Charleston

Wow, three blogs in three days. I don't know how I've managed it. Especially when I pull up my "favorites" menu and I see the ominous new link to "exercises" that my roommate kindly sent me when I told her I wanted to get sculpted arms and shoulders. The link reminds me that I am blogging and not exercising. I already have pretty good arm/shoulder muscles, but not enough to do a chin-up and roomie can do at least two (but who's counting? :) 'Course, she does play flute all day, and other instruments that require arm strength. But now that I've seen the bridesmaid dress I'm wearing in my brother's wedding (a gorgeous strapless form-fitting chocolate brown/purpley tinted satin) I'm inspired.

I'm going to Charleston tomorrow. Not Charleston, SC, sadly, but Charleston, IL which is just slightly less exotic. But there are hills! Hallelujah! Flatness is, of course, my complaint about the Chicago area, esp. since there's a lot of the Arizona girl still in me. (I think she will always be there).

My aunt, who lives there along with my uncle and let me count ... I think 7 of their 10 kids, all 7 being teenagers and some college students who come and go, has warned me to expect excitement. That's because cousin #8 (actually #3 in the birth order) has just moved there with his very pregnant wife and she's due anyday. And he's about to be shipped out to Iraq for the second time, if he hasn't left already. And they have 3 other kids from her first marriage. I've lost track of how many potential kids will be there. And I didn't even mention the family across the street, who are very good friends, but they have a crowd, too. Ah, those Irish Catholics! (but hooray for adoption and blended families, for these two methods have contributed greatly to the aforementioned numbers).