Keeping Busy...Sort Of

My preoccupation with work-related endeavors -- the end of a busy quarter yesterday coupled with the commencement of a new one (actually, filing period) next week, as well as a series of things needing my attention -- left my apartment in a state of quasi-disarray, although, thanks to my other half, it's still far better than it was three weeks ago. But now that I had some down time, I did some work this AM and delved right into organizing, cleaning and getting food prepped for the coming week.

Before some wise-ass out there dubs me Mr. Mom, keep in mind that it's rainy and bleak here in NYC, my other half is on her way to do a mass baby-visit with her sister and mom at a family friend's house, and there's been nothing good on TV for the past several hours. I need to do a couple other things, like refill the water in the humidors and restring my guitars, but this AM I was kinda hungry so cooking seemed a logical response. The cleaning part just sort of happened naturally, unfortunately or otherwise.

In the meantime, watching CNN, I read about the freaky tale of Jennifer Wilbanks, the 32-year-old Atlanta woman who was due to be married today but instead skipped town after telling her fiance she was going jogging. So instead of preparing for her wedding, she called her family from New Mexico with a new haircut and a story about how she was kidnapped. Never mind the fact that the entire country chose her plight as the "cause du jour," or that hundreds of volunteers, police and friends and family searched for a period of days for her, or that her family and her fiance's family assumed she was dead, or that her fiance was, post-Scott Peterson, on the hook for her suspected murder. While the "official" story is that she experienced cold feet and rode a bus to New Mexico, it seems to me that anyone who would do something like this -- especially so soon after the whole Laci Peterson tragedy -- has some serious issues. I feel badly for her family and her fiance's family, and feel even worse for her fiance. Although, as the saying goes, if she was so out there that this seemed like a logical move for her, he's much better off. In either case, nothing like these weird stories to occupy one's time.

In other news, the fiasco that is, thus far, the Yankees' 2005 season continues. Last night's game might be one of the final nails in the coffin of Joe Torre's tenure as Yankee manager, so each game from here on out might very well have major significance. Incidentally, the Yankees are starting a 25-year-old pitcher from Taiwan, Chien-Ming Wang. Through the first half-inning he didn't allow any runs, and in the bottom of the first, the Yankees have scored already and look to be doing more damage. But if he bites the big one and loses today, he'll forever be known as Chow Mein Wang.

Tomorrow we're heading out to Jersey to spend some time with my grandmother, who heads back to Snowdownia on Tuesday. Nothing more exciting, or important, than just spending time with family, kicking back, recharging and relaxing. And, hopefully, watching the Yankees win a game or two.

Could be worse ;-)