And I’m back.

I had some kind of plague last week.  I don’t know what kind of nasty bug I was fighting off, but I was exhausted.  And when I say exhausted, what I mean was I was working on Random Contemporary one second and fast asleep with my face pressed into a couch cushion the next.  Awful.  It came to a head on Friday when I was fairly certain I’d come down with either a) mono, b) pregnancy, or c) narcolepsy.  The answer is actually d) none of the above, as once I strolled out of work Friday afternoon and slept for about ten hours that night–and the next night–I’m feeling much better.

I think I need to start taking a multivitamin.  I got a flu shot today, so my arm will probably fall off sometime between tonight and lunch tomorrow.

Any how, despite my nearly catatonic state for the previous week, I got about thirty pages written on Random Contemporary.  I was certain I was going to finish chapter…uh…eight (?) on Sunday afternoon, but it just kept going.  Going in a good way, but man.  I just couldn’t get there.  I had to nap.

So, hey, welcome to October!  Here in the slums of Western Pennsylvania, October means one thing and one thing alone: baseball.  Okay, maybe two things.  There was a four-story rubber ducky that floated down the river and into Pittsburgh last weekend.  I really don’t know anything about that, but I do know a lot of people were very excited.  Very excited.

But hey, playoffs!  The Pirates are in the playoffs!  Pittsburgh still has a baseball team?  Day Job held a Pirates Rally last week and, look, I don’t know where my brain was, but I went down and hopped in line for my free pop, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, and crackerjacks and was literally surprised when they started playing a highlights reel.  I stood there, loading jalapeno peppers into nacho cheese, and thought, “A Pirates highlight reel?  How random to play a highlights reel during Free Snack Day….ooh.”  Yeah.  I know.

I have no idea if they won or lost tonight.  I fell off the baseball bandwagon when I was, like, eighteen.  Prior to that I was a crazy, hardcore Cleveland Indians fan: I cut out newspaper articles, I had earrings, buttons, hair ties, pins, pens, shirts, jerseys, jackets, boxer shorts, window clings, books, Christmas ornaments, posters.  Everything.  Now that I’m old and Responsible, there’s just no time for that kind of sports dedication.  I used to memorize batting averages.  These days I’m lucky if I remember to put deodorant on before I leave the house in the morning.

Speaking of mornings, the car next to me on the highway this morning smashed a skunk into liquid and hair tufts.  I want to throw up just thinking how my car currently smells.  It was a metaphoric start to the day though, with the whole government shut down thing.  Without getting all political and uptight about what the government “should” or “shouldn’t be” doing, I’ll just say I’m irate.   Come on, people.  It’s like I tell my kids.  Temper tantrums aren’t going to get you what you want and Mommy can’t hear you when you whine.  Move on.

That said, if the government decides to start-up again and you know, do their jobs, our last artillery event is the end of this month at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, which is currently closed.  Also closed are all NPS websites and the Library of Congress website.  So hey, glad I’m not researching a historical novel right now.  Anyway, more details on the event forthcoming, once we find out if it’s actually going to happen.

And, if nothing else, there’s the new season of The Walking Dead to look forward to in a few weeks.  And pumpkin flavored snacks that are all the rage right now.  And a fire drill this week at Day Job!  And the playoffs!  Who needs the government with a fun-filled line up like that?*

*All of us.  Boo.