Soaring Solo 2010

[Gardener]

Journaling,

Well, the weekend was great! Far more than I could have hoped for and at a time I needed it most.
Ten close friends who bonded - strongly - back in high school and have stayed in touch and held our own (non-Alumni Association) reunions many times through the years.

This was a truly blessed weekend of reminiscing, catching up, celebrating accomplishments and comforting those few who are in bad places right now and deeply appreciating who we still are and decent lives well-lived.

A day trip to Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, NY was a highlight: It's just south of Newburgh, NY and I can't recommend it enough to anyone who is within striking distance of - or ever finds themselves in - that area: 500 acres of rolling hills, natural meadows and woodlands that are home to beautiful, serene, and massive-scale monumental sculptures by mostly post WWII artists. Awe inspiring beauty and perspective.
www.stormkingartcenter.org

Came home to relax before evening party thrown by first X for S31's Bachelor's degree, for which he decided to go back and finish up about 9 months ago, doing so in accelerated time with the help of his life/acting credits for having acted on stage, TV and Movies as a member of Actors Equity, SAG and AFTRA.

I gave him his "present": a five minute talk to the others - him by my side - starting off with "I love this man standing here," and describing my respect and admiration for him as a man, a son, a father, and as someone who followed his passion from an early age with optimism and unflagging determination. It went well though I had a hard time "keeping it together" (of course) throughout. I thanked and acknowledged his mother, his stepfather (and me!) for having successfully raised a good man. And then I left as it was really primarily a party by and for X1 & her family (who it was great to see again) that he had insisted I be there for.

Came home to empty house and crashed from the weekend. Today, no work as my occasionally bad back is damn near paralyzed and immobile (driving? hotel mattress? Who knows?).

Also today, two emails: One from another customer canceling her account due to, "economy, cutting back." ("Aaaarrgghh!!!). One from X who had refused a verbal agreement on my renting out master bedroom suite, then wanted it in writing, and then wanted it in writing and notarized and NOW is going back to court for a formal Modification (more totally unnecessary L & Court $$).

The same X who last week emailed if If there was any way I'd let her lower a temporary monthly $ obligation she has to me per divorce as it's just harder than she expected. I told her I'd consider it. Once this newest courtroom BS on her part is over, that answer will be, simply, "no."

Kind of sad today. Probably more just an anticlimactic letdown after a fun, fulfilling, people-filled weekend.

Waiting for house sale more and more begins to feel like waiting for parole. Buried a St. Joseph statue out front last week (what the heck), two scheduled showings yesterday: neither showed up.

IC meeting in less than two hours. Couldn't be more well-timed!