"It was so dark inside the wolf's body!"

There was lots of perkiness in attendance at my first day of work yesterday. Lots of young (bottom of the pay scale=popular with the administration) new blood and energy, lots of new hairdos, lots of tan, lotsa jokin and lots of maneuvering. Ah, the smell of public school. The informal atmosphere is always accompanied with caveats. Somewhere underneath that administrative sheeps clothing I detect a snarling wolf, said Red Riding Hood.

This insomnia preceding going over the river and through the woods isn't going to cut it, either. Awake at 3 am, my body resents being yanked around like this. It wants to sleep like a cat, whenever it damn well pleases, and get up in the night and write and spend time in the afternoon daydreaming and wander around in the gardens and stay up late. And heal.

I hear the wolves howling. I will stay on the path, with the other pilgrims who head for grandma's. We seek solace in each others' company. Amie the kindhearted, Wendy my Christian-right but we can love each other anyway ("Yes! It's all good!") hallmate and beautiful Kiki (losing her hair!), who openly shares her story of lupus with me. We are hand-in-hand, "we can do this", we aren't alone.

Goals for the year as of today? Don't let go. Stay on the path. Maintain balance. Start planning vacations. Have fun.

Listen, Little Red Cap, haven't you seen the beautiful flowers that are blossoming in the woods? Why don't you go and take a look? And I don't believe you can hear how beautifully the birds are singing. You are walking along as though you were on your way to school in the village. It is very beautiful in the woods. - The Brothers Grimm