I'm glad the Friday Five was good. it got me back in the blogging saddle. This is why this has been a quiet place lately:

* Meetings and more meetings. And I had to moderate every. single. one.

* At one of those meetings, I have a colleague who is, as my grandmother would say, a pistol. He just loves to throw little grenades of hostility to see if anyone will walk over, pick it up, and get their hands blown off. I no longer will play with him, so his tactics have become more elaborate. I try to give him positive attention instead, like one would with a puppy or a toddler. It's not working yet. And it is exhausting.

* The end-stage of Sturdy Grandmother's life. My in-laws, having discovered e-mail, do not really communicate with us by phone any more. I know when the end comes, they will e-mail the news to us instead. Yeah, I know. I'm checking it every half-hour when I'm not in meetings.

* I'm back in the fitness saddle again. The treasurer of St. Stoic competed in his first Ironman competition this past Sunday, and finished! (That's two miles of swimming, 110 miles of cycling, and then a fuill marathon to top off your day.) He took his first step of training one year ago this month. I'm really inspired by his story. At least enough to get my butt up off the couch and get back to the gym, that is. No Ironperson competition in my future!