You don't know what you got til it's gone....or at least absent.

WOW have i had trouble with this blog over the past three days!  First it appeared that my power charger had died, but that was not the case.  Instead, the power inverter on our truck died, which was my fault since my computer sucks more juice than the 250 watt unit can handle so i overloaded it and burned it out.  Then, with all the email changes to my accounts (needing to delete my armstrongpac email, that is) i couldn't find my way back to the home page that allowed me to edit my blog.   Well, i got it figured out so here i am!  Geesh.

What a sad couple of days it has been for me.  Been really missing things back home.  Have been driving at least once with a few tears:

I miss the girls. I miss hearing about their days, seeing their smiles, hearing the goofy things they say, talking about boys and friends and choir and school.  I even miss their fighting a little....  But try to limit the fighting, ok girls?  I love you.

I miss being married.  I miss belonging somewhere and having a home that waits for me.  I miss having a wife who wants to see me and hear how my day was and hearing how things are with the dog and the Capitol.  Sometimes the loss in this area is overwhelming....

I miss Mom and Dad and dropping by for a cup of coffee or a mid-week dinner and hearing the updates on how everything is going.  And watching Mariners games, now that they've figured out how to watch them on their TV! :-)  I miss being there for Mothers Day and Easter.

I miss good pizza.  I would kill for a slice from Walery's in west salem.

I miss being able to do laundry whenever i want and having clean clothes in the drawer every morning.

I miss my friends and joining the Martini Monday crowd, especially certain friends who -- due to my own fault -- are no longer part of my world right now (e.g., TVW, JS and RM).  I wonder if there is forgiveness out there.....

I miss golfing with my buds at Illahe, especially RPD, AZ/D and BB.  Now's when the great weather should be hitting and i'm not.  Hit 'em straight, gang. And have a cocktail for me.

I miss the crew at DaVinci and having a nice glass of wine.  Victoria, Jenn, Quentin, Kody, Mo, NADER.  Hope everyone is doing well.

I miss driving my own pickup truck.  Although i guess don't have it anymore.....  I'll just be renting a car for the few days i am in town on breaks from the road.  I guess there's no reason to have one when i'm only home for 2-3 days every couple months.

I miss Oregon's scenery.  Getting a little tired of the unbroken landscape of Nebraska (pic above), Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.  Spending a LOT of time in the midwest back and forth on Interstate 80.

I miss having a day off.  Although i shouldn't complain, having just come off nine months of "vacation" (even though it really didn't feel like it....).

I miss being able to stay perfectly on top of my medications -- it's really difficult on the road.  And i'm not doing a really great job at it.  I think that's been affecting me the  past couple of days.  I was able to get to WalMart to fill 'scrips, so with a little preplanning it should work better.  One prescription requires a hard copy, so not sure how i'm going to deal with that one....

I miss going to concerts and playing music.  Hope the boys in Glass Engine were able to find a bass player that clicks with them. Hope Sean is doing well being the most  overworked drummer in the Willamette Valley.  Miss Loudzilla gigs.

I miss other friends and family who seem so far away: JKL, BH, SB, AMR, KG, SW, MC, JR, MA, Rumpus, JP/AJP/LP, JG, DL, JM, W&WM, S&JD, and so many others.

I do not miss the Oregon Legislature.

I am really glad that i've had time to do this blog, and that i've been able to renew connections with old dear friends, like Glenn Miller and Krista Davis.

Stay safe everyone.....Five miles an hour under the posted speed is a good rule.  Thanks MC.

KWA