On the 21st, I got caught by the train, but let me start where I left off about the snow day. We got up after a four hour nap and went out to start the van, which began to suck amps like mad after making an audible POP when the cables were connected. Oops, again. And then there was that awful gasoline smell. That cold had caused one of the o-rings on the fuel injector to snap, and fuel was just spurting out. I had noticed a gas smell earlier in the week, the day I went to the movies, but laid it off to exhaust. I was rather thoroughly educated on the magnitude and potential consequences of this mistake by Guitar Guy, who by this time was more than sick of the sight of my van, I am SURE.

But, moving onward, we had one teen with school in the next town over, and so we hopped in his car to take her to town and him to the doc. And on the way….. the fuel pump in his car……failed. Yeah.

You know, really, I mostly lead a very boring life. Day to day, its the same-ol, same-ol. But lately…not so much. He called his dad to get that car towed. And we came back to Bittyburg. They set about fixing my van, and Guitar Guy asked me to take his mom on an errand and his son wanted to be dropped off to play with my boys, and so I drove yet another vehicle to do that. Least I could do, right?

So, the train thing. I took this shot as I was headed back to his house with his mom. I haven’t been stopped by a train for a long time, mostly because I don’t go very many places that require crossing the tracks. In fact, I had no idea there were so many train tracks in this town because most of them used to be outside of town until town grew. The trains now, they are graffiti-ed, and not with bad art, but with some talent. Several of the cars had pieces on them, and that is what I was trying to capture with this shot.

As you can plainly see, I missed.

Snow Day! We had snow, real snow! It never snows here! The kids had a absolute blast!

In the early afternoon, the teens and I took off for Guitar Guy’s house for an afternoon of Prince Caspian and then a Bible study. He also made fruit smoothies, LOL. One of the teens needed to go home around 6, and I tried to take him, but I had managed to leave my lights on all day. On the coldest day of the year. That battery was so dead and it was so cold that it would not take a charge. So, Guitar Guy took that teen home, leaving my battery hooked to another car. When he got back, my van still would not start, plus the roads were now iced over with more snow on top. Oooooops.

And so, we had another slumber party, and this time, I got to be there, LOL! We stayed up until 4am talking and working on a puzzle. And also listening to 80s music. I might have danced alone in the kitchen, as well, but only for one song, I promise.

Oops, I had a hard time finding this one, becasue the date on it is the 20th! Nonetheless, I took it before I went to bed to symbolize the 19th. It was on this day that I pulled out some of my old cassette tapes and rocked out in the kitchen while reading magazines and waiting on a visitor. It was awesome: Pretty Woman plus Patsy Cline = one happy, dancing Cass.

This picture is a very special picture. It symbolizes a future and a hope. In it, Aunt Lady, the oldest member of my paternal family is holding my cousin’s newborn, who is, of course, the youngest member of the family. He’s also the first one I’ve loved on when he was little. I spent the weekend up there with my cousins having fun, and also maybe not so much.

This shot is actually in color, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment with flash, so it appears in shades of grey. I’ve lightened it so you can see the faces a bit. And yes, this is the baby whose face I was looking into when I tweeted that tweet:

Today’s defining moment: I looked into the face of a newborn baby and did not want one myself. 6:28 PM Jan 17th from txt

I fired this shot off not too long before we left on the 20th, three of my children, and my other cousin’s daughter.

When I look at pictures of this side of my family, there is an incredible mix of emotions. It is so very difficult to understand how much we “get” each other, having spent so little time together over the years. The feeling I get there is “one of us”, in a way I don’t get anywhere else. It’s a nice feeling, but a bit overwhelming, because…well, it is so unexpected, I guess.

On the 16th, I saw Paul Blart Mall Cop. Six times. It was a day both peaceful and intense, difficult and fun. Sometimes I sits in the movies and watches and sometimes I sits in the movies and thinks. I realized on this day that often we choose the right thing because the wrong choice is too caustic to the soul. And also that sometimes the only reward for doing the right thing is the knowledge that you didn’t choose the wrong thing.

The movie is funny and I give it a couple of thumbs up. Everyone should see it at least twice, ROFL! I understand you can download new movies from iTunes if your system memory will allow it.

On the 15th, I decided my desk was way too messy, and I should clean it up. SO I started. I did not finish it, and in fact, it got much much worse before I finally managed to get over there with a backhoe and excavate it. Over a week later. Just sayin’

:selfportraitsunday:

SO, here I am just before I left for church this morning. Right after I discovered that my real and official camera is broken. How in the world am I supposed to blog without a camera? And print pictures for Project 365? Yeah, whatever.

Mobile post sent by Cass using Utterli.  Replies.

Lunch with a friend at PT’s Grill, before I ran off to work the 6 Family Dollar stores.

Sometimes, when life is totally out of control, and it sucks the joy out of you like a vacuum cleaner sucks dirt out of the carpet, there comes a bit of normalcy to put one spot of color back in the day. This lunch was like that.

And boy did I need it, because, people, I drove all over the city, trying to find these stores and that was very nerve wracking for me. I’m fairly surprised, in a good way, to find that I am enjoying these little jobs I do. I feel….competent, as I hear my heels click, click, click across the floor.

Click, click, click so those I am with can find me. Click, click, click announcing that I am here. I am not personless, not without value. Click, click, click. No longer silent.