I go home in a week and a half.  I admit that I'm truly looking forward to it.  But I'm not sure if I am ready for a visit with my Mom.  She has been in bad health for many months now and is currently in the hospital.  Although, my sister said she walked 50 feet all on her own the other day and hopefully she will continue to make strides toward recovery.

Christmas is breaking me financially, but it makes me feel so good to give to others.  I just like making people happy.  Being in service to others, especially those who appreciate my efforts, makes me feel useful.  I just wish material things didn't cost so darn much. . .

Our new "temporary roommate", Lyssa, is 18 years old, and still very much a "kid".  She seems to need some parental guidance that noone has given her so now Cole and I are "it".  Since it was I who invited her to stay with us, most of the responsiblity falls upon me.  Cole got a little agitated when I went out to a friend's house the other day and didn't bring her along.  But I was under the impression that being 18 years old she is capable of managing herself (mostly) and could entertain herself whilst I was gone.  Cole and I went to a "Family Night" at Lyssa's school, mainly, she wanted me to go, and Cole wanted me to as well since I am her friend and Cole doesn't know her very well.  Lyssa's school is an "alternative" school, and it came off like one of the schools my Mother and Father threatened to send me to if I was a "bad kid".  This somewhat worries me.  Lyssa hasn't had the greatest home life and she gets upset easily (mainly because she is still a teenager who hasn't learned how to control her actions fully).  I'm not sure what I can impart to her that might make a difference in her life.  Atleast she is on the right track when it comes to her studies, she is in a program called "Running Start".  It's one where she can go take College classes for High School credit, she starts out at Spokane Falls Community College in January.

Work is going well.  I talked to my boss yesterday because I hadn't heard anything from him about how good/bad I've been doing lately, and he said he thinks I am doing quite well so that's good!  I still really enjoy my job and hope that my position becomes a permanent one here at the university.

I've had some good conversations with my Ex-husband Robert on Yahoo lately.  This is weird because I'm not sure it's really him?  I mean, this is the man I was so mad at for so long, I lost all belief and hope in him and all my respect for him.  I never thought I would gain any respect back for him, but it seems I was wrong.  He and I are currently friends, and atleast I wouldn't be too uncomfortable having to co-exist in the same room with him for say a party or something.  He got remarried and is having similar issues with his new wife that he had with me, it seems he finally got the point that he needs to handle some of this stuff differently, it's too bad he couldn't have learned that while we were still married, or perhaps I might have stayed with him. . .  What a shame.