Time To Catch Up

(Deep Breath)

::blink::blink::

Let's see...Happy New Year Everybody!!!

Yea...I'm late and all of that, but there has been so much sickness in this house...even the cats are sick!! No kidding...I am still hacking and The Hub is on a new medicine that we hope will knock him out...oops, I mean knock IT out of him (ha). I can't even remember the last time I was this sick, and, no, I don't think it has anything to do with the fact that I just celebrated my "double nickel" birthday. 55. Let's all say it. 55. Frightening.

Anyway...I have gotten many personal emails just wondering where I was and if I was okay and I thank you all for that! I could never have imagined that I would be meeting people from all over that could give a crap about how I am doing....love ya to pieces...

Let me fill you in...it all started a couple of days before Christmas. I felt so tired and out of sorts and found myself napping in the middle of the day, 2 days in a row. Had everyone over on Christmas Eve and that was it. I hit the bed that night and didn't leave the house until the afternoon of New Year's Eve. I had to show some property that afternoon (really.) and our Alaska trip buddies came by for a couple of hours...but we were too sick to be much fun, so they went home before the freakin' ball dropped!! My next venture out (except for the cat emergency) was about January 8th and I am still not over it. Whatever it is, it is some kinda wicked and I really hope you guys don't get it!!! (Janet, are you all better??)

Contrary to popular belief, my hair is quite..ahem, curly...and when I didn't feel so good, I just washed it and let it dry naturally. Of course, putting on makeup was out of the question because my eyes were watering so much, the mascara wouldn't stay anyway, so I was completely undone for a few days. Walking around in my thermal jammie pants and a big old t-shirt, I know I was a vision....I'm not sure of what. Looking for some sympathy, I said to The Hub, "Man, I haven't gotten dressed in 2 or 3 days." His reply: "You look it." Ack.

Of course, while all of this is going on, one of the kitties was sick and because of all weird hours at the vet clinic...holiday schedule...I was at the 24 hr. vet clinic twice, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The tech asked me if I needed to go to an emergency clinic..ha ha, just kidding...and I gave her the evil eye and that shut her up.

Then it was my birthday. And that's all I have to say about that.

Then I get a call I wasn't expecting. A very special friend of the family passed away just about 3 years ago. He had been such a big part in each of our lives in different ways. He was the brother we never had and like a son to my Mom and lived with her for quite a while. I don't want to drag it out, but he was very ill at the end of his life and decided to go back to his home and spend his last days with his family. I spoke to him on the phone not too long before he died and he told me how scared he was. It was probably the most helpless I have ever felt in my life. I have replayed that conversation in my head hundreds of times and hope that I said the right things. But, anyway...his sister called and told me she was coming to Florida and she would be bringing him with her. One of his last wishes was to have his ashes spread in the ocean at one of his favorite fishing spots, and it had taken his family until now to be able to part with him. So, I met her a few days ago and he's here. I guess I never thought his family would let him go and now it's our turn....

So, I guess between being sick, tending to the other sick ones, adjusting to my new age and having a dead guy on my foyer bookcase, I have just been in a funk. But, it seems as if the clouds have parted and I am on my way back to Blogland....yippee skippy!

I do have some blog related responsibilities to fulfill so I will get to them in the next couple of days...new people for you to meet and I was tagged for one of those random things, so that's on my agenda.

As much as I love the whole holiday season, this year I am kinda glad it has passed. I am happy to have some order back in our house and I think I heard Jingle Bells one too many times! It's great to have the old playlist back, right???

Thanks for hanging in there with me...you are more special than you know....