A Little Ketchup (Catch Up) Note

A quick "hello" to my blogger friends and an apology from me for being MIA the past week or more. I just got too overwhelmed at work and couldn't seem to find some down-time to update my blog. While Easter is my favorite time of the church year, it certainly can bring a lot of stress (and overtime) in my life from a job perspective.

OK, so what's new that I can include in tonight's quick posting (since it's already past my bedtime as I'm writing this)?

The weather had been crappy and depressing earlier this week and over the weekend. Only today, in the afternoon, did we Metro Detroiters see sunshine and temps in the low 60's. Will this continue? Tune in later this week to find out as the saga of "Will Spring Ever Spring?" continues to unfold on my blog.

Tom has been busy watching his beloved Detroit Red Wings in the hockey playoffs on TV this past week. Unfortunately, the Wings are playing like a Pee Wee-level hockey team and are behind in the series against San Jose 3 - 0. It doesn't appear they'll make it out of this round, much to Tom's chagrin.  :-(  

Angela has been a busy bee in Virginia as she has interviewed for several Veterinary Technician jobs in the Virginia Beach area. She is hoping to get an offer this week. If not, she'll find a job doing something else until she gets a job in her field. She is determined to stay in Virginia and start a life there. She says she loves the weather (it's been in the 70's and 80's the past 7 days!), the people (who are very friendly) and the area (which is really clean). She also met, and just adores, the gal who is going to be her new roommate once Angela makes enough money to move in. The roommate's name is Stacy. She's single, around age 30, loves animals, works part-time at a vet's office, and according to Angela, is one of the nicest people she's ever met. Stacy owns her own home, and she's invited Angela to rent a room in it as soon as she gets a job. Stacy has her own bathroom (the master bath), and Angela will have her own bath as well since there will just be the two of them. Stacy has even invited Angela to stay the night there whenever Ang isn't staying with her college buddy, Jenelle. That was just so nice of her! Ang has spent 2 or 3 nights with Stacy and really enjoys the opportunity to spread out (Jenelle's apartment is a tiny studio), enjoy campfires on the back deck and help Stacy with her spring landscaping work.

I've been fighting off some depression lately, and that's just not like me. I'm usually really bubbly, and don't spend a lot of time down in the dumps, so this has me confused especially because it started a few months ago, and has gotten a lot worse lately. Could it be due to the gloomy weather we've had for the past 3 (or more) months? Or perhaps because Angela is gone (I KNOW that's a large part of it). Or maybe it's hormonal? I don't know, but I sure wish it would ease up a bit. If it continues, I might have to ask my doc what she thinks.

We received some sad news yesterday evening as well. A good friend of my brother's, Scott, committed suicide yesterday morning. And it was a violent suicide involving a gun. He was alone when he died. He has left behind a wife and 4 young daughters. We only met him and his wonderful family once, last summer, when they drove 30 miles from their home, at my brother's request, to rescue Tom, me and Becky from the side of the road in 80 degree heat after our van broke down in the middle of nowhere south of Traverse City, MI. They never even hesitated to make the trip to get us even though they'd never met us. And then they stopped on the way back to their house and bought groceries so they could feed us dinner. We tried to give them money to help with the food, but they wouldn't take it. They had our van towed to their house that day until my brother could bring up a flatbed truck to bring it back home later that week. They invited us to spend the night at their place too. We told them that we needed to get home so we could go to our jobs the next day and as we were working to figure out a transportation solution, Scott volunteered to pack up his van with us, Becky & his 4 girls in it, drive us home, then turn around and drive right back to his house--a 4 hour trip that he made twice in one night. (He had to take the girls because his wife had to work that night.) Who would do that for a couple of unfamiliar people and a big, black, stressed out dog???? Scott would. He & his wife and the 4 girls had undergone a lot of bad things over the past 2 months. A lot of stress. A lot of heartache. We can only wonder at why he would take his life like he did. I think he was maybe in his mid-30's. I can't even imagine what his loved ones are going through right now. But Tom & I feel honored to have met Scott and his family. I'm still friends on Facebook with his wife and oldest daughter (she's maybe 14?). If you could please keep this family in your prayers this week, it would be greatly appreciated. My brother is heartbroken at Scott's death.

I didn't mean to end my blog on such a sad note. I'm hoping to have happier things to blog about as the week goes on. Good nite, all!