Hello, Humans, I've Missed You

Nola Serenity

Be forewarned, this post may not have a point of any sort. It is basically an excuse to post this picture of little Nola Serenity, my namesake. Which my sister says has backfired a little bit because she usually only uses the middle name when Nola spills her potty chair or climbs the stairs. I don't care in the least though. Just look at the Audrey Hepburn hair on that little sweetie. And she has my name. And when she sucks her thumb and nuzzles her face directly into the skin along Charity's neckline, I feel pretty sure reproduction is the only reason to live.

I started a new adventure this week. I've been working from home for ten years now. And oh for the days when I only did the work part about three hours a day and the rest of the time I just cared for my house and my babies. I didn't get the Sunday night blues even one time back then. But neither could we afford the food and clothing for three children on a schedule like that, so I've beefed up the hours since then. And occasionally on Sunday night, I'm blue.

Working from home has a few cons I won't bore you with, but one tiny one is that occasionally you go completely insane from living only in your own head all day long. This laptop and my own brain - those have been my coworkers. The laptop has lots to offer - cool blogs, tweetdeck, email accounts. But in that sense, it's like the coworker who never lets you get anything done. It's always walking by with donuts and celebrity gossip and INSIGHTS INTO YOUR SOUL that you just can't ignore. My own brain, on the other hand, is an emotional roller coaster that would really rather be writing a novel, you know, if she's going to be hanging out at home anyway. And she is ridiculously self-absorbed.

So while Jake takes on the adventure of pre-school, I'm taking on the adventure of actually going to work. And I've discovered that at least for those almost-three hours, work can be cool. Everything I'm supposed to be writing about? It floats around me in conversations and telephone calls from these people we call coworkers, which is practically a new concept to me. And it's one I can't help but like. At least for now, because I can feel the insanity fading.

Now, go ahead, tell me in the comments section that the appreciation of coworkers goes out the window in, like, a week. I can take it. I'm used to huge climbs and then plummets in ecstasy. And if you warn me, then I might be able to fend off the effects for a couple weeks at least. And, also, buy an iPod.