Has it really been more than a month since I've posted here? Huh. I'll try to read back and find out what's been going on with all y'all. I can't believe how far behind I am.

So, my life was full of ...lots of stuff but nothing terribly noteworthy. Well, except for our too-short vacation to Cancun, itt's just lots of mundane stuff and not worth boring my friends with.

So, let's see...

Cancun! We were there for two full, and two part days a few weeks ago and it was GLORIOUS! It would have been perfect if we'd had a whole week, but we'll take it! We returned right before Easter. A little sun and some time away from the hurley-burley is awesome this time of year. And we were there with friends who have a daughter L's age. We all had a blast! There's still a lot of damage on the island at some of the resorts from the hurricane that went through there last year and a bunch of the resorts were still a mess. The island was pretty quiet, apparently, although having never been there before, I don't know what to compare it to. I'd love to go back sometime and take a little longer.

We made it through basketball season and we're on to soccer. Yay! We're a soccer family and it's always fun when all the kids are practicing in the back yard together - L. and her three big brothers and sometimes the grand daughter. Awwww.

Hubby was asked to coach at the last minute because someone else decided to take a break this time and let the league know at the last minute. It's apparent that about 10% of the parents do 90% of the volunteering in our township. It's probably true elsewhere. It's not so bad with soccer because Bob knows the game.

However, his new assistant coach this year played women's soccer in college and... I overheard her (loudly) grousing about Hubby behind his back at last week's game to her boyfriend who was sitting on the sidelines, because she wanted to try some strategies. Now, this occured in middle of the first half, after she arrived late - with her daughter who didn't even have socks (mandatory) to wear over her shin pads. And these are 10 and 11 year old girls in a *rec* league, some of whom haven't played soccer before (including assistant coach's daughter).

It's the kind of crap you expect from parents in a travel league, where the coaches actually get paid - not that it's right, in any case. I bit my tongue for as long as I could then *suggested* she talk to Bob about it. She said she tried and he wouldn't listen. Then the boyfriend very arrogantly suggested that my Hubby didn't know best because she, after all, played soccer in College, and blah, blah, blah. Grrrr.

Hubby's been coaching youth rec soccer for about 20 years off and on. I think he knows a few things about it.

Anyway, I told Hubby all this after the game, so he let her run the next practice her way and explain the triangle formation she wanted to set up. And Bob told me afterwards that the whole scenario was... priceless. The girls sat there, staring blankly at her when she tried to explain the strategy. When they got up to practice (and Bob went to work wiht the goalkeepers) she came over to him after about 15 minutes and said the girls were having some trouble passing and they had to stop doing the formation and practice that. Heh. So, it kind of helps to understand the basic skills before you try complex strategies. Wha...? Who knew? *snerk*

This week the assistant didn't grouse, went out of her way to be nice to me, and the girls had a better game. Funny how that works sometimes.

The kitchen is still NOT done. *Sigh* Oh, it's come along. The counters and cabinets look great, water runs in the sink, the appliances are working (more or less). All the contractors we hired to electrical, the countertops and the sound system were there when they promised and had the work done when they said. The kitchen is at least functional. But half the floor is still untiled, the walls and wood work still aren't finished, and they haven't even started building the deck or putting in the outside door on the side of the pantry. We still have boxes of stuff piled up in our living room and shelves of canned goods in the hallway that we can't put away until the work is done in the kitchen.

Hubby has finally come to the end of his long, LONG fuse after one more song-and-dance by the contractor. He called the contractor (Ed) on Friday and read him the riot act, in that pissed-off lawyer way of his - that he reserves for people who take advantage of his good nature one time too many. Said he wanted the kitchen finished by the end of the month or he'd fire Ed and hire someone else, and if it cost us more to finish the job, he'd sue Ed for the difference... not that we'll ever see any money, but at this point Hubby is not willing to be patient anymore. I can't say I blame him. I've been depressed about the slow progress for months, and job started in early November. It's just a kitchen and a deck, not a whole friggin' house.

Other than that, there's the usual assortment of work, family obligations and extra-curricular activities. I've neglected my online friends (I'm sorry - truly) but I haven't had the time to really catch up. My interest in fandom has ebbed quite a bit, I'm afraid, and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing... Maybe both? Good because I'm doing off-line things. Bad because that's where some of my friends are, and I miss you.

I hope all is well and I'll try to catch up on your goings-on, fanfic and other news. TTFN.