And Then The Sun Came Out..

in so many more ways than one....

The crazy volatile, often violent, weather of the past few days has moved out (I got caught TWICE in a torrential downpour.. let's just say that it was a GOOD thing that I was wearing a dark colored T-shirt and dark colored pants.. if you get my drift).

Everything outside looks shiny, crisp, new.. The putrid air from before the storms is gone (but I'm sure it'll be back .. as temps outside are rapidly rising).

Salamander is doing better.. still edgy, temper 'right below the surface', claws ready to come out at a moment's notice.. but he's calmer, not so obsessive and obsessed, not so defiant. I think the extra liver support is having an effect, his color is much better (the yellow tinge is gone) and his creatinine has been steadily dropping since Wednesday morning. I think his liver and kidneys are better able to keep up with stuff again ...

And when Salamander is doing better, I am doing better, and when I am doing better, Salamander is doing better (we definitely feed off each other), which then creates a more peaceful atmosphere, which makes Potatey feel better, which then feeds back into how I am feeling, and so on and so forth (yes, a house full of neurotics that feed of each other's neuroses .. LOL).

I wanted to follow up on something I wrote yesterday:
"And to my shock and delight, I found a lot of understanding, support and even a little comfort in a very unexpected place/situation."

One of my client's had a little celebration *for a job well done* yesterday afternoon, and invited me to attend (as I had been involved in that particular job). The way things went yesterday morning, I really didn't feel like going. But I knew I needed to get away from all the personal B.. S for a bit. I almost didn't make it, as many of the roads I needed to take were partially flooded.

When I got there, the event had already started... I grabbed a plate of food and threw myself into the gathering. Ended up sitting with the project lead of a next project that I am working on for this client. We had some business to catch up on ... I am running a bit late with getting back to him on some stuff .. as obviously it's been a bit of a zoo here this week. After taking care of business, he asked "Are you OK? It's been waaay too quiet from your end. Everything OK with the boys?"
[I tend to disclose very early on in my professional relationships what can be going on in my house. I am sure many would consider that a career limiting move, but the foundation of everything I do is honesty and integrity, and I need for people to understand that when I go MIA for a day or two, it's not a willful "I can't be bothered with getting back to you" thing, but a "Shit has hit the fan (again) and I need a little time" thing]

I was going to brush him off with my usual "Things have been a bit bumpy, but I'll figure it out, I always do" spiel, but he wouldn't let me. He kept asking questions - not in an obnoxious, intrusive kinda way, he just really wanted to know. So we ended up talking about stuff for a good hour. And he really got where I was coming from and why things can get rough (and there's a reason for that *getting it*, but I won't go into that as that is not my story to tell)

The whole conversation, how it came to be, and how comfortable/comforting it was took me completely by surprise, as really I've only interacted on a casual, business level with this person for maybe a grand total of 3 weeks. And it was a bit unnerving too. I certainly have found myself in these kinds of conversations with other women/moms before, in all kinds of settings. Not so often with a member of the opposite gender (as I typically have *the wall* firmly in place). And I have a sense that this won't be the last time I'll end up in this type of conversation with this person. We'll see...

Later that afternoon, I ended up in a long conversation with another person (female this time) about the challenges of raising kiddos that may look perfectly *normal* but have neurological/psychological stuff going on. Turns out several of her kids have severe ADHD/SPD and that she has several cousins with Asperger's .And several other people drifted in and out of that conversation commenting that they too had kids in their families with challenges (yup, these kids are EVERYWHERE).

I had certainly not expected to find the emotional support, recognition and empathy I received yesterday afternoon in a business setting at a client. And while this certainly went a long way towards seriously boosting my morale (and making me feel a heck of a lot less *isolated*), it does make me a little nervous. I am a firm believer of NOT *mixing business with pleasure*, but maybe *the universe* is telling me that it's OK to let up on that a bit ....

Added at 2.30 pm: HMMM, I think *the universe* just let me know that it is MORE than OK to let up on that a bit...