So I came home tonight to discover

the police here, blocking part of our drive up to my apartment with a car, although only one car/officer seems to be here. The police officer seemed to be filling out a report. So I parked a few buildings over and rolled my laundry cart over to my apartment (there wasn't anything indicating danger), and there was a young girl sniffling on the steps to my building with a phone in her hand. I asked her if she knew why the police were here, and she said, 'I think they're here for me,' which was wonderfully vague, so I don't know if she's the victim or the criminal, but she was obviously upset, so I said, 'I hope it's nothing very serious' in a comforting tone and continued on into my apartment, figuring she probably didn't feel like answering a lot of questions. Now a young man who looks somewhat like her (maybe her brother?) is out there with her on the steps. I don't know if maybe there was a domestic situation and he's come to comfort her, or if there was a break-in, or what. So I'm pretty much staying out of it. I'm in the house, have put my food away, including some lovely asparagus deviled eggs (I went ahead and had a couple, and if I remember, I'll take the others to work tomorrow if I can. Actually, I keep forgetting, I have an appointment early in the morning with my endocrinologist, so maybe keeping them in the car, even that early, may not be such a good thing. Now I'm in the bedroom listening to some Loreena McKennitt music and trying to decide if I want to turn in early or stay up a bit longer. I have to get up by about 6:30, so I think I'll head on too bed. I've done housework, watched some more of 'The Black Adder' and an episode of 'World's Strictest Parents', and it's been a good day all around. I noticed that Jim Parsons has certain similarities to Rowan Atkinson. I don't know if he was influenced by him or not, but some of the mannerisms were similar between Sheldon and Edmund. Also, the king on 'The Black Adder', played by Brian Blessed, is barking mad, bonkers, delightfully insane. We did try to watch a movie from Netflix, but it had an irregularity in the disc and wouldn't play correctly, so we've reported it and I'll send it back tomorrow and they'll send another copy. I left and A was watching The Maltese Falcon and YKWIA was having a bit of supper that I'd fixed him. I'd done a couple of loads of laundry over there, too. A carried my cart out for me and put it in the trunk of the car. Fortunately it was fairly light, since I'm parked further away than normal.

Hope you had a good weekend. I think I'll turn in. Good night.

Taking the third day

I was offered for bereavement was absolutely the best thing to do, as it gave me the opportunity to 'decompress' after returning from the funeral and getting some needed rest. Physically I'd really done nothing, but emotionally, I was bunched up and drained. So I wound up taking most of the evening yesterday just relaxing at home. A said today when he gave me a shoulder rub that I was much looser than normal, so I must have done something right.

Today was a day to spend with friends. We visited. I took A to a couple of stores to get some things they needed. YKWIA and I watched a few episodes of 'World's Strictest Parents' where spoiled teens from Britain are whisked off to the far corners of the world for a few days to experience life with much stricter family rules. ALthough technically a 'reality show', it is very interesting. Even more interesting is that when it was done in the United States, the kids not only couldn't easily be sent to other cultures (primarily because of budget along with, in some cases, getting a passport for juvenile delinquents), but the parents apparently got to go along and rate the host family's job. The thing that worked with the UK kids was getting them away from their home life, their friends, and their culture, and then plopping them down in an unfamiliar environment and giving them rules and good, strict host-parents who enforce those rules. It seems to work best if there is a boy and a girl, and if they are separated at some point for some one-on-one attention. So far, the best set of 'parents' I've seen in the UK programme (I haven't seen the one produced in the US) was a gay couple in New Jersey who had both adopted and foster children of their own. They were firm, but at the same time never resorted to shouting or the like, and weren't basing their family philosophy on religion, as seen in many of the other families, which was a turn off for some teens. One of the kids actually wound up staying awhile longer, and one of the mem accompanied her back to Britain to help integrate her back with her family. I have to say, they're very engaging to watch.

So now I'm home, albeit later than I hoped, and I really need to finish the game notes. I did some of them while at an appointment this afternoon with my friend. I could just go to sleep right now but that wouldn't accomplish anything, so I guess I'll at least get as much of it finished as possible, and then get some sleep. :)