What Life's Really About

And...she's back!

I'll start by saying that your support and enthusiasm for my having finished my WIP prior to vacation has stayed with me. I think I'll be riding that wave for a long time.

We all need a little affirmation from time to time, yanno? So I hope you all get back what you've given, just when you need it most.

My prattling on about vacation may have left you with visions of sunny beaches or sprawling lakes or endless leisure time with the occasional strawberry daiquiri thrown in. All, of course, whilst resting in the loving arms of Mr. Authoress.

Um. None of the above.

(Well, maybe a little of the loving arms bit.)

Our vacation was really more of a trip--a journey to family and friends, to relationships forged in the dawn of time (not really).

Okay, so that's a purplish way to say College Reunion. And introducing-an-old-high-school-friend-to-my-husband. A male high school friend.

You're on the edge of your seat, right?

The reunion was a direct result of Facebook, my addiction-that-isn't-an-addiction-anymore-now-that-I've-discovered-Evony. You may or may not know by now that I majored in music. It was a small, private school, and everyone in the music department knew everyone else. So a classmate and I organized a reunion for five classes of music majors, since there were so few of us in each graduating class.

Yes, Mr. A was included. He and I met at college. I hated him then, but that's another story.

So we had a brilliant time with dear friends (and the occasional annoying person you could've done without). Most poignant point? My flu-vaccine-damaged friend who flew to the reunion from several states away, pumped high on steroids so that he could get through the evening without falling over. Most laugh-inducing point? My old roommate (and one of the dearest people on earth) telling a story of how she dropped one of her organ shoes on the way to her lesson, and when she went back out in the snow to search for it, the snowplough had already come through, and her shoe was poised on the top of a huge mound of freshly ploughed snow. Oh. And she's 4'11''.

No, really. You had to be there.

Most ego-boosting point? Being told that I looked great. "The same," even.

On second thought, the most ego-boosting point probably occurred when my classmate answered the door and gave me a hug. She pulled back, looked me over, and exclaimed, "Your boobs grew!"

*hem*

Most blasted-into-the-past-by-a-subspace-anomaly point? Breakfast in the lounge of the Hampton Inn the next morning. All those college friends and classmates sitting around at small tables, drinking coffee and eating disgusting food? It was too much like college to believe.

It was amazing.

The majority of our visit was spent at my parents' home, though I was able to get away for some time with another college roommate who couldn't make the reunion. This is a woman who knows me better than anyone on earth--with Mr. A being the exception by a slim margin. She introduced the word "fart" into my life (we called them "stinkers" growing up) and reminds me even today of every single crush I ever had during college (mostly unrequited, I might add).

And then there was the evening we spent with my oldest friend of all--the guy who gave the best back rubs in town and who was never more than a friend.

Stop smirking. It's true.

And wonder of wonders! He and Mr. A hit it off. Swimmingly. We even met again the next day to see the Star Trek movie together. Now, picture me sitting between my husband and an old (male) high school friend in the movie theatre.

Okay, maybe that was a little weird.

We rounded up the trip with a day at Mr. A's relatives in the mountains, and a day with my dear sister and her family.

Lots of driving. LOTS of driving. It's a good thing Mr. A and I get along most of the time.

And yes, we spent a couple evenings going through my first draft, though we didn't get as far as I had hoped. He was as brutal as I knew he'd be. But he also made me laugh. Belly laugh. I'm pretty sure I scared the neighbors.

So here I am, ready to jump into real life again. Though the "real" bit doesn't ring true, since it's the treasured relationships into which I sowed the majority of my vacation time that are "real" in the truest sense. I don't have a tan, I don't feel all relaxed and sorted out. But I feel richer. More complete. Satisfied.

And thankful. It's astounding how you can simply pick-up-where-you-left-off sort of thing with old friends. Except you're both more mature, better able to express your thoughts and feelings.

One college classmate actually said to me, "You hated me freshman year." I looked right at him and said, "No, I didn't. You just annoyed me."

There's no way we would have had that conversation in college.

Anyway, it's time to move on with life and this blog. Our next Secret Agent contest will run the week of July 13. Stay tuned for submission guidelines et al. This month's contest will include a lottery, but will not be automated. I'm hoping to get the automation in place by the time August's contest rolls around.

Questions? Comments? Happy thoughts? I'd love to see you in the comment box! Thanks for sticking around.

Onward we go!