My friends! My friends! I guess I should have said what I was up to as well. hm?

Firstly...Twinnie...I hope you're okay over there. Just heard about the tornado in Lone Grove! I sent you a text a few minutes ago, but know you don't text; so don't expect an answer that way. Congrats on the new TV. Knowing your room layout, I'm curious about how you rearranged! Can't remember what size TV you told me you wanted.

Dave...I know the job searches suck. Something more befitting will come along soon. I'm not looking forward to that sort of thing when I get to that point in my education. As much as I'd love to, I won't quit the Park until I have something established. Oh wait...I have to wait! I no longer have another source of income to see me through.

Mark, that must have been fun! You're a cool dad.

Me? Still going to school. Love it, but hate that some of my friends there are acting like conspiracy theorists. They think the teacher has some sort of agenda. Well, dammit, she does! To teach us high quality design work AND make money doing it! And who doesn't want to make money??? Really they don't like her tactics - which is to have you in a seat in front of her so she can critique your work while the rest of us gather around to watch and learn. Sometimes she's agreeable to what you've done; other times she changes it a little and still others she changes it a lot. Her point is that she is acting as a client might. Every client will be different. They won't all be the same. You might hate what they do, but if you want their money you have to do what they say. Every change they make, you get more money! I'm not going to let their fears influence my choice to continue my education there. So there!

As for my personal life...it's good.

Mark and I are doing fabulously well. People think it's weird that we are still friends. I guess most folks think divorces have to be gritty and ugly. Well, ours wasn't. I believe because our relationship is so good we will both be there for each other, no matter what. Right now, he's on his way to Mexico with Doug. One week of golf...what more could a guy want?

Russ and I are wonderful. We have our ups and downs. Currently, he's trying to quit smoking with Chantix. Hopefully, the side effects won't be too bad because we are already so much alike that I don't know if I could handle "me" PLUS the side effects! LOL! A couple weeks ago we went to North Carolina so I could officially meet his parents. Joyce and Stacy are absolutely fabulous! It was like being with my parents. His Dad liked me so much that he gave me HIS mother's Singer Featherweight sewing machine. I've dreamt of having one of those and now I do! I also met Russ' two sisters and one of his brothers (the other lives in Seattle). They were also very nice! AND....ta da! We went to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte and got to ride in official NASCAR cup cars!!! It was SOOOOOO fun. Three trips around the track, averaging 155mph and about 180mph on the straightaways!!! It was the coolest thing I've ever done. I was grinning like a fool the entire time and even did a "woohoo" at one point. You can see pics of us on my Facebook photo pages.