A Sad, Sad Little Woman? You Be the Judge!

Well, tomorrow will be back to the Saltmine day for your favorite grammarian-superheroine-ninja-slaying-recovering-cult-member...

Uh...that would be me in case you are wondering to whom I refer.

And I have been experiencing a weird feeling. One that only comes over me at this, most festive time of the year...

You see...there are really only a very few short weeks left at Saltmine Central and I find myself thinking frequently about how much I will be missing my inmates soon. This of course makes me quite eager to get back into those shark-infested waters.

Naturally, I realize that to most people, this makes me a complete freak.

Still...May and June really are the best of times at the Saltmine...

There is a ton of stuff to do, lots of celebrations and awards ceremonies, the weather is nice so I frequently find excuses for my Saltminers to go outside to do work, and although stressful, the oldest Saltminers love this time of year since they have really begun to appreciate just how close they are to leaving forever.

The leaving part makes me feel pretty hollow inside sometimes. Although I am very happy for the inmates and want to see them move on to be happy, successful and have great adventures of their very own... I get really attached.

I think that's why this job of Saltmining is truly for me. I am forced to appreciate everything and live in the moment, since I am always aware that my time with each of the inmates really is extremely limited. They each change my life in some small way and frequently "teach" me as much, if not more, than I "teach" them.

And this group of flyers will definitely be one of my toughest yet... Some of them have been with me for all four years! (Yes, you must pity those poor souls...4 years of the Pirate Queen can be a bit much, even for the strongest of Inmates).

Anyway, the truth is...I'm looking forward to going back.

And I will cherish every moment I get with the inmates... That's a promise.