I'll say this: I don't hate the holidays. I hate the blues that come with them, every year, like clockwork. I've struggled to write this week, and I have a feeling that it's not going to get much better between now and December 26th.

This week—and the past two days in particular—have been difficult, through a convergence of events; some expected, some not. I knew that this December would be difficult for me, and there were times this year that I said to myself, "I have to enjoy what I have now, because I know what's coming." With Jessica's leaving Huntsville this morning, the last of that 'summertime' ended. Heather is now a resident out in D.C., and Jess is now back in Mobile (temporarily, until she begins grad school next fall).

The theatre is divided into two sides, and it was obvious which side was showing The Movie, for the line was meandering through most of the vestibule. The local crew has theorized for ages about what it would take to get all of the 20something Huntsvegas crowd into the same place. Bars, hockey, and clubbing never seem to make it happen. But last night, it seems, the entire even-slightly-geekish bit of the population was at the movie theatre.

So, you wanted to know what, exactly, happened on that mysterious weekend in Illinois? This is the overwhelming majority of a letter that I sent to a couple of people while I was there, regaling them with the weirdness that always comes with a domesticat roadtrip.

Laugh, and be thankful you were you, and not me, during the course of this particular weekend:

Dear Edmund and Tenzing—

I know that you can't read, so I am trusting that you will use your superkitty powers to absorb the contents of this letter through your amazing (and easily-demonstrated) mindlink powers with Amy. Since the two of you always seem to know each other's thoughts, I'm going to assume that now would be no exception and just send this letter to her.

I'm currently exploring the musical intricacies and oddities of Nick Cave, thanks to a net friend.

I'm home from vacation.

Looking for pithy commentary? Look elsewhere tonight, please. I had a nerve-wracking morning. The details of this morning's events concern the well-being of a friend; and I am unsure of how much detail I can go into on this website. For now it must suffice for me to say that I was (and am) upset, worried, and hoping that the person in question is doing better than they were this morning.