Can't help it, I'm blue

I should be used to it by now, after all I'm married to a musician, one that gigs. That means road trip after road trip. Our whole marriage has been centered around gigs. During college, those late night, bar hopping gigs put food on our meager table. But . . . dang it . . .

. . . this one feels different. Wonder why? Could it be because I can physically feel how far away he is? Is it because my 4 year old's heart is broken without her daddy? Is it because the door on the Blaze is stuck and I can't fix it? Is it because I desperately need him to bounce my ideas off of, and spout my frustration at, and make out with him?! Is it because the trash is piling up to an amazingly large and scary level? I HATE taking out the stinkin' trash. The other day I was looking through pictures and found one of Mark facing away from the camera but there was clear view of his hands. I love that man's hands. They are so talented (get your heads out of the gutter! He is a musician people . . . oh but I am so lonely), strong and really nice looking for a guy. I was shocked to find myself getting all teary eyed over a picture of his hands. I wasn't even thinking about him and it just hit me. I need those hands!

So, do you want to know what I have been doing with all my free time? Well, let me fill you in:

This helps . . . A LOT!!!!

This book is the reason I'm not sleeping. I have not gone to bed before midnight since Mark left. I am a person who needs sleep, lot's of it. I'm to the point where I heading down the road of mediocre mothering, backtracking to teenage driving skills and I'm at high risk of lighting my kitchen on fire (I do this at least once a year anyway, what can I say, I'm an experimenter). Then to top it off this has been introduced into my world:

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman is just about the most entertaining blog as of yet. This woman is the definition of a colorful being, and I mean every color in the whole spectrum. Make sure you start with her love story, then move on into her many talents. Her humor and writing is great! And her photography, oh, how I love a good amateur photographer with a sense of humor.

A few musician men to fill the void. I splurged tonight and bought the new one, "Viva la Vida". They have just been waiting for Mark to leave so that they can take care of me. Thanks guys.
More of this . . . because really, when your man is gone you are allowed to overdose on something, I figure chocolate and diet coke are somewhere to start. Hopefully I won't need to find something stronger.

I have no solution to the cold bed problem.

I do have goals for the separation. Be smarter, be creative, be a scrapbooker, be a photographer (I just ordered Photoshop and she will be my new best friend until my man returns, I just hope she is gentle and patient and SPECTACULAR!) be fun, make my man proud and most of all survive.
The girls and I already worked on the creative goal this weekend by making artist trading cards (ATC's). My sister, who is so creative I wonder sometimes how we are related and why she hasn't made a million dollars yet on Etsy so that I can have a loan, gave me a link to a blog that was setting up a trade with ATC's. Basically each of my girls were assigned to a group of 6 kids their age and they trade their art creations. These are kids from all over the world. They are small (2.5"x3.5") which makes them so cute and fun. We spent Sunday afternoon making their creations, then addressing the envelopes. Yup, we called in "sick" to church, after all who survives stake conference with two young 'uns and no man?? Especially if that man is the one who takes care of them at these darn long meetings anyway?!

Bailey's creations

McKenna's creations . . . yep that's a heck of a lot of glitter, you're not that surprised are you?

Anywhoo . . . the treasures were put into the mail just today. We are anticipating the rewards that are coming back to us . . . should be so fun. Thanks Danette!

Tomorrow is another day . . . and that day will be needin' some chocolate, I can feel it already, the void that will desperately need to be filled with drug of choice: diet coke and chocolate. I'm going to make truffles for Valentine's, then I'm going to eat them all. Just kidding, I'll give two away, well . . . maybe just one, the girls can split it! There mine! All mine!!!