May 12, 2003

Somebody was my 1000th visitor

Somebody was my 1000th visitor today. Somebody still at school, running Linux, at 10:58pm, apparently. You know who you are, and no, you don't get a prize. I'm a poor college student, remember?

And yes, I have had my computer put together and properly networked for days now. And instead of posting, I've been doing enjoyable things like sleeping in, eating decent food, sleeping in some more, etc. Great stuff. It's good to be back home, or at least it's good right now. Obviously, my report card hasn't come in yet.

But, I'd forgotten about all the little things I enjoy about being home: watching Voyager with my sister and introducing her to some of the mainstays of the Star Trek universe while also propounding my theory on the existence of the Star Trek Plot Generating Machine. Picking out new bits for my computer with my dad. Fixing things and actually having them work afterwards. Having little children look up to me and hanging on every word I say as if it's the gospel truth.

And then the amusing things: having to talk to everyone in chruch the first Sunday I'm back or else they'll feel bad for weeks. Noticing that my sleep schedule is a full 4 hours off of everybody else's.

There are not-so-nice things, as well, of course. Realizing my dad's really not better at all, and unless things change drastically, he's going to be an invalid in a few years. If he's not already. What's worst I think, is that no one seems to notice. They think it's normal that he sleeps until 11am every morning, goes to bed at 9pm, and he can no longer work, since it just wears him out too much. They've gotten used to it, I guess. I haven't yet, and I'm scared.

I can remember helping my dad work on the house; putting up frame walls for the breezeway, cutting siding for the same breezeway, up on the garage roof all day putting up shingles. The most fun in the world, and I'm afraid my littlest siblings will never see my dad like that.

I'm not sure I can take all this being strong business anymore.

Anyway, I need to go to sleep. Can you tell?

Posted by Ardith at May 12, 2003 12:34 AM