As I sit here munching on the stem of a buttercup squash (yes, the stem), I’m looking back with my mind’s very tired eye at the last week. A lot has happened this week. It’s been almost a week since the break-in. I am sleeping okay, probably because I run myself into the ground every day and by bed time I am a drooling idiot and couldn’t stay away from bed if I tried. I’ve begun to feel more comfortable in the house again, but I still find myself perking up at noises occasionally. It will probably be a while before that completely stops. This morning, around 5 am, I was cutting some apples in the kitchen, with my back to the same stairs the intruder used. While cutting the apples, a pile of onions in a small bag sitting on the butcher block table behind me, shifted. The noise sounded suspiciously like the rustle of a nylon jacket, and I caught myself spinning around to look down into the basement. I am not so much angry any more as I am disappointed. I had hoped that Fredericton would be more … polished. Refined, even.

My brother moves out this weekend, in preparation of his attending school in Ottawa. The three months he has spent with me have passed quickly. While working, our schedules did not coordinate well, so I didn’t see him that often during the week. Still, I will miss his presence in the house. He is not only my brother, but a stalwart friend, and I wish him all the best.

I am still trying to see if a trip over the Christmas break is feasible. It’d be great to get away, even for a week. I’d love to go back over to the Middle East, but perhaps Central America is an option. There are some magnificent Mayan ruins in Guatemala that I’d love to see.

My squash is getting cold. I better get on with it.