"I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever be, like, whelmed?"

Thirty days of my life have just gone by, each one feebly chronicled here for NaBloPoMo. I feel glad that it is over because I didn't enjoy the days of posting what I call "fluff," but sad, too, because I really enjoyed reading what you all had to say. Also, I made new friends!!!

Actually, I enjoy the fluff - but only when I think it is valuable or funny in some way. When I didn't have something to say, I felt like NaBlo, in his zoot suit and matching fedora, would hold a gun to my ribs and with his cigar smoky breath whisper something like, "You see here, honey, you'll post the meaningless fluff or you'll be sleeping with the fishes. Capisce?"

And I would be all like, "OK. fine. Maybe I want to sleep with fishes. I mean they're not so bad, other than they smell, um, fishy. Plus, that would get me out of grading papers (which I can't NOT mention), and away from my sick husband and kid. Hell, I'll sleep with you, NaBlo, if you can work that kind of magic. But first, I've always wanted to go to a speakeasy. Do you know where one is? What's the password? Can I order a Cape Cod? Can I wear your hat?"

And then Nablo would sigh, drop the gun, turn around and walk away, mumbling something about it not being worth it and something about Vinnie not liking this a damn bit.

"Hey, where are you going? Come back! I'll wear my stilettos! Hey!" I'd call after him. "I'll sleep with the fishes if you want!" And then on the bank of the Hudson, I would mix two buckets of concrete, step into them while wet, wait for the mix to harden, and then throw myself into the river, through the fall yelling, "See! Look! Fluff fluff fluff fluff.. (splash)" All for Nablo: fluff for fluff's sake.

I really wanted to challenge myself to think this month. I rarely get a chance to have a thought these days. Unfortunately, life gets busy. And my life is insane at the moment. I realized this when I was sitting at my in-laws house wondering if I had time to do my homework AND put out the Christmas decorations. The answer was NO. Then I had to wonder about priorities. Among many similar circumstances (change the second activity to whatever you want, the first one (homework) always being the constant), I did have time to at least post something. That is something to be proud of, I suppose. And I will miss NaBlo.

At least I'm free now. I can post or not post as much as I want.

**Title quote from Ten Things I Hate About You