Monday, July 14, 2008 at 08:23 AM

Thank you all for allowing me that brief moment of introspection in my last post.  It was a bit of a pity party--but I was just keeping it real and I appreciate you listening in.  Your words were so kind and I really appreciate you taking the time to say them.  This little blog community just really super you know?  It has allowed me to keep in touch with old friends and make new ones half-way around the world!  Feeling pretty happy about that!

We had the rare opportunity to eat out with our best friends on my birthday.  Alone.  Without our kids (they have 3 girls too).  Usually we rely on each other for babysitting and therefore cannot ever go anywhere together!  This time we planned in advance to have the night out together.

A lovely evening outside, good friends, chicken curry soup, Bangkok Thai crepes, three bottles of wine, and creme brulee can make any girl feel better!  (I stuck to one glass of wine...I am a bit of a lightweight.  My counterparts on the other hand...:)

They had some fun at my expense.  You see we have had this little brush fire up behind our house.  When I say little I mean "13,000 acres little". 

We watched out our front windows as that helicopter worked heroically with two others to try and save that house.  They were amazingly successful because everything around it burned. The other night it seemed it was headed right for my front door.

Carl had the tripod at his office so my pictures didn't turn out very well.  My friend Melissa did a better job.  When the only thing standing between you and some gigantic flames is a wheat field...One can get a extremely nervous.  There were sheriffs and news crews posted at the entrance to our housing developments.  I kept wondering when they were going to come knocking on my door telling me I had exactly 3 seconds to get all my children, valuables, automobiles, (okay maybe the cat too- if I like her on that day) and get the hell out of there.  I couldn't sleep without setting a *few* things by the garage door.  Everyone thought that was pretty funny.  I, of course, was determined to have the last laugh.  Thankfully it never reached that point.  Somehow those crazy firefighters held the flames off and now it is burning further away and I can breathe a sigh of relief. Cough cough.  Smoke.

Whew!  All this excitement and emotion!  I am ready for a vacation.  We are headed out to do some camping/golfing/marshmallow roasting/waterslide sliding.  I'll be back later this week!