My boys, Tom and Elvis

Hey.

Yeah, I know, I'm not showing up at the page. Thanks for your long note last night. Let's stop with the "I'm so pathetic" thing, ok? Everything is relative. Sometimes I look at the lives of other mothers with full time jobs, or no husband, or more kids than I have, and I think 'what the hell am I complaining about?' And then I sit back and remember that my situation is just as taxing, on whatever level, as anyone else's. And so is yours. Nothing's better or worse or harder or easier in the big picture; every day is its own challenge. So there.

~~~ And when I do get feeling "pathetic", it sometimes helps to think that even Paris Hilton needs a day off, here and there. It's all relative. ~~~

My sinus infection has gone from an annoying headache to a full-blown cold, even though I did start Augmenten yesterday. I feel absolutely miserable, but, strangely, only physically. It's a good mental day, so far. It's late start, so JJ and I slept in until 8:30 (woo hoo!) and lazed around after breakfast. I spiked up his hair a little (much to his protest), informing him that if he was going to grow it out, he had to actually do something with it in the mornings. That or I am going to make him cut it. He complied, and after a couple squirts of Wired and half a can of hairspray, he was ok with his new look. Why do I have boys who use more hair products than I do???? I should have taken a picture, though; he looked pretty hip in his skinny jeans, his My Chemical Romance t-shirt (mom of the year) and Elvis Costello hair. I hope I know him as well as I think I do; this little phase will pass sooner or later. And, I have to say, it's not so much Emo as it is what appears to be mostly in fashion these days. I'm still such a fan of regular old Levis, polo shirts and sweatshirts, but I know I have to give a little and choose my battles. Twenty minutes of sobbing, "I. HATE. THAT. SHIRT!" is not worth it in the grand scheme of things.

Anyhoo, S, T, B (mother of "My A" who comes in the mornings) and I stood out on the sidewalk for a good half an hour after the bus came, jaw-jacking and laughing about all kinds of things Not M. It was wonderful....I'm all about the diversions where I can get them. I stopped in at B's for a minute to meet their new dog, then came home and faced my day: I made a list, wrote two emails I meant to get out last night, rotated the laundry, did the breakfast dishes and here I am at the page. This was on my priority list since I didn't write last night.

I ended up going to bed at 9:00, before JJ even. I took two Nyquil and a glass of Shiraz upstairs, did a couple of Sudoku and watched part of The Mentalist, and I was out before 9:30 I think.

Quick update: I think I talked to you after I talked to my case worker, (we'll call her CW, shall we?) She is very nice and compassionate, yet firm, business like. I liked that. She treated me with respect and dignity, unlike the a*****e cop I had to talk to on Monday. I think I told you that she was going to contact M and get "his side of the story".

She called me back late in the afternoon to tell me that she had spoken to him briefly and that he refused to talk with, or meet with, her. He told her that he would talk with me, M and S (evidently his new family) and that was it. She explained to him that if he did not talk with her that I was going to file this YAR petition, which would put him in front of a judge, and he said he understood. She asked him if he understood that he could come home willingly, right now, abide by the rules and avoid all of this. He understood. She told him he could end up in juvie. He said he understood. He asked her "What if I just hop a train?" (Who does he think he is? Tom Sawyer?) She told him he would be reported in contempt of a court order and have a warrant out for his arrest. Ok, he said.

Two issues now: since we can't file him as a runaway (so far; J is talking to the police chief today) we subsequently cannot file a harboring a runaway report against M. This causes yet another roadblock. However, CW said she was going to try to process the paperwork for the petition anyway.

My brother called me (his bi-annual call) to tell me that they were really worried about M ending up in jail, since CC's brother had spent so much time there and it really ruined him. He offered again for M to live with them and I told him I appreciated it, but that M is making his own (poor) decisions right now. They really don't get it; Bro J thinks I'm being too harsh, I'm sure, voluntarily putting my kid in juvie.

Dude, if and when you ever get here, give me a call back.

That's about it for now. I've just got housework to do and then a little awards thing for J tonight at work...maybe I'll go, maybe not.

Hope your day is going well....love you!
A