Hi, everybody! I've missed you all very much!

The past year and a half has been very busy and quite a rollercoaster ride, but I think it's all going to be better now. the divorce has been final since June. It took almost a year and more money than I imagined. I still live in my little apartment, but I've learned to love it. I imagine I will be here for quite a while longer, but that's OK with me.

My kids no longer hate me. I feared they would loathe me forever, but they've come around. Last Christmas pretty much sucked for all of us, but I look for this Christmas to be better.

Sadly, Jean-Luc was killed last January. The whole incident broke my heart, and I still miss him terribly. I tried to substitute a cat for his spot, but it didn't quite work out, since the cat kept using my bathtub as a litter box. Since then, my daughter has adopted a Jack Russell named Oscar. He's not nearly as neurotic, but he makes up for that with his hyperactivity and his escapes.

I'm a full collaborative teacher now. It's not nearly as stressful as self-contained, but it still has its challenges. While I'm grateful to have a job, there are still days when I wish I were working in the housewares department at Macy's.

I've been dating. Yes. I've gone out on some honest-to-God freakshow dates. I've now been dating the same man for several months. We seem to be very compatible and enjoy each other's company very much. However, I still enjoy having my own place to live and being independent. I still feel a little raw from my last committed relationship that ended so badly. We'll see how it works out.

I looke forward to posting more to my blog and can't wait to read some of yours!