Black day at black rock or

When being honest and real comes back to bite you in the ass

After the incredible high of Monday and learning I was going to be published for the first time, comes the incredible low of being almost 45 and realizing I am still naive and dumb in a lot of ways.

I had a phone call that resulted in a parting of the ways with an organization that I taught and designed for and supported with much money(obscene actually when I had them run a total once).

I won't elaborate only to say it is not a bad thing at all to be moving on.

Prior to that phone call I got another phone call telling me that my friend and neighbor had died of cancer in his home surrounded by his family at 4am that morning.

The funeral is on Saturday and I don't know how to tell the boys because they adored this man. Mr. Gray was forever tolerating the wild rambunctious behavior of my two, letting them run wild with his dog and climb in his trees and hangout wiht him in his basement to watch and play with his model train sets. I think after raising 3 daughters my boys were a mystifying but entertaining outlet.

He was a straight up, genuinely nice man. A great neighbor. His wife who has advanced MS will have to sell the house and move out of the only home she's ever had with him.

So much change and sadness.

Thank God for my girlfriends who gave me real and cyber hugs and shoulders to cry on.....love you all.