Folks, it’s done. Robbi, Matthew, Alden, Kato, and Iggy bundled into the van at an ungodly hour this morning armed with sun buns (thanks, bakery, my new neighbor!) and giant coolers of what I was told was meat. I was impressed at the family’s organization, patience, and fortitude in the face of DC traffic.  I left them at the airport to fend their way through security lines.  (With luck and binkies, they’ve since made it to LA, their first destination.)

I returned to the Barn to find, of all things, a clean work space!  Well, at least until I get to work…

Everything is in its proper place, ready for me to messify.

I was pleased, at least until I found a half-empty box of gummy bears.

Then I remembered that when it comes to gummy bears, the box is always half-full.  At least until I get hungry to work…

I decided to find the cats to let them know that a new era of attention and love would be bestowed upon them as long as I was around (and that it was in their best interest to help me stick around).  Lily insisted I get her best side, darling…

of which she has many. We’re BFFs now.  She tells me all the secrets of the Barn while I stroke her luxurious fur.

I had a moment of panic when I couldn’t find Oscar, who usually beats Lily to enthusiastic greetings.  I searched high and low among the pencils, behind the computer monitors, in the deep stacks of books.  Finally, I found him right where I least expected him:  in the shower.

Alaska!  Who needs Alaska when one has a Sodastream at one’s disposal!?

Robbi and Matthew thought they could distract me from its magnificence with this silly thing:

The joke’s on them.  It took a few tries (and six sheets of paper towels), but I got the Sodastream to work.  I’m guzzling as much fizzy water as I can in the next few weeks.

With two cats (that’s twice the blood pressure reduction), a comfy reclining chair, a foot massaging device, Netflix instawatch, air conditioning, gummy bears, a lava lamp (or two), and so many witty books at my disposal… well, I just hope they don’t expect me to actually get any work done.