Top Ten Things That Happened While I Was Gone:
10) Dave’s Pathfinder died. We held off as long as we could, because we’re cheap bastards, but after the undercarriage rotted out, the back hatch door became consumed with rust and the gas tank and exhaust started leaking, we had to say goodbye. We had some good times in that truck – it’s the truck that, during a blizzard on Christmas Eve of 2001, Dave parked in front of our local fire department’s charred, scary looking practice building and got down on bended knee (because nothing says marry me, baby quite like smouldering ashes). It’s the truck we brought Julia home from the hospital in and the truck that, two months later, spontaneously set on fire as we were cruising down the highway, our baby girl asleep in the car seat behind us. So many fiery memories…you’ll be missed, p.o.s. Pathfinder.
9) We lost a member of our family – Dave’s great-grandmother, a spunky, feisty woman with a heart of gold, died in her 93rd year – with all of her faculties. I was asked to write and read the eulogy at her funeral, something I was beyond honoured to do.
8) We seemed to get stricken by a strain of The Plague. For almost the entire time I was away from the keyboard, someone in this house was buttass sick.
7) I was profoundly impacted by this website.
6) Dave discovered a hidden talent: pie making. At one point we had thirteen apple pies in our chest freezer. What’s for breakfast? PIE! What’s for lunch? PIE! What’s for dinner? You get the idea.
5) My brother moved back home. To say I'm happy about his return would be an understatement.
4) Minutes after being diagnosed with bronchitis, on one of the coldest days we’ve had yet, Oliver locked himself and my keys in the van along with my purse, cell phone and spare set of keys. Dave had to leave work and come from the next town over to unlock the van and while we waited for him I stood with my face pressed against the window and sang to Oliver, which was the only thing that stopped him from freaking the fuck right out. By the time Dave arrived I’d sung my way through lullabies, nursery rhymes and Sharon, Lois and Bram numbers and had moved on to camp songs, Christmas carols and our national anthem. Good times.
3) He also tripped and fell, smashed his mouth on the legs of our rolling computer chair and knocked a good chunk of his front tooth out. At first, judging from the amount of blood, the alarming rate in which his lips swelled and his nonstop screaming, I thought he’d broken his jaw. He settled quickly, thankfully, and I whisked him off to his first ever dentist appointment. He was fine, as is his tooth (he looks like a little hockey player in training…all he needs is a helmet and a mullet. Good thing we’re Canadian.), but I was all sorts of shook up. That night after I’d put the kids down for bed I went downstairs, had a good ol’ cry and then called my dad, who offered his own unique perspective: “Nobody’s gonna fuck with him on the playground now, you know.” Uh, thanks, Dad.
2) I thought a lot about blogging…
1) …and in the end, I couldn’t get past the fact that I missed blogging. I missed writing regularly. I missed commenting and I really missed you guys. I started giving a return serious thought and realized that I wanted to fire up the ol’ blog again.
Dave has done a few things around here to try and make my site a little more secure. I know it probably won’t prevent my content from being stolen, but it’s a start, and you know…life’s too short to not do the things that you really love doing.
So…hi. How’s it going?
65 Comments, Comment or Ping
Let me be first to say that I am so so so so so GLAD to have you back. I have missed you greatly.
November 23rd, 2006
so glad to see you back sweetie… :)
November 23rd, 2006
Oh, YAY! YAY!! YAY!!!!!!!!
I saw a new post in Bloglines and rubbed my eyes to make sure it was real. What MGM said — so so so so so so SO SO SOOOOOOO glad you are back, girlfriend.
November 23rd, 2006
Very Cool. :?)
November 23rd, 2006
Goddamn I’m glad you’re back!!
November 23rd, 2006
You’re back!!! Welcome Back!
That is so crappy about locking Oliver in the car with the keys. I did that with George when he was about 2 months old. It was so scary.
November 23rd, 2006
YAY!!!! Glad to see you. I was also very pleased to see your post pop up in Bloglines. I’m lucky it did; my Bloglines has been really weird for a week or more.
November 23rd, 2006
No WAY!!!
That’s what I thought a second ago when your name cropped up in my Bloglines. I’m glad you’re back.
And sorry that life has been rather nightmarish in the meanwhile. Poor Oliver!
November 23rd, 2006
Now this is something to be thankful for! Welcome back!
November 24th, 2006
Woohoo!!!! You’re back! Totally missed you! (And, thank goodness for bloglines!) I hope you and Oliver are over that experience, too — brutal!
November 24th, 2006
I missed you too.
November 24th, 2006
Horray!! I missed your voice so much!!!
November 24th, 2006
I’m thankful you’re back. Makes my turkey digesting just a bit easier… among other things.
November 24th, 2006
Hi!!!
It’s going okay, same old same old.
But, now you’re back.
yippee.
November 24th, 2006
welcome back, it’s brilliant to have you in the ’sphere again.
November 24th, 2006
I saw the bloglines subscription pop up but it was just the new copyright tag. And then I thought … hmmmmmm, perhaps she’s gearing up for a comeback. And HOLY SHIT I was right! COMEBACK TOUR 2006! Woo hoo! This is just like the Stones, man, the farewell tour is always bogus – Thank God!
So glad you’re back, I missed my Mama T!
November 24th, 2006
I’m so happy you’re back! I literally let out a little surprised sound when I clicked on your page and saw a new post. And how appropriate that your new post was posted on American Thanksgiving! I’m thankful to read you again!
November 24th, 2006
YES! I knew you couldn’t quit us! Well… At least I hoped you couldn’t. I missed you so much girl. What’s blogging without my daily dose of Mama T? You should wrap a big fucking bow on this post. I think you just made my weekend.
November 24th, 2006
You just made my freaking day. I heart your stories so. The Oliver locked in the van story is hilarious. RIP Pathfinder and great-grandmother. And the pies?! Wow. Just call Dave the Pie Man.
The Atomic Tumor story has been widely blogged about here in Tennessee. I can’t imagine what their family has been through.
So glad you’re back to blogging! You’ve been missed by many people. :)
November 24th, 2006
what a good way to start a Friday!
i’m so glad you’re back!
November 24th, 2006
Whoo hoo!
I’m doing my happy dance just for you, Mama Tulip! The girls are a jiggling!
Now, get your ass on over to my place for a few giggles. You’ve been missed.
I’m so happy you’re back.
And I think I love your Daddy.
November 24th, 2006
You said it best here:
“…life’s too short to not do the things that you really love doing”
Exactly chickie. EXACTLY. Glad to have you back! You are such an awesome writer, I’m so happy you didn’t let those copywriting bastards keep you down.
Party on. Looking forwards to having you back. :)
November 24th, 2006
*happy Mama Tulip dance*
Yay!!!
Poor Oliver – barely has teeth and now one’s all crazy. Little bad ass – heh.
November 24th, 2006
How exciting to see your new post! This is a cause for a celebration.
Colin’s had two vehicles that have caught fire but both times in parking lots. Once he was in a mall when they announced that if your car was in the west lot to move your vehicle because a car was on fire. He knew right away that he was the one ablaze.
Sorry to hear about Dave’s great-grandmother, the illness, the tooth and the Oliver being locked in the van. I’m sure you were all Skinnamarinked out.
Pie for every meal sounds dreamy!!!
November 24th, 2006
You’re back for good, right?
Please don’t make me come up there and whup your ass. If you leave again I will be forced to do that, and I’m a lover not a fighter. But I will resort to violence just for you, babe.
I’m glad you’re back. That may have not been obvious from what I said above but it’s true.
November 24th, 2006
You’ve made me so happy!!! Hooray!
Hug hug hug hug hug hug
November 24th, 2006
Wowie kazowie! Welcome back…..and glad you’re back! :)
ps…..I have a new home.
November 24th, 2006
Tink posted that you were back, and I’m so glad it’s true. Happy to see you again!
November 24th, 2006
I’m so glad to see that you’re back!
November 24th, 2006
Oh YAAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!
I’m so damned glad you’re back! You made my day!
***SMOOOOOOOOOOOCH***
November 25th, 2006
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY! When I saw your blog pop up on my reader, I went…can it be? It can’t. Can it? Nooooo. CAN IT?? YES!!!
*hugs* missed you!!
November 25th, 2006
Yay! It’s about fuckin’ time. Pft!
oxoxo :)
November 25th, 2006
Welcome back! Missed you!
November 25th, 2006
Glad you’re back!
November 25th, 2006
YAY! I clicked your name on a comment you left at D&D, and was SOOOO excited to read TWO!
BTW – I totally battle naps the same way with Troll Baby. UGH.
November 26th, 2006
Saw it on Chag’s site that you’re back. Yippeeeee!
November 26th, 2006
Sooo glad you’re back. I totally missed you! :)
Atomic Tumor affected me too. Profoundly. I’ve been amazed at the number of people who were reading- I naively thought it was a local thing, since they’re in Knoxville and a lot of people here in Nashville “know” them via the Internet.
November 26th, 2006
HI! OH! HELLO!
Yay, you’re back you’re back you’re back. Poor Oliver.
November 26th, 2006
Gah! I had just today resigned myself to removing you from my blogroll, when Chag twigged me to the fact that you were back! ON my birthday, no less – it was a gift to me, wasn’t it? ;^) Glad you’re back.
And hey, Misterpie and I both have matching chips in our front teeth!
November 26th, 2006
Oh I missed you SO much.
SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much.
Seriously.
I missed you!
♥
November 26th, 2006
Happy to see your safe return to the blogsphere. You’ve been missed!
November 27th, 2006
YAY!!!! Your back!!! I haven’t even read the posts yet, I was just too excited that you were back! Heehee!
November 27th, 2006
Here’s what I get for not logging in to Bloglines all weekend!
WOOOFREAKINGHOOOO!!!
November 27th, 2006
I was SO EXCITED to see Where am I going… in BOLD in Bloglines this morning. Glad you are back.
November 27th, 2006
Hurray!!! I’ve missed your blog, you have such a great, unique voice to your writing.
Welcome back!
November 27th, 2006
Welcome back. We’ve never met, but in the month or so that I’ve been doing the blog-thing, I’ve come across a few folks who really missed you. That being said, I thought I’d pop in and introduce myself. Hi!
November 27th, 2006
I cannot describe how much it warms my heart to see you back. That empty tub, while inviting, wasn’t quite the same without the hot mama sitting in it.
I missed you.
November 27th, 2006
Hey, you snuck back in on me when I was taking a holiday break. Glad you’re back!
November 27th, 2006
wooooah! yay!
i wouldn’t have known you were back but dave messaged me on myspace.. hurrah!
thanks for the eulogy… i don’t think gram had told me the squirrel story in many years, but since you brought that up, i think about her everytime i see one!
November 27th, 2006
OH SWEET MOTHER OF GOD. how did I miss that you’re back – holy hell, woman, you’ve already got more than one post up! but I am not going to look a gift blog in the mouth. or would “html” be more appropriate than mouth? whatever.
I’m really happy you’re home. um, I mean, back. :)
hugs. really fucking big ones. esp. about the Oliver’s tooth story. jesus.
yayyayyyyyyayayyy!
:)
November 28th, 2006
Welcome back!!!
November 28th, 2006
Ya freakin who!!!! I always check your blog “just in case” and imagine my surprise when you were actually writing!!!! I’m so glad to see you are back. You were missed.
Amy
November 28th, 2006
I would come back and check on you every now and then. I am thrilled you have started blogging again! I missed you, too :)
November 28th, 2006
Holy moly, how did I not know this? Oh yeah, I’ve been too busy to look at blogs since you posted this. So happy to have you back, lady. We’re worthy!
November 28th, 2006
Yippee! A little late to the welcome back party here but yippee!
November 29th, 2006
So glad your back. Sorry about all the strife but hopefully with all that pie you will make it through.
November 29th, 2006
I can’t believe I’ve missed this momentous occasion for so long! Sorry to join the conversation late, but…
I’m so happy you’re back! The Blogosphere was diminished by your absence.
Happy days…
November 29th, 2006
Ya know, I clicked over here just now on the offchance that you reconsidered and YAY! What a treat. I’m so glad you’re back. You were very much missed!
November 30th, 2006
You’re back!!!! (I’m slow) but you’re back!!!!
I missed reading your blogs a lot, I promise to comment more now!
November 30th, 2006
I missed you sooo much, and I’m so glad you’re back! HURRAYYYY!
December 1st, 2006
oh my gosh! I’m so glad that you are back! I haven’t checked in for a few weeks – so glad that you are here.
Welcome Back!
December 2nd, 2006
YAAAAAAY!!!!!
December 3rd, 2006
Cool. Now I actually will get to read you. Welcome back.
December 12th, 2006
you came back and i didn’t know? fuck!
well, welcome back, darlin. nice ta see ya!
December 13th, 2006
Shit, I can’t believe I’m just now reading this. I had un-bloglined you b/c I thought you were gone for good. So glad to see that you’re back and have been for a while. Now I have a lot of catching up to do, huh?
December 17th, 2006
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