Why, Hello There!

Dear Readers, it HAS been a while! What, you think I was off reading romance novels and eating bon bons? (OK, if Ritter Sport bars count as bon bons, then guilty as charged.)

Never. I was off being SICK. Floored by the mother of all colds. Miserable. Stuffy. Sniffly, feverish. And coughing up a lung. Almost literally. The last few times I've had coughs like this I have broken ribs. Completely literally. So I am glugging down my sticky red codeine cough syrup every four hours and praying on behalf of my poor ribs.

Athena has so far been listening.

In other news, on the 3rd I reached the halfway point of my life if I live to be a centenarian. (Only time will tell.) In our family some of us reach 100+ and some of us don't reach 40.

And best of all: we are anticipating a mid-week discharge for our boy. More than a month after his fourth hospitalization in three years, Benjy will be coming home -- if we are lucky.

No more walking past his empty room when I get up at three a.m. to pee and steadying myself in his door jamb while my heart skips a beat. (No, he's not been abducted. He's not dead. He's safe in the hospital.)

No more driving here, there any everywhere (aka between the hospital, school, home, and the hospital).

No more pity-trips to Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's. No more video game purchases because the poor thing is in the hospital. This mental illness situation is bankrupting us. I look forward to not having to buy him stuff because he's with me 24/7 and I can just hold him close and kiss his curly head.

I'm a little afraid to see what 2013 brings. It's been a long time since we've had an overall good year.

But Readers, I'm up for anything.