I never know if my blog makes it appear that 1) I’ve got it all pulled together, superwoman style or 2) I’m a hot mess (reality is that I’m somewhere in between).  But I’ll admit that, probably like most of us, I get way too stressed out way too easily.  After long days juggling work and home responsibilities, I sit on the couch, feeling panicked and overwhelmed as I craft long, long To Do lists of everything I need to accomplish:  wash the dogs, shoot photos for that article, write another few chapters, order a winter coat for Henry, balance my checkbook, clean out the pantry (so messy), set up new advertising for the clinic, edit a post, get the oil changed… The list goes on and on.  And all I can think is, “Ughhhh, I need a vacation.”

But then I go away on a work trip, and I realize how much I love home and everything about it – including all my responsibilities and so-called stressors.  Isn’t that a nice feeling?  When you finally get away and discover that all you really want is just to come back?  Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. 

So do cell phone pictures.  I don’t know how I would survive being away from the wee one otherwise!

Last night’s Operation Beautiful event went well.  Lots of HTP readers came out (hi, guys!), which was really, really nice.  I didn’t end up getting back to Tina’s house until 9:45, and she stayed up and talked with me while I ate dinner.  We both crashed shortly thereafter.  When my alarm went off at 6:30, I could NOT get up.  Her guest bed was so comfy cozy!  I ended up rolling around for an extra 30 minutes, essentially making myself late as heck.

Stood in the kitchen with Tina and Murph and ate a quick mini-breakfast.

I knew traffic going into the city would be horrendous at rush hour, but it was bit worse than I expected.  There were a few bumper-to-bumper miles during which I was convinced that I’d miss my flight.   But I made it!

Whew.  Even had time to hunt for breakfast numero dos.

And now I’m home!  What a whirlwind – out to Boston and back in Charlotte in exactly 24 hours.  Juuuuust long enough to realize how much I miss everyone at home.  Between work, Henry and all of his crazy antics, the pups, and the cat, it’s definitely a zoo sometimes…

But it’s my crazy zoo.   And I sure do love it. 

I still really need to clean out the pantry.  Oh well.  There’s always tomorrow!