Fall Just Keeps Falling

We hear you've had a lot of rain back there. I think there were even floods. Yikes. We've been lucky here and it has been just spectacular. We haven't gone up the canyons, though, to see the leaves. It's just perfect porch-sitting weather. Ask the dogs.

I'm taking Sheri, her son and his girlfriend to the game tomorrow. I was going to take Bill and his nephews, but - you guessed it - Bill got sick. You know how he is - always dying, but not enough to give up Carl's Junior. Dad will be here in front of the TV, and waiting for your texts. He's decided to try using a pencil with an eraser to text, since he's just convinced that his fingers are too big for the iPhone. ;-)

I went to my hypnotist last week, just about the time you wrote about feeling nostalgic for the family. He had me under and just weeping over thoughts of my lost brother, my mom and dad, and all they suffered through. He got me to thinking about survivor's guilt - you know, how you somehow feel you should have been the one.

I've been thinking about that all this week, and while we do suffer by loving each other so much, it's really a good kind of suffering. Why would we want to feel nothing? And I don't think that my suffering would have prevented theirs. They all had many more times of joy and happiness to remember.

I love to think back on the fun times we've had, but I also like to think of what's coming. You're learning so much, and both Dad and I hope you're enjoying every minute of it. I'm sure we'll learn a lot from you, too.

Did I tell you about the latest with my renter? It's kind of like God has a weird sense of humor or something. I asked him what his girlfriend's name is, for the lease, and he said, Maile Kali. OMG. That is Jan Clemmer's granddaughter - the one who ran against Heather in the last election! Stunned as I was, I haven't given anything away. Mum's the word. I'm certainly not tagging her on this post, either.

Love you! Study well and have fun.