like I didn’t win last year due to inadequate arms; I had to wait for the season to change. Oh, and I’ve also encountered a roach in the kitchen two nights running. I refuse to consider whether or not it’s the same one. It doesn’t matter. It’s only there because J.Lo’s not. Hideousness. And what’s up with the POD? Which is becoming a wildlife refuge of sorts. There are at least two anoles that have taken up residence, the inevitable cockroaches hiding in the dark recesses and who knows what else. They’re not coming with us.

But we did buy more fish today. K.Lo and I had a conversation going into the pet store (this excursion was all her idea) that went something like this:

“Mommy, can we buy a parrot today, too?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“Because parrots are really expensive, like $500.”

“I’m going to buy a parrot when I’m 5 and carry it on my shoulder.”

“Oh yeah? Where are you going to get money for a parrot?”

[shrugs] “I don’t know.”

“Hmm. Well if you have so much money, why not buy us a house?”

“But, Mommy. I can’t carry a house.”

So that plan of action didn’t work, either.

We have Blue Gouramis again, and some gold and black platys. All very pretty. So even though I curse the fish tank every two weeks or so and lament its horrible green-growth issues, it’s nice to have new finned friends.

More soon – love to you.

pen