Great Expectations

Tap ... tap ... is this thing on? Does it still work?

I guess we'll find out.

Before I do anything else here, I would like to thank all of the people who checked in with me to make sure that I was (and am) okay during my -- hiatus -- from my normal nattering. You guys. You make a girl feel loved, you know that? And I missed you too, every last one of you.

Here's what happened: as you know, I took a new job (which I love). I took a pay cut when I took the new job because I figured that less money was an acceptable trade off for more happiness (this is true, though occasionally difficult). As you may not know, I also had some friends move in at roughly the same time (which was very cool, and which is a story for another day). All of these things happened at about the same time.

Overwhelming.

Processing all of the stuff that was going on started taking up most of the real estate in my head. I was (and, as I say) am happy and okay, but in the interest of needing the day to contain more hours just to get everything else done, I stopped writing. This, I must say, was incredibly dumb because, as I've noted before, this is HOW I process things.

Life: 1

Danielle: 0

Oy.

But.

If I was good before, I'm better now. One, because I'm back here, doing what I do. Two, because I'm making some additional changes in my life that are going to make a good thing a better thing. Three, because I understand -- finally -- that the best (and maybe the only) way to really define a successful life is through the joy that you experience and are able to bring to other people.

I get it now.

So. Thanks for reading. Thanks for looking out for me and asking after me. I'll be here again tomorrow, and the days after that... and if I see you in person? Don't be surprised if I give you a hug and thank you again.

Every last one of you deserves it.