Frankly, I haven’t been here because I didn’t want to be.  I’ve had no compulsion or screaming urges to open up any part of my life and pen it for the last week.

I’m leaving tomorrow for the great state of Oregon, going to visit super artist Joshie and his family and will be gone for 10 days.  It seems strange to walk away from my little home for that long.  I hope to get in a few good walks in Springfield, give Rain more than one hug, visit the tattoo shop that Josh works at, and help Jennie start a website for her own business.  It will be a busy time and before I know it, I’ll be back home.  Gary and Marie are back from Iowa and I’m parking the Steed at their digs and they are taxiing me to the airport…wonderful, helpful, great, kudos to my friends for being my friends….thank you so much!

Riot spent the weekend with me – I love that kid.  I picked him up from school on Friday and he came running with a big smile on his face, arms open and wrapped them around me, and kissed my stomach (that’s where his head hits).  He thanked me at least six times, over the next two days, for coming to his school and picking him up.  He only had one emotional meltdown, filled with his anger flare which ended in a time out for him…the meltdown came after the time out.  We were getting ready to go to the store and he was supposed to bring his shoes to me to help him put them on and tie them.  He kept playing with a toy gun instead and when I demanded that he put it down, he became quite angry, throwing it down and then picking up his shoes and basically throwing them to the floor in front of me, hence the time out.  Then he had a piece of bubble wrap that he was popping the bubbles on and I wouldn’t let him have it during time out, I told him to put it down so he threw it on the floor and stomped on it…guess that’s one way to pop those damn bubbles.  So…I made him put the bubble wrap in the garbage…major screaming fit.  He finished about a five minute time out where no word was spoken and we never made eye contact.  I sat quietly staring at the wall.  When I told him he could get up, he started crying, tears from the heart – we had to sit and hug for a few and talk.  I find this weekend to be a major improvement with him and his tantrums and dealing with realizing that someone else has done something for him, he even thanked me for wiping the dust from his new shoes.  School is obviously helping him mature a bit.  Now if we could get both parents to mature, Riot would get there much faster.

Before we left Vegas on Friday, we stopped at the old digs.  Dadparental had Riot’s new brother, Breck, and his sister, Katie, at the house.  This was Riot’s first meeting with his bro.  Problem is neither of the momparentals will allow their child/children to be around the other momparental so unless arrangements are made to have all three kids with dad (or me), they aren’t going to get together.  Ain’t life grand?

My long time friend, dating back as far as the Mirage days, Sylvia Hart (still deals at Bellagio) had invited Riot and I over for a visit before we left Vegas for home.  Sylvia has a pig named Abigail and Riot got feed her apples and carrots, it was a real trip.  I got to visit with Sylvia in-between Riot quizzing Sylvia on things in general.  It was a good time.

I’ll be posting from Oregon, and relating the tale of how eating one Brownie can fuck up your whole day, in the meantime, I want to wish everyone a very, very happy and relaxing weekend and if you’re doing Thanksgiving, may you enjoy your blessings as much as you enjoy your food.