March 23, 2007 7:42pm

Apparently, my blogging absence has caused a stir in the square states. Mass chaos has erupted and my face is on milk cartons.

I am, indeed, okay. Just been busy. School is kicking my ass straight into next week.

To update....

Roger (eharmony dude) came down here to visit. He stayed for a weekend. We did some fun things. I took him for a drive up into the mountains. We went to dinner at the awesome restaurant in town. I got tickets for a bluegrass band concert. Mostly, we just chilled and talked.

I talk to him about every day or so. He called me today to tell me that he got a promotion. He sounded very excited. I was the first person he told.

I have become addicted to catalogue shopping. I have also developed a fetish for soaps, lotions, oils, creams, etc. I blame Maria for this. She told me about Yves Rocher and encouraged me to buy things from the DHC catalogue when it came. DHC sends you free samples in every catalogue and with every order (that's how they suck you in. It's like a drug dealer who gives you your first hit free!). Yves Rocher is insanely cheap and their stuiff smells really, really good.

My other two obsessions are also Brylane Home and The Lakeside Collection. I can't help myself. Snowmen, easter eggs, cute little decorative "accents". I need them all! The kitchen accessories are my biggest weakness. To make this all worse, QVC has all kitchen and entertaining stuff on today! Fabio help me! I already ordered a ceramic watermellon bowl.

Granted, I'm not spending an absurd amount of money on this. For the most part, I just enjoy drinking a cup of tea and leafing through catalogues of things that I have no intention of buying. It's a disease, a sickness. Maria gave it to me. I need help! Help I tell you!

I've also decided to clean out my clothing collection and replenish it with updated stuff. This, of course, includes accessories. I've been getting jewelry from Overstock.com in their Worldstock section. It's all handmade items probably made my some pygmies making $0.03/hour, and I buy the bracelet for $39.99, but at least I can say it's a handmade "unique" item. I really do like their stuff.

The jewelry and such started because I decided that I didn't have enough bling. In the 8 years that DB and I were together, he rarely bought me any jewelry. I'd ask for it for every birthday, anniversary, valentine's day, and christmas. I'd even go so far as to specifically point out in the jewelry store what I liked or email him links to things online that I wanted. What guy wouldn't be thrilled with that?! Well, I could almost count on getting none of those things.

As a result, I have very little jewelry. It just started to occur to me in the past few months that I really, really like wearing jewelry every day, not just to be dressed up. I love silver and white gold, and I want more of it. I'm an independent woman, damnit! I'm gonna buy my own bling!!

If I remember to take some pictures of my new bling, I'll show it off.

I've been really happy lately. I feel good. I feel better than I have in years, I think. I feel confident in myself. I feel good about where I'm going. I feel like I'm embarking on a life that smells nice and has a silver bracelet in it. :-)