Wow! Just Wow! I'm not even totally sure where to begin. Last night after I wrote here, I wrote an email to my ex-bf Scott. Then today when I got back from church and checked my email . . . there was a reply from him! At the end of the email he mentioned that it had been a while since we had talked on the phone and he'd like to call me sometime. I replied back and at the end of my email told him that if he did call, I wouldn't hang up on him.

About an hour later or so, I got a one line email from him asking if I was awake. I replied that yes, I was awake. About 20 minutes later or so, he called me! We talked for over 4 1/2 hours - not our longest conversation, but one of the longer ones. He was telling me about school and how it runs in five week cycles. Then he asked me again when the end of the school year was for me and my dates for moving. I told him. Then he mentioned to me that there is a mid-term break that same weekend that I am going to be moving. I was like, oh, what a coincidence. ---In my head I was going, oh my word, I just bet he is going to ask to come here and see me again! -- About three and a half hours into our conversation he refers again to his mid-term break, then says that he might want to take a little road trip during that time. And would I be willing to go to dinner with him!!! --I KNEW it!!! -- I mentioned that that weekend I would be moving, but it would be a nice break to go out to dinner with him. He then told me that he'd be willing to help me move. ---Oh, almost forgot - he asked me if I was dating anyone -- I told him about the two characters who'd emailed me from the singles site, and also told him that no, I wasn't dating anyone. BTW - he'd be driving 600+ miles one way.

Ok, guys, now my heart is skipping a beat. I don't know if I'm reading too much into this or not. I'm not even sure exactly WHAT I want this all to be. The last time we saw each other was in October. We parted as friends, and have since then stayed in minimal contact, until the past month. There really isn't anything bad I can say about him, except that maybe when we dated he wasn't really quite ready for it - needed to see the other side of the fence so to speak.

If he is in fact coming here to try for a second chance, I already know my heart's answer. My brain on the other hand is a bit more cautious. I've only broken my rule of giving a relationship a second chance once - and lets just say that didn't turn out very well at all. He and I have so much in common, and are so much alike in many ways, that it's almost scary (in a good way). I think that if I were to give him a second chance, I'd have to insist on taking things very slowly, so I can be sure he's here for the long haul. He has to know that he can't just snap his fingers, and have me come running.

Of course, I *could* be completely off base, and he really is driving 9+ hours one way to spend a day with a friend. And he only asked me if I was dating anyone because he was curious.

Ok, now on to the Talent Show. I arrived tonight at the same time as Nick and Tammy and their two children (two of my favorite youngsters in the world!). As we were walking over to the school, someone driving by told Tammy that someone had caught what they thought was a mouse and let it go outside. Tammy was horrified because from the description of the mouse, it sounded just like one of their class's pet gerbils. So, all five of us began a hunt for the gerbil. I honestly thought there was no way that we would be able to find it. Before we even started the hunt, we went to her classroom, and discovered that not just one gerbil was missing - but both gerbils were missing! Amazingly, we were able to not only locate the gerbil who'd been let outside, but also capture it, with about five minutes of searching. Then we decided to search her classroom for the other gerbil. Tammy and I started opening up the closet doors. I opened up the last one, which, lo and behold, was where the other gerbil was hiding! It took a few minutes of patience and an offer of food, and the second gerbil was rescued! These gerbils were not only classroom pets, but they were on loan from the daughter of the Spanish teacher and were just babies. So, if they'd been actually lost and not found, it would have been a disaster on many levels. God has his eye on the sparrow --- and the little baby gerbil!

Once the mission was accomplished, we all made it to the vespers part of the program just as it was starting. We had to go get a bunch of chairs because there wasn't enough set up for everyone who was there. There were 5 kid acts and 4 adult acts. The kids ALL did a MARVELOUS job!! I personally wanted to give each and everyone of them a prize. All of the adult acts were great too, although the one I enjoyed the most I think was this guy named Larry who did a stand-up commedian act. Let's just say his remarks were so rude (not in a crass way) so bad, that they were laugh out loud hilarious.

After the talent show was over, I went with Nick and Tammy and family to Marble Slab Creamery. We all got a little ice-cream - Nick treated. I told Nick that my mom was wanting him to play at her wedding, and he said they'd have to figure out exactly when they were going to celebrate Tammy's mom's birthday. Tammy had a really bad headache and felt like she needed to get home soon. Before we all left though, Destiny (2 1/2) needed to be changed and Nicholas (4 3/4) needed to go to the bathroom. Nick changed Destiny, and I took Nicholas into the Creamery to the bathroom. It was kind of funny to me, because the last time I took Nicholas to the bathroom was when I babysitted for him and Destiny about a year ago, and when he went he proceded to remove ALL his clothing and kept saying "Lorla! Lorla! See?! I'm a big boy!!" Fortunately, he has learned to use the restroom now without removing all of his clothing!

I am seriously considering going to the regular expensive theatre tomorrow and seeing "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." As fearful as I am of them doing a major injustice to both Douglass Adams and to the book, I feel as though I must see it. If I see it at the matinee time, it will only be about $5, as long as I don't get any snacks - which I usually don't do anyway. I guess I'll see how I feel in the morning.

Oh - today was a no spending day. Yay!

Keeping It Frugal in Texas,
Laura