In Indiana

Well, this week didn't go as badly as I thought it could have. On Tuesday when Gak and I were just finishing up lunch, my contact for the training this week called. Mostly to be a bully and try and get things his way without having to pay for it. Eventually everything worked out. I did have to call in my boss on this one, as my point of view was to tell him to go pound sand until he paid me the money. We came to a compromise that I'm not 100% happy with, but is better than no sale at all.
The area of Indiana I'm in is OK I guess. I'm about an hour outside of Chicago, so I'm just barely in Indiana (about 10 miles at most). The area around here seems quite depressed and run down. More so than usual for a place playing host to a power plant or refinery. The people are decent enough, but no where near as nice as some of my friends in Colorado were last week. I managed to get through the day without killing anyone, but I did start to loose my voice. Just goes to show that I've been doing a lot more training recently and my sinuses are still giving me grief. Nothing new there. (You try talking for almost 8 hours in a row and see how your voice fares... unless you happen to be a teacher, then you've got to be able to do it to...)
The good part of the week is that I've been in email contact with Abi almost daily. We're really getting to know each other again, and I realize that deep down, we're still the same two goofy, somewhat outcast kind of kids that hung out in school. We've known each other since I was in about 5th grade. (I don't think I met her the 2nd half of 4th grade when we moved to PA, but I could be wrong... I know we knew each other the next year.) I think, now that we've found each other again, she's the person that I've known the longest. I still remember my friends Josi and Karen from Kansas. I often wonder how they are. I thought about Josi last week while I was in Colorado, because she'd moved there shortly after we moved to PA. I hope they're all doing well and enjoying their lives.
I'm really enjoying getting to know Abi all over again. Sure, we had 6 or 8 years together in school. We even had a joing 18th and 20th birthdhay party. (She's 1 week shy of being exactly 2 years older than me.) I'm finding out that despite the different paths our lives have taken, we're really very much the same inside. I'm having fun and can't wait until she comes down to visit her parents for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I really want Gak to meet her. She'd really fit right in with the rest of our misfit band of friends.
Anyhow, I'm more or less rambling. I'm tired, as it was a long day. I've got a relatively early flight in the morning and I guess I'd better pack up tonight. (I have to leave here by 6am to make my 9am flight in Chicago.)
Peace to all and may you find friends who warm your heart and are fun to be with.