NaNoWriMo Day 16

Actually, the day is pretty rotten but I'm still afloat. The sun has just now peeked out of the grey morass of clouds. And as shown above, day 16 of NaNo. I've passed the 25,000 word mark so we'll see. It should be down hill from here. Although the stats bar on the site is uphill! I do think my  story is dead. 

I am really sorry I've not been around too much but I'm just really busy. Work is so hectic the last few weeks. We opened the waiting list and have around 2000 apps to enter into the system. So busy. This is not part of MY job. So, I have my other duties on top of this. Mind you, I'm not entering all those apps myself. There are about 7 of us. Still, it is a lot and will take a while.

In more serious news... I'm feeling pretty terrific! Well, really well. Not much pain to speak of... occasional pain in the neck and my ankles have been hurting. Don't know what that's about. Still, over all, I feel really good.

My mood has been a bit up and down but then when is it not? I don't know if I'll ever get that fixed. It is survivable at this point. I am working on a video blog from the last two days. I know how very much you all just love those! 

I'm not happy with my hair! It is a mess. I'm tired of putting it up and have been leaving it hanging. It's so looooong. I don't mind that. I used to have it longer but I had hair problems after Jerry died. Um..it fell out.  But now, I've got stuff growing back that is short. A pain, that. People have been saying "OH! I love your hair down." Now... I am a bit skeptical of flatterers. I like my hair down but find it hard to believe other people feel the same. Jerry loved it down, too. And it is a lot easier to just let it hang. For now, I'll save the updo's for something special. But all that grey is beginning to get me down. So to dye or not to dye... folks, I don't honestly care. Hair color is one of those things I don't obsess over. It just is and I fail to see what all the fuss is about. If I like the color, I'll say so. If I don't like it I won't say much unless you ask me. Then, I'll be kind but truthful. My thing is the less I have to do in upkeep, the happier I am. Time was meant to be spent on things that are important. This isn't much.

The ML duties are not difficult and the write-ins are good for me. If I do it next year, I'll be better prepared and have everything set up before October. But for now... I'm not making huge efforts to "do" stuff. Write-ins are about it. I have a tentative idea for a TGIO gathering but honestly, I don't want to do it. By November 30 you can stick a fork in me.

All right, I'm going to get back to work. 

Blue Monday

I don't really know why I'm feeling so bummed out. I'm not hurting anywhere, well, not major pain. Manageable stuff. Slight shoulder pain is the most noticeable but the weather has changed over night. It's 72 here today and cloudy. So, I'm guessing a migraine is attempting to get a hold on me.

I'm just overwhelmingly sad. Have been for days. I can laugh about stuff, watch t.v., goof off, play in the forums but there is just this hole blasted in me that I can't seem to fill up. And I do keep trying. I've kept busy with the write-ins and writing every night. All my family has disappeared but that's not the problem. I was busier when I had guests but that only keeps this thing at bay for a short time. They call. I call. 

I keep saying that it will eventually go away. It just won't exist anymore. I go around finding things to do, people to talk to, places to go, whatever. At the end of the day, I'm still sitting here with a crater in my life. Please do not give me platitudes, however well intentioned they are.  I thank you in advance for your compassion. It just doesn't really help me. Truthfully, you probably can't.

January 29 will be three years. I can't believe that. This morning, in the bathroom of all places, I had a thought. Life is like a cloth bag of sand. It trickles out slowly through the weave until you punch a hole in it. Then, just try holding on to it and stopping that hole. Your whole perspective of time shifts when someone close dies. What was once long days that seemed to drag on now become days that you didn't even realize had passed. In the blink of an eye, it's gone. Time slips away and the vacancies in it are more pronounced, more obvious to you. You feel them, like something flying past and striking you.

That's the way it feels anyway. And... eventually, you're holding an empty bag.

I'm not depressed. Believe me, I know the difference in depression and sadness. What I feel is not depression. 

I'm don't believe it can be fixed. 

That's the most frustrating thought of all.

Sunday Update

NaNoWriMo Day 12

NaNoWriMo Day 9

Up & At 'Em

Woke up with a terrible sore throat and headache right behind my eyes! Not a migraine, thank goodness but still annoying. Swallowing is terrible! I have a write-in at 1 so must get it together. I'm only posting because ... I have no idea.

It is a sunny, sunny day and 52F. Too cold to go without a jacket. I need to go out and get some supplies but I don't want to go. 

I'm really annoyed about the sore throat. No idea where I picked it up but people come in go in my office and some of the clients, not the co-workers, are just nasty. I handle paper that sometimes looks like I need rubber gloves. So, anywhere. I try to be really careful because of the medicine I take but still, invariable, something catches me. [sigh]

Bummer day in my word count, too. I didn't quite make it yesterday. I just wasn't into it and even though I tried, I got so tired last night I simply crashed. So, today I try and catch up. That's never good in NaNo.

Funky Friday

I'm eleven days into NaNo. I haven't done today's word count and I may not. I've been doing fine but tonight is the first night I've had alone in oh, three weeks. My sister felt well enough to go back to her house tonight. She's doing much better after getting more rest. 

But I realized as soon as the house got quiet that I'm really tired. I've been running on full speed for a while and maybe I've just run out of gas. I don't know. I've been in a funky sort of mood all day. When I'm like this I'm my own worst enemy. I say too much, think too much, and I listen to everything I think. I know. That makes no sense but I understand it. 

My mind is moving at a tremendous rate which is somehow very interesting. If you've read over my blogs you know that my mind has been pretty much out to lunch for a while. But not this last several weeks. It seems that the doors have been opened and the windows throw up and lots of light, in the form of thoughts, ideas, and totally impossible schemes are just pouring in. 

I don't KNOW what that means.  And no, I have no idea what precipitated it. I've learned in my astronomically short life not to questions the good things. Take them for granted. By astronomically I mean my age when compared to the life of stars as opposed to my age compared to yours. We're both pretty  young my way. I'll take as much clearheadedness as I can absorb but it is almost overwhelming at times.

Does darkness creep in or lurk nearby? You know when I even write the word I see it. I can feel it. Darkness. The inscribed word takes on a feeling, a presence, a form. I've described it other places in the blog. Suffice it to say, I know darkness intimately. And the answer to the question is yes. Once it has been a part of you, it always hang around. At the moment, he's over in the corner biding his time. Sometimes he touches me. It is not a loving touch. I have a healthy respect for it because I know that one wrong move and it can envelope me in smothering folds.

Why am I writing this post? If I had the answer to every question I'd have nothing to wonder about and lots of money.  I'd be on a beach in some island hideaway soaking up Vitamin D by the gallon. 

I don't know. It seemed like a good thing to do. I told you, funky mood. All day like this. 

Busy Bee

I called in sick today. My lower back is bugging me. I think I slept wrong but it could be because I spent most of the day yesterday, my day off, not getting up from my chair enough. I spent time writing and chatting online and I actually slept in a little. I went to lunch with Dave, Becca and Sarah. If you've seen the video you know that was fun.

Speaking of videos, is anyone having trouble loading them at Multiply? I've actually started loading them on Youtube and using the embed feature because Multiply just is harder than ever to upload. At least this way they cross over to Blogger when the post does.

Today, I'm working on files I brought home on Monday to work on on Tuesday which I did not do. I'll be done in a few hours I suspect. It is just reviewing them to see if they have all the required documents. Tedious and something I never have time for when I'm actually AT work! And these are people who never read their check sheet, or think they are smarter than I am and that I won't notice unreported items, or they're lazy and dont' show up for their appointment and are missing everything!

So, I'm reviewing files. I have about 25 on my desk at work I need to process and another 25 here I'm working on! It is endless.

The NaNo story is going ok. Not brilliant but it is plodding along. I'm probably putting in a lot of junk but it keeps me moving and I do like some of the lines I've got so far. Simon is a very entertaining character to write. I haven't had to consult my British friends yet but I have spent a lot of time looking up slang terms to use. I forgot that a flashlight is a torch in Britian. My problem is Simon has been a world traveler so long that he's less British and more Cosmo. So, while things from his youth and upbringing hang on, it isn't as if I have to pour colloquialisms into it. I need just enough to flavor it so the reader gets it.

I've managed to beat the darkness back that has sort of crept up on me a few days ago. I still feel relatively good. Pain is still there but minor compared to what it has been. I can deal with it for the most part. My brain is what is shocking! Really. It is as if I got this shot of awake and for the most part I can think! You have no idea how that feels! I simply do not know how anyone can do drugs and keep their brain in a cloud of nothing. I hate it.

Ok, back to work. I need to be done in two hours so I can work on my NaNo story.

I'm sorry I've been MIA again but you all know I do this every year and this year it is more hectic than usual and I'm so excited to be, lol, awake that I just haven't had time to blog!

What A Nickle Will Buy

A Dixie NaNo Update

From The Over 40 Crowd

This was sent to me by a co-worker and I was in tears after reading it. Hysterical tear. If you're offended by swear word, I apologize but hey, I'm not sure I haven't been there a few times.


When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill....Barefoot... BOTH ways...yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!
     
But now that I'm over the ripe old age of forty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.  You've got it so easy!  I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!  And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

1) I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet.  If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!  

2) There was no email!!  We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen!  Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there!  Stamps were 10 cents!

3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us.  As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass! Nowhere was safe!

4) There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes!  If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!

5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!  There were no CD players!  We had tape decks in our car.  We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless.  Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby!  Dig?

6) We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting!  If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

7) There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!!  Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!!  And then there's TEXTING.  Yeah, right.  Please!  You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

8) And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was!  It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent.... you just didn't know!!!  You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics!  We had the Atari 2600!  With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'...  Your screen guy was a little square!  You actually had to use your imagination!!!  And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen.. Forever!  And you could never win.  The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died!  Just like LIFE!

10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing!  You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!!  NO REMOTES!!!  Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

11) There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning.  Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-bastards!

12) And we didn't have microwaves.  If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove!  Imagine that!  
   
13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long.  Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort.  And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

14) And car seats - oh, please!  Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on.  If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!  

See!  That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten!  You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970   or any time before!

Regards,
The Over 40 Crowd

True Story

Tonight my sister and I were just discussing fashion and how certain things just are beyond belief in discomfort. I told her that I felt like the high heel was invented during the Inquisition by men. It wasn't enough to have a woman drawn and quartered, they wanted her to strut her stuff down a runway first.


She said, "No it was a Frenchman, the Marquis de Sade."


She mentioned that the bra was another fashion item invented by men. She said, "Titzling."


I said, "He's German."


I also suggested the heels may have originated with Louis 14, he of the red heels.


She said, "That's one sick bunch."


I asked if she had seen these reports of men now wearing high heels. She said, "Lord yes, and carrying purses."


I said, "God, give me a real man wearing cowboy boots, tight jeans, and a hat."


She said, "There are some men saying the same thing."

To Much Thinking

I'm trying to figure out why, with all the busyness going one around here, that I can't keep my feelings upbeat. I have all these really great people I'm related to, associated with, acquainted with... whatever. They send me lovely notes, funny jokes, and even hugs. And I feel like crap.

No, really, not sick but just annoyingly sad. Every single thing in my life has this overlay of sad. Yes, everything. All the colors are muted by this film of sad. Do you remember seeing books, usually anatomy books, that had these pictures of the skeleton and these clear overlays with different organs and layers of the body. First the internal organs, then circulatory system, neverous systems, muscles, ligaments, dermis... If you do you're really really old. But that's what its like. All this underlying good stuff, overlain by this grey yuck called sad.

Maybe I'm over thinking this. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Well... duh! I have no quarrel with the godliness part. I try really hard. Haven't attained perfection yet. We're all in a hurry to get there without really considering what that means. Once you're done here folks, you're done! So, take your time with the perfection thing, do it right the first time.

No, its that contentment thing. Maybe that's overrated. I have no idea what it looks like really. Sometimes I think I might have clue but I then find I was mistaken. And I keep asking myself, have I always been discontent? Has there always been this habit of seeing everything with that grey film? I don't remember!

I keep saying, to myself mostly, that life was meant to be enjoyed and I need to do that. Well, I'm glad I'm not dead. Does this count?

And Friday Rolled In

Gloomy, cold, and damp. At least it isn't raining but the forecast is
for sun! Right.

I have a headache this morning, only a slight one. I didn't sleep well
last night either. I had a bad moment or two. I went to the cemetery
on my way home from work. Let me just say that cemeteries are not
cheerful places on a good day. On a cold, rainy, grey day they're even
worse. I started feeling a bit down around three o'clock. On an
average day my co-workers don't bug me a lot, because I don't let
them. But yesterday, some of them just got on my nerves and it was
silly things that I'd usually ignore.

Suffice it to say, I finished the day tired and depressed. So, hey!
Why not stop by and visit the dead! Good idea. Not.

Look, I've had a terrific two weeks of no pain, or nearly no pain.
I've been able to think and write. All the stuff going on at the
moment has got me a bit frazzled and I'm thinking that is the problem.

Forget that. I'm lying. To myself. Sleep hasn't been as good this
week. I'm not used to having people in the house and even though
they're no trouble at all obviously, house guest always change the
dynamics of your day. Still, I can deal with that. No, what I think is
happening is November. Thanksgiving is coming. Christmas is coming.
New Year is coming and January 29 is coming. NaNoWriMo is a busy time
for me and keeps me occupied but at the same time, I'm slammed with
this absence, this hole in the holiday, every blasted year.

You've all tolerated a lot over the last x number of years. I'll be
very honest here. There is this woman in my head. I don't really know
her but I see her as clearly as if she were in front of me. If I
thought about it I could probably describe what she's wearing.
Seriously. She appeared the night Jerry died. She stands with hands on
either side of her head, covering her ears, her eyes squeezed shut and
she is screaming. Some days, when it was truly bad, she came out.
These days I try really hard to ignore her. She doesn't stop. I don't
know how to make her.

I know. Can't be good. But there you go.

The Green Thing

I love this! SO true.

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she
should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good
for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green
thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did
not care enough to save our environment."

He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to
the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and
sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and
over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every
store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't
climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two
blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the
throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling
machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry
the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or
sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right; we
didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every
room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief
(remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have
electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded
up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut
the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised
by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on
treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup
or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we
replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the
whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their
bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour
taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets
to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget
to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in
order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old
folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a
lesson in conservation from a smarta** young person.

The Green Thing

Oh What a Week

I can't believe I haven't posted since the first of the week! I've
been so busy. I do NOT want to rehash it.

My sister had surgery on Monday and she's been discharged today. She
seems to be doing well but of course now comes recovery time.

Nano, of course started on Monday. I've been trying to keep up with
the regional board and a Facebook group page for the region. It is a
bit hectic but I'm beginning to get a handle on it. I'm answering post
and emails and answering questions for that. I also am writing my own
novel. I'm current in my word count as of last night. Tonight, I'll
have to do my 1666 to stay current. But I'm not giving myself any
grief over this. I'll do what I can and that's it.

I have a write-in to host tomorrow night at Panera. I have a write-in
to host Saturday afternoon at Abbey Road Coffee Emporium. My region is
climbing in numbers. Two weeks ago I think it was about 340-35, have
to check my blogs. Today, it is at 389 people registered with my
region.  That's wild. Of course, I'll never see all of them but the 50
newbies could pop up at a write-in. That'd be a shocker for me! Panera
might be able to handled it and Abbey Road says they can but I dunno!

Still do not have tremendous amounts of pain. I've been saying the a
couple of days the weather was going to change and it did. The hip and
right lower back at my hip has hurt the last two days and it stormed
last night.  The hip felt as if I was begin hit with a sledge hammer.
But neck and shoulder have been just fine. Thank you, God! All over
pain levels are dramatically down. I find myself getting afraid at
every twinge. I've felt so great, so clear headed that I'm terrified
it will go away.

Finally, the lines that were expected for applications dissipated by
10:00 a.m. and now it is a trickle. I'm glad. I can get my own work
done! It was very orderly and no problems but some folks had sat out
there all night! Crazy. Doesn't make the wait any shorter. They feel
like they'll get on faster but there are other things that affect how
fast we process them. So a day won't make a considerable difference.

My friend Loraine is having surgery today. Keep her in your prayers.
She was quite upbeat about it but obviously when you're cut open it is
serious. This is a reconstruction surgery after a colonectomy. Not
sure that's a word but it is what it is. She's been doing very well
since the first surgery and now just wants it all done so she can move
on to other things that are more fun.

Everyone have a good day. It is rainy and gloomy here but the red
leaves across the street are quite cheerful!

Hitting the Pavement

I didn't get far into the light before I fell flat on my face. Literally.

I went to the store and picked up something for Becca to decorate with and was delivering it to her house yesterday before I went to lunch and to do my shopping. She was at the playground with Sarah and that's where we headed.

The sidewalks there have steps at odd places but they aren't marked and tend to blend with the rest of the walkway. She's fallen and I've tripped several times. Yesterday, I did a pancake.

My right foot hit the step and I fell like a falling tree. Straight down on my stomach and chest. I had the forethought, amazing what happens in your mind in split seconds, to arch my back and tilt my head back and use my hands to break my fall, barely. My nose was inches from the sidewalk when it was over. And I couldn't get up a minute.

I rolled over and struggled to a sitting position. There is a fence where I fell. It was difficult because everything was screaming in pain. Mike tried to help me up but I had to just sit for a bit. Knees smacked the ground first and then I fell forward bringing my hands up to brace me. I felt it everywhere. I had a scratch on my knee and my right palm, in the fleshy part near the wrist was scraped. My right wrist was hurting and I know I'd heard something pop. Left hand had a minor abrasion.

Mike looked at my knee and said, 'Well Mom, at least you didn't tear you panty hose!"

{Mom shakes head}

He had yelled at Becca almost immediately. I really couldn't get up! It was crazy but everything was just aching. We went to her apartment where I washed the scrapes and put liquid bandage on them. I iced the wrist. It was achy but I didn't think it was broken. A vein popped up and turned blue but the ice helped. Still, it was stiffening nicely and I decided I should have it x-rayed to be sure. And if I had to file a claim it would be on record.

So, x-ray showed no beaks.l They sent me home. Home, I went. Dropped Mike off at his house and called it a day.

Nothing accomplished.

Today, my usual pain is gone but I'm stiff all over.

How shower in five.

Into the Light?

I'm actually on my way out. I've been absolutely swamped, running all over. I haven't had this much fun since . . . well years. I have had so little pain in years! I'm awake and it feels sort of like Sleeping Beauty must have felt.

O.k. cue Prince Charming, please.

The Meet & Greet was a resounding success. Twenty people showed up and it was tremendous fun to talk and laugh with them all. I got to meet Loraine's husband, who is NOT doing NaNo but I really wanted to meet him and I think she just asked him to join her. The age range of the group was 15 to 55. Guess who was oldest? :-( Everyone seemed to be very excited and really glad to be there. I'm really looking forward to the month. Now if I can just get an idea.....

Cue plot bunnies, please.

Say a prayer for Loraine. She has her second surgery this month. They say it is easier than the first but who knows.

I'm on my way out to do some shopping and pick up Mike. I'm sure he'll want to have lunch with me. He needs hearing aid supplies I think so we'll be going to Beltone, too. Hope no one thinks it for me!

Had an epiphany this week in the car. The thought went through my mind, really a question, "Am I happy?" I really did think about it. My brain is working much better since I'm not dealing with pain and lack of sleep. I had an answer pretty quickly. "I'm enjoying what I'm doing. I am not happy."

I know, bit of an oxymoron. And yet, it is true. I don't actually think happiness is possible anymore. I'm living in a moment. I'm capturing whatever light I can pull around me. I'm latching onto whoever makes me smile, laugh, or feel special. I'm not thinking about tomorrow in any real or long term sense. It will have to take care of itself.

I just don't want to go back in that cave. I really, really don't.

FRIDAY! The Mad Rush to the Weekend

OTGIF!

You've already been apprised of my week. But thankfully, joyfully, splendidly, I've felt wonderful this week compared to how I've felt all year! Virtually NO pain!

Must give God the Praise. Sunday night, Bro Ashcraft visited our church again and I asked him to pray for me again. Remember my feet and how badly they were hurting all the time? After the Sunday night he came over and told me he was going to pray for my feet, I've had almost no pain in my feet. I have not been waking up crippled before I get out of bed. So Sunday I just went up when they asked if anyone wanted prayer. I didn't say what for. And he did.

I had a lot of neck pain that day. By Monday night I have virtually none. I've been sleeping better for a few weeks now but still had pain issues. This week I have one spot that has bothered me and it was so mild I took Tylenol for it!

So, Praise the Lord for that! Will it come back, who knows. I'll take every blessing I get gladly.

I had the Writer's meeting last night. Loraine brought a small cake and she and I and Doug had birthday cake. The others couldn't make it. I talked so much I finally asked someone else to talk because I was babbling. They laughed at me and did! LOL

Tonight, Meet & Greet. In fact, my hair is in a towel now and I have to go get it dry and put on my sweater.

I've had virtual roses in the Smoking Pen and a poem from Dragon (screen name don't know his real name but a nice fellow to write with). I've had a Cracker Barrel gift card from Roselynn, a Starbucks gift card and a birthday cake from Loraine and today my friend Carolyn at work gave me a new beaded watchband. It is really pretty. She always gets me something every year. Must remember her this year! Her birthday is the end of December and she is usually not at work and I don't see her. So a nicer day than I had envisioned. In fact, in the Pen tonight they appear to be gearing up for a birthday party! At least that is what I hear.

So, off for now. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Why?

I'm doing my usual ramble online. I do this by reading headlines I have on my Google homepage. This one, "Mass Alien Abduction Experiment in Los Angeles", struck my fancy.

First, I'm not surprised by the location. LaLa Land is centered in this area. People there do weird thing, well, weirder than the rest of us it seems. If you're from LaLa Land and find this offensive, you proved my point. If you can't laugh at yourself, you're crazy.

Second, and the title of this post, WHY? Why would you do such and experiment if you believe the stories of alien abduction? Did they pick only unbelievers? If so, does that corrupt the data because only unbelievers were used? And if only believer were used, can I trust that the data is not tainted by their FAITH? Takes faith to believe in something you can't actually prove.

If they used both believers and non-believers, what does that mean? Does it mean that they actually were abducted or that it was all in their heads. And if you have an OBE, does it mean you weren't abducted? I mean, we have a soul in my belief system. So, if you're soul leaves your body and goes "somewhere else" without your permission, isn't that an abduction?

I think it leaves far more questions that it answers. The biggest one. WHY!