Minnesota is Heaven, But Virginia is Home

I think I need to get into it a little more to really FEEL it, but this is 45.  Middle of the road?  Maybe.  Both of my grandmothers made it past 90, so we shall see. All of the most important people in my life wished me a happy birthday today, including the adorable people who made me and brought me into this world.  It is my habit now to thank THEM for my birthday, because let's be honest, if that man didn't love that woman, I wouldn't be here,  right now.  Thanks, guys...totally, 100% serious. The Captain was out of town for my birthday weekend, he got back at supper tonight, unerringly arriving just in time to sit down and eat.  It's really OK.  I started out my weekend on Friday at my favorite shopping joint, then returned home, changed into sweatpants and settled in for some trash TV watching (in this case, the completely stupid "90 Day Fiancee" (don't get into it, it's like watching a car wreck that you could see coming miles away))....

First, if my 15YO doesn't stop singing "Old Town Road" pretty soon, I'm going to lose it...though I kind of enjoyed it at the beginning of summer while we were on the GWO (Great Western Odyssey) as talk of chaps and horses seemed fitting to the situation. Aside:  he has a great voice, I wish he would have tried chorus this year.  Their school has the most amazing choirs.  I'll never forget our first Christmas (and see, I can say that because it is a Christian school) concert last December...when the high school choir launched into their first piece.  My jaw was on the floor, let's just put it that way.  They have an incredible, incredible director.  Just one more reason we love our school. 15YO met with the principal this week, gave him a decent handshake and then proceeded to answer all questions with monosyllables and grunts.  He has decided to quit all music.  He's not interested in any extracurriculars.  OK, possibly yearbook staff......

I'm back, peeps.  I'm going full-on retro and I'm going back to the blog. In a fit of disgust this week, I decided to get off Facebook.  What is it about Facebook that makes me so crazy?  I don't know and it's not worth examining as I intend to spend zero more minutes of my life worrying about Facebook.  Except to post for The Contractor. So...first of all, a little title change, as per usual, to reflect what's happening here.  First, I was "Minnesota is Heaven", which I do still believe.  That I will come to the pearly gates and IF God lets me in, it will look like the perfect August day in Minnesota with cornfields and blue skies for miles. Then, I was "Minnesota Gaijin" while we were in Japan...and hey, if you're coming to this blog because you searched "Yokosuka", enjoy your time there.  We did, both times. However, we have bought a house in Virginia and we've spent about eight years here now, between Norfolk and...