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Sunday, June 08:

My nerves are tingling. Know why? It's my vacation offered up by my work! As you can see, next month will be my one year anniversary. Dear lord, one year already? It's true. Though it's a tad disconcerting that I had worked all that while with my ups and downs, I'm happy to say that I was allowed 20 hours of pure payment with a free vacation to boot!

Of course, this wasn't easy to come by. In fact, there was a large amount of time where my manager completely forgot about it before the date of my anniversary came up. If it had passed, and I hadn't had taken it, I would have lost it, PERIOD.

Anyhow, the date was closing in. On my off day I went up to my store to shop, hoping to get some of the things I needed and back out of there. As much as I like the store, I really don't find it appealing to be there on my off day. My manager, spotting me as soon as I came in, strode over to me.

"Check the schedule."

"Huh?" I glanced at her, confused. "Uh oh, something happened?"

"No," she said. "You're having your vacation."

STUNNED! I stood there, dumbfounded. She actually remembered. I had given up throwing hints her way that she needed to find a time that was appropriate for my vacation. We needed a new worker (and she hired someone), and the changes to the store needed to be finished (new store facing? Check. Oh, and inventory week? Passed). All the elements aligned themselves in perfect order and, lo and behold, I received my vacation.

It starts this Wednesday, and goes straight through and ends on Friday. I'm happy. Normally I only get two days off, if THAT. Judging by the schedule... I only work three days this week! A whopping three days! My friends, I'm doing a Snoopy dance right here.

Well, long after work, around 7 or so, I paused from playing Digital Devil Saga. Putting down the controller, I took the phone being offered to me by my mother. It was my sister on the phone!

My sister, Barbra, is really my half-sister. She's around forty, and I'm nineteen going on twenty this August 11th. Anyway, as much as there's an obvious age difference, there's nothing else that's keeping us apart in the way of we share the same tastes in stuff we like, dislike, adore, etc. Also, both of us are writers. She's just finished her first book and is publishing it as I write this. Me, on the other hand, I may have finished my first novel but I have yet to send it into an actual publisher.

Back to the subject! My half sister was eager for me to come down. Quite frankly I've been dreaming of this possibility. I don't see her or her side of that family very often. I love them all, and they're so much fun to be around. I'm an aunt to most of her kids, which is funny considering half are older than me.

"Well," I said to her, figuring out the days I was working and the days I was released from the grinding oiled machinery of labor. "I get off at 2:30 on Tuesday, and, well, I'll have to work Saturday, but between those days I'm off."

"Well, kiddo," she says, and I can tell there's a grin on the other side of this phone in my hand. "What do you want to do?"

"I'd like to spend a night, for sure."

"Why not the three days?"

SCORE! I was afraid to ask her of that (I even admitted to her that I didn't want to take away from whatever they had planned), but she said it was alright. Three whole days! I can't believe this! This, to me, is like a dream come true. I love my sister and her family so much that it's often heartbreaking that the only true way I can communicate with her is through the phone or Myspace/Email. She lives about two and a half hours away but, to me, that lone distance spans the entire gamut of the world.

So, guys, for three days or so I may not be as active as I am normally on Gaia. Heck, I know I'm not as active now! Still... I'll try to bring my laptop with me and get on at least once a night (that is, IF they have Wi-Fi). Still feel free to PM me at anytime!!

Ooooh, I'm so nervous. What to do, what to do! Oh... ha, this is going to be a blast!

heart Peace out, ya'll! heart