Life. It's a good thing.

Geez... Seven months between posts. Am I that boring? Yeah, maybe. Or more likely I'm just too lazy to sit and compose my thoughts. Bingo.

But it's hard to sit still sometimes when your life is flying by you at a million miles an hour. This past Fall came and went before I knew it. It was filled with great memories: Taking Missi to her first Hawkeye football game; My roadtrip weekend to Perry with Bobbie & Tracy; Taking Sue on her first trip to Las Vegas; Take ME on my first trip to Jamaica; seeing wonderful friends and family over the holidays; celebrating New Year's Eve with my two amazing daughters; and lots of other "little" memories of great cookouts, cigar-filled afternoons on the patio, caroling, movies, roadtrips... I'm grateful. Blessed and grateful.

My daughter Michalle celebrates her 31st birthday in a couple days. Just like "30" was a good year for me, it was a good year for her, too. After a rough few years (things kinda went to Hell in a handbasket for her when Charlie and I split), she is finding her way in the world, and coming to terms with what she wants in life, who she is, and how she can get where she wants to go. There are lots of sayings in life about how to be happy, but the one that rings truest with me centers around being happy with what you have. I think she is discovering how to do that, and I couldn't be more pleased.

My daughter Missi is also coming up on a birthday soon, passing the mid-way point of her 20's. She also is living life on her own terms, and I think she has a good picture of what she wants for her near future. She's working her little fanny off, going to school at the same time, and managing to keep her head above water. The only reason I wish I weren't single right now is that I'd have so much more disposable income that I could use to help the two of them out financially. I feel like every cent I earns goes into the house fund, my vacation kitty or my retirement account. It's frustrating at times. I wish I could do more for them. That's why I keep playing the lottery.

Work is work, and while I'm really grateful to have a good job, there are days when I really (REALLY) wish I could stay home. Again, that's why I play the lottery. But in the grand scheme of things, I can definitely say: Life. It's a good thing.