Back to "Normal"

For the first time in several days, we got out and about a bit today. The roads through Port Lavaca (Hwy 35) and Victoria (Hwy 59) were full of returning travelers, but traffic was moving smoothly and quickly. We saw lots of families stopping for meals and to fill up with gas before the home stretch. In response to the Mayor's request, I've decided to wait until Tuesday evening to return to Houston. Okay, okay. It's not really in response to his request, I'm just incredibly tired and am going to take a couple of days off. I worked on homework yesterday and today and am caught up in all except math. Pre-calculus, I'm saving for tomorrow. I bought an iPod today. Yeah, the 60 Gig version, and am already regretting it. While it was not an "impulse" purchase--I've planned on it for a couple of weeks now--it was definitely one of those things falling in the "want" as opposed to "need" categories. So, most of the evening I've spent finding out what's availble for free online, and getting ready to do my first download. To make myself feel better, I think, I encouraged Leo to make that weedeater purchase he was thinking about. [He did not, by the way, come home and begin playing with his weedeater.] I don't know why I should feel bad. I work hard for a living, and put up with a lot of stuff that I wish I didn't have to (I'm a 'contractor' you know, not an 'employee'). I should be able to buy something nice/fun/useful for myself now and then. Perhaps my feelings have something to do with the fact that I'm sitting in what will someday be my 'office', working off a laptop which is set up on a hollow core door laid on its side, looking at an unpainted door with paper curtains over the glass, and plugging items into a power strip attached to an extension cord, run into the room from the working outlet in the garage. In other words, my house has a LONG way to go, I haven't done anything to help make any progress on it in months, and I had the audacity to buy an iPod today. What was I thinking!? On the other hand, do you know how cool these little guys are? I mean, really cool?