My greatest accomplishment today? These women were working on a huge collating job and asked me to help. Once I started, they both disappeared. When I found myself alone, I put a stack of the tabs on the other end of the table, so that I could gather the contents of the binder in both directions. When the lead person came back, she was upset that I had moved the tabs. That is to say, she was until I silently walked down the table gathering the contents and then gathered a second set as I walked back to where I started, collating them in reverse order. She marveled at my efficiency, making others come and see my brilliance. I garnered no less than four "good girl" comments with that one act. SIGH.

I really am tired from commuting via the metro and working all day, especially when I spent five hours on my feet collating. I did, with the energy I found chatting with W., manage to put the dishes that had been piling up in the sink into the dishwasher.

Each half hour I take for lunch I spend working on editing my novel. I am a bit dismayed to see that after four lunches, I am only at the beginning of chapter 4. I munch on my protein bar as I weigh the words on the page. A part of me is enjoying the task. If only there were not quite so many pages yet to do. It is a bit strange to see Megan at the beginning when I have most recently spent time with her at the end of her journey of faith.

Kashi is not taking the transition of my returning to a work schedule very well. Neither have Fancy and Madison. While I wish for their happiness to return, it is nice to know my "babies" miss me as much as I do them. Seriously, Kashi gives the most wonderful of greetings upon my return, tail wagging furiously, kisses a plenty. Fancy and Madison chirp their joy as well. It is the leaving in the morning that is most difficult. Kashi will sit just before the door, moping heartily. His normally curly tail droops, and his eyes swim with sorrow. Fancy and Madison cling to the side of the cage and protest my departure full throttle.

I wonder how they will take the three day car trip to Appleton when the time comes...at least we will be spending entire days together!