No fooling...

It was an interesting week hereabouts...personally and in a broader sense.

We were traveling last weekend - I had a conference in Minneapolis - so we got to see many of my husband's college friends. It is always lovely to see them, but we hardly ever manage the four+ hour drive in between reunion-type gatherings. We spent Friday evening with several families we hadn't seen in many months, and it was just wonderful. Of course, it was also like stepping into the middle of a daycare on a crazy day, since there were 8 kids of various ages running around. But still fun - and great to catch up with everyone.

My conference went well - and my presentation was, apparently, quite good. So I am happy about that. I did a bit of networking, spoke with a higher-up at the institution where I completed my PhD, and enjoyed seeing some people for the first time in a few years.

I also got less than 6 hours of sleep both Friday and Saturday nights. Good grief. I thought I was good at the no-sleep thing...but apparently my body now prefers 7 hours of sleep, thank you very much. It took until Thursday for me to feel relatively awake again - after going to bed at 8:30 on Tuesday night. If I ever do manage to get pregnant, the sleep deprivation part will certainly be interesting.

My husband and I also talked a lot about dealing with infertility, the fact that we are in this for the long haul - children or no. And we started discussing what life might look like if we don't have kids. I have worried throughout this that he would think I am blaming him for our problems - and it was good to have these discussions and realize that we are on the same page. We both still desperately want a child (please? just one?) but also realize that it may not be in the cards for us. And if that is the case, we will still have a very happy life together. It will just be different from what we had planned originally.

Then, on Friday, our state Supreme Court decided that our current laws on marriage were unconstitutional...giving everyone who wishes to have a civil marriage - and rights in the eyes of the state - the opportunity to marry. Wow. I knew, moving back here, that this was a possibility, and that the state is much more progressive than outsiders think. But this was just fantastic to hear. [And now, of course, if you have not been under a rock for the past 3 days, you know my state of residence...] I dread the possibility of a constitutional amendment - as opponents are planning - but I also hope that this becomes a non-issue over time...and that we all realize we have bigger problems than worrying about what people do at home. Stable families - recognition by the state - and legal options for all? I'm for it, and I'm so proud of my adopted home state for taking this step.

And now, the dog is bathed, the kitchen is clean, and the husband is vacuuming. I've sent an email about the next presentation, and I did some work yesterday on the article that needs revisions. I think it's time to read a trashy novel on the couch.