Private Journal Entry - APRIL 10, 2006

It seems like, when I skip a day, I miss recording large chunks of my life. Yet, it's only a day or two. It shouldn't make that big a difference in the long run, but it does. A twenty-four hour period in this house is packed with more drama than I'm used to handling in a month, and a week might as well be an entire year's worth. It seems like I have until nightfall to get over it, otherwise it will be compounded with the next day's crisis.

Zhen's been protecting us against that happening though, by guarding our room. Lina's added to the protection by gifting us with a taser. And this morning we woke up with a guard dog. We probably have the safest room in the house at the moment, and yet I'm still on edge. It's hard to drop it and accept a moment of safety, though it is getting easier. With Dan, it's always easier, and with Izzy (our dog), I feel like I have a chance.

It's frightening how quickly things can change. Something happens, something out of our control, and it alters every thought, every perception. Getting things back towards normal takes ten times the work.

But I think we can get there. It'll just take time.