Hi Janet

This is for you. I have had good intentions of blogging, but always seem to get stuck at Neopets instead. I'm addicted to that site. It's so bad that I've gotten to the point that I've e-mailed some links to myself at work because I don't have Flashplayer installed, so I can't explore the whole of Neopia. How sad is that? My favourite game is called Sutek's Tomb and it's really quite mindless. You try to get three of more of the same symbols in a row to delete them. The more combinations you make, the more points you get. I'm not even sure what the point is, because the game keeps going no matter how well you do. There is a wild character that if it gets to the bottom of the rows, it clears the whole screen, but then it just fills up and starts again. How silly. I'll never win.

Quick overview of my last four months:

1. My mom's estate matters are hanging over my head and I need to get my butt in gear to finish it off. I'm not sure why I'm procrastinating so much.

2. I have a burning desire to go to law school. I have absolutely no idea how to turn this dream into a reality, and I keep asking God to take it away from me if it's never going to happen. I realized the other day that it's been almost ten years since I first thought I'd like to go to law school. When will someday be today?

3. We are almost ready to put up the kids' playset* in the back yard. Most of the rust painting is done. Just one piece needs to be touched up and then we can try to figure out how to assemble it so that no one kills themselves because it falls to pieces as they are playing. I don't want any dead kids in my backyard. Particularly my own. I'm kind of attached to them. They are awfully cute.

4. I have been biking to work. Partly because it's the only exercise I do, and partly because I'm cheap and hate to pay $1.20 a litre for gas. There was a slight glitch a couple weeks ago, though, when someone stole my bike from the backyard. It was my own fault. I didn't put it in the garage overnight because I was lazy. So someone came through our back gate, hopped on and rode away. Didn't even bother to close the gate behind them. Can you imagine? How inconsiderate! Anyway, I figured they must've needed it more than I did, so I drove that day, but walked to work the next. I actually figured that walking to work would probably be better for me because it's harder and takes longer, so I might actually get in shape and could pretend that I was training for the marathon that I fantasize about participating in some day. It didn't last long, though. I had offers from four different people to give me a bike, and so now I have a bike for work. It's actually really nice and cuts out five minutes of biking time. I'm spoiled. I think I may walk in the winter, though, if the lady I was getting a ride with decides to take the bus.

5. I don't have a garden this year. The guy who was supposed to rototill it didn't get around to it, so I've just been doing weed control. But I have the awesome-ist sunflower that grew by itself in the middle of my garden. It's one of those huge ones, but instead of just growing one humungous flower, I have hundreds from one stalk. I really need to make a point of getting out there to take a picture 'cuz it's just so cool. The way I get around to doing things, though, I won't be surprised if it doesn't happen. *big sigh*

6. I finally apologized to my neighbour for yelling at her last year. Things still aren't great between us, though.

7. We've been camping and ran into a friend and her kids at the lake. The kids had a blast and it was the most fun we've had camping. It makes me realize how much energy we really spend on entertaining our children while we are out there. Oh, and we went camping with some other friends and realize that we are truly Pike lake people. No real roughing it for us. I like running water.

8. Brendan has been reading up a storm. We made a reading chart for him which he needed to fill to get a big prize. At the end of each line he got a treat, but after 48 stickers we gave him a scooter. He absolutely loved it! I was so excited to give it to him. Now there's no interest in his bike, it's all about the scooter now.

9. I've had good news about my kidneys. They are staying stable but my doctor is going to begin the process of preparing me for kidney transplant once my kidneys fail. I'll be going to a clinic that will be able to teach me more than I know, and I'm to begin talking to family and friends to find out if anyone is willing to be a live donor. It's not anything imminent, so it's not like I'm going to receive a transplant next year. But it's a positive step for me since half of PKD patients go into kidney failure by the age of 50, and another 70% or 80% by the age of 70. And if I can have a live kidney transplant, I may not have to go on dialysis. That's what I'm afraid of the most. Well, that and rejecting a donated kidney, but let's not think of that now. The only really "negative" thing my doctor said is that the surgeons will look at me and say I need to lose fat. I guess the more fat you have on your body, the more chance of infection. *sigh* ya, that's going to be easy. Maybe I need to look more seriously at that marathon.

So that's mostly the overview, I think. At least some of the highlights. We're still attending two churches. School is coming up quick and we have to get school supplies. I love my job. Bruce likes being at home. Overall, life is great. I just don't have as many hours in a day as I would like.

I miss you, Janet. Hope you're doing all right.

*Someone gave us a playset earlier this summer. It was rusted and the smaller plastic pieces need to be replaced (the ladder and the swing seats). We're going to replace the swing seats with wood and the use rope for the ladder.