Untitled (Cause I'm Just Too Lazy to Think of a Catchy One)

Ok, I know I said I'd need time, but I guess I'm done wallowing. I am one of the ONLY people in our building actually at work today, so I brought my Marah CD (ha ha, Satan! I am LISTENING TO MUSIC AT WORK!!) and figured that the best thing I could do for my psyche would be to post something. Actually, since my last post, I've had good news and (more) bad news. First the good news - my friend's little girl checked out ok. After a lot of very painful testing on the poor thing, everything (so far) came back negative. Apparently she has all the signs of a tumor on her brain - but no actual tumor. Very strange, but they have her on medication and has follow up visits with a neurologist just to monitor her. So keep with the thoughts - just in case. But I saw her myself yesterday, and she's the same happy kid she's always been. And? My cousin had her fourth (yes, FOURTH, I know, she's heard all the snide comments about that - sometimes from me ! ;) ) baby yesterday - an adorable little girl named Naomi Joan. Who will possibly go by "Mimi," that hasn't quite been decided yet. Anyway, so those were the good news tidbits.

Then when I was talking to one of Lexie's OTHER friend's mom (who, I guess, would actually be considered MY friend) she told me that a girl from Lexie's class' mom died suddenly right before Christmas. 45 years old - massive heart attack with no warning. This woman was really involved with the school and with her kids - her 10 year old daughter (who's in Lexie's class) and her 7 year old son. I knew her from doing "parent things" at the school and from birthday parties of our daughters' mutual friends. She was a really nice lady. Apparently, she was home with the kids and went to lie down. When the kids tried to wake her, she wouldn't wake up, and when their father came home from work, they told him that mom must be really tired because she wouldn't wake up. I can't even imagine being a little kid and losing your mother right before Christmas. Or at all. Again - gratitude. Life is really a gift, and it's taken for granted so often.

Ok, no more dwelling on things I have no control over. Let's talk about my music again, since I'm sure there may be some of you who have never heard of Marah. Let me just say - THEY ARE AWESOME!!! And guess what? I found them through blogging. Monica commented on my blog a few months back, and as I do with anyone who comments, I checked out her blog. She is very talented and funny, and her husband just happens to be in Marah. So I checked them out. Love LOVE LOVE them. I haven't really stopped listening since I bought their CD a few weeks ago. Check them out - you won't be sorry. I'm really surprised they're not bigger than they are - but hey, that could change, and I wouldn't be surprised if it did sooner rather than later.

Also, since I have had such tumultuous thoughts lately, I have been having the most BIZARRE dreams I have had in a looooong time. Allow me to share my demented subconscious nocturnal brain activity. Two nights ago, I dreamt I was going to a sex shop with Kevin, of TBOTE fame. But we had to go through like a dozen different doors and hallways to even get INTO the shop. And I was getting really frustrated, but he kept insisting it would "be fun," so I followed him through door after door after door until we came to a pitch black room. I was like, "WTF?" And I realized it was so dark I couldn't even see Kevin anymore, so I called out to him and no one answered. Then when I tried to leave, I couldn't find the door. I was kind of scared, but also a little pissed off. Because I was looking forward to "hanging out." (And if you don't get that obscure reference, then you haven't been reading my blog long enough!) End of Dream One. The following night I dreamt that I was having a family party and I borrowed a long table from some stranger. We were at a forest preserve or something, and I couldn't get this table to open up. Finally, I forced the legs open and was able to set up the table, but it kept collapsing. So we left it alone until the end of the party, and when I went fold up said table again, I watched in horror as the words "NEXT TIME SOMEONE WILL DIE" were carved into it by an invisible hand. I woke up just a tad bit freaked out, and I don't think I will ever borrow a haunted table from a stranger. Then last night - I dreamt I was walking back to my old apartment in the city, and I had a pocketful of cash and my mail. (Definitely a dream, I never have a pocketful of cash!!) I had my hand in my coat pocket holding onto the cash, but I pulled it out to open my front door, and this shady looking guy brushed past me and grabbed all my cash and my mail. I ran after him, screaming and crying because that money was apparently a lot of money, and of course you know how I feel about mail, and as HE was running, the wind blew a lot of the money away. I was trying to pick up random bills, but it seemed all I kept finding were singles. I kept crying, holding a handful of singles and too tired to run, when someone came up to me and handed me my mail. Here's the weird part (ok, so the WHOLE DREAM is weird, but this is REALLY weird!!) - it was Amanda!! And I was like, "Hey! You're Amanda!" and she was like, "Yeah, I was hoping you'd recognize me because I'm moving to Frankfort (which, by the way, is in Illinois, but is NOWHERE NEAR my home, old OR new, so I don't know why my mind chose Frankfort) and I don't know anyone here." And she gave me my mail and we sat and talked and even though I lost a crapload of money, I felt better. Then we went looking for the rest of my money. Don't know if we found it, though, because I woke up.

See? I TOLD you my mind was messed up!!! But in any case, I am feeling better mentally, although my neck and shoulders are KILLING me so I took a few Advils. But that, my friends, is irrelevant. What IS relevant is that a new year is coming, and I look forward to reading 2006 blogs and writing 2006 blogs and HOPEFULLY, life will go on an upswing and I will have plenty of good material! For now, maybe another TBOTE chapter is in order... no promises as to how soon - but after that dream... maybe someone's trying to tell me something! ;)

Happy New Year if I slack off tomorrow - and everyone BE SAFE, ok?? I don't want any more bad news!!