I apparently picked the right days to travel.  I flew out to Philadelphia last Sunday and back into Dallas this morning, and the airports were as empty as I’ve seen them lately.  I got to upgrade to first class both ways (yay for AA Gold status!), which made the trip quite bearable.  My brother and his wife have worked miracles on their century-plus old house – it’s absolutely gorgeous.  They basically redid it top to bottom, doing a significant amount of the work themselves.  My sister-in-law practically killed herself getting the final details done before the family descended upon them this week, and it really showed well. 

I had a lovely visit with some old friends, a wonderful Thanksgiving with family, and now I’m home with an extra day with which to do whatever I wish.  I didn’t get the chance to post on Thanksgiving because I was steadfastly ignoring the computer to spend more time with the family, but I’m truly grateful for the blessings I’ve been given – my family, my friends and my health, not to mention the pesky cat that insists on sitting on my keyboard until I pay attention to him.

I’m up in New Jersey visiting my brother and sister-in-law for Thanksgiving.  I’ve been corresponding with some old friends from my early SCA days, and it so happens that they’ve moved to within an hour and a half or two of my brother’s house.  So, Edmund dropped by my brother’s house after work yesterday, picked me up, and brought me up to Nazareth, PA for a chance to visit and catch up with him, Rosalind and Kelda.  I’m also getting the chance to meet their 9-year-old son, who I’ve never seen before.  We’ve had a lovely evening and day so far, although Edmund and Rosalind have both had to work today.  I’ve spent the day talking with (and being a geek with) Kelda, getting nostalgic and talking about the people we knew back when.  There’s been a lot of loss this year in the group up here, so it’s been bitter-sweet.  I’m *very* glad I carved out the time to see them though – many happy memories tied up with these folks!

Something that I think bears pointing out.  Many have written of the historical significance of this election.  Everyone knows it was a hard-fought battle between a bitterly divided electorate.  But now, despite everything, power will peacefully transfer hands from the Republican party to the Democratic party.  There will be no riots, no blood in the streets, no military coup. 

Whatever you may think will happen in the U.S. under the new administration, our country is one of the relatively few in the world that actually bows to the will of its people.  The reins of power will transfer, and the new administration will have its chance.  If in four or eight years the electorate decides to “throw the bums out,” once again power will transfer peacefully. 

Ain’t America great?

Everything was going just fine on Monday at noon.  Then, about 2:30, it was like getting hit with a sledgehammer.  Chills, fever, coughing, stomach rebelling.  I gave up after about an hour, headed home and got there by 4:00.  I put on the warmest PJs I own, turned on my heated mattress pad and was in bed by 5:00 – slept till 6:00 on Tuesday morning.  Tuesday was an utterly miserable day of not being able to eat anything but broth.  Today is better, but I still feel puny and haven’t tried to eat anything but yogurt.  It seems inclined to stay down.

Sometimes I hate my chosen career and job.  It’s just not a job that you can ignore when you don’t feel good.  Despite all the above, I had to dial in to two meetings yesterday and two today.  Everyone was sympathetic, but everyone expected me to be there. Because my home internet isn’t working reliably (a rant for another day), I had to come into the office this morning to get some things out.  I’ll be leaving by noon, but I hate that I couldn’t just stay home and be miserably sick in peace (oh, you know what I mean).  Feh.