My vacation the week before wasn't nearly as restful as I would have liked it, but I suppose that would be expected when catering to the needs of one's mother. Nevertheless, it was nice having Mom over for a visit, catching up and dragging her all over Seattle for a bit of sight-seeing. The highlight of those adventures was being in a place called Paradise on the very highest point of roadway located on Mt. Rainier (in the two years since I moved here, I haven't had a chance to go), all the while standing in the midst of a proverbial blizzard with a good 101 inches of snow piled on either side of me. It was interesting to say the least, being that it's May and it was as though Winter had never left. That's just one of the many hundred reasons why I love living here and have no desire what-so-ever to leave. For whatever reason, the great NorthWest agrees with me, speaking to my soul in such a profound way that it's difficult to put such feelings into words without somehow dimishing their impact. It's an awesome experience, dreaming of a perfect place to call home and the resulting triumph when that goal is finally acheived.

... in other news, it seems that after two exhausting months of 6 day/50+ hour weeks, stress, and very little sleep, next week I should be returning to a relatively "normal" work schedule. I say that loosely, because there's little doubt in my mind I'll still be clocking a lot of over-time. However, I'll FINALLY have my regular days off again (Wednesday and Thursday - I always work the weekends), two days in a row rather than a single day here and there between a 5-6 day stretch of back breaking labor. I seriously hope that I can actually find the time when I'm not completely hung over with sleep deprivation, that I can finally get around to catching up on my artwork and writings. I've had next to no time to indulge in my creative hobbies for what seems like an eternity... *sigh* ...Need I say more, I'm sure you understand?

Also, it seems I'm up for another root canal in the near future... joy. (I was not blessed in life with good teeth). In the mean time, I'm on a high dose of anti-inflammatories to see if the Doc can save my tooth and calm down a very pissed off nerve without the need for drastic measures... Being that I'm a veteran of dental care, I just think they're delaying the inevitable, but every Dentist has his/her own methods. Sometimes you just gotta jump through a few hoops before you can earn the right to some much deserved relief from the pain and discomfort. Patience is a virtue, my friends...

Anyway, I felt the need to share a little slice of my life from recent weeks and there ya have it. Hopefully things will turn for the better soon and I can finally get around to being more like my true self than the work-a-holic I've become. Seems like that's all I ever do anymore. Work. HA!

...here's to hoping there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I think I've earned it.