March 29, 2013 Blessings upon blessings upon blessings

Today was chock full of bonuses for me!  Bonus #1:  I got off early from work with enough time to get an Easter present, grab my favorite cucumber wrapped sushi roll and shop a little.  Bonus #2: Got to spend some time with my daughter who also got off work early.  Bonus #3: Spent the evening with two girlfriends who had me in stitches the whole evening!!!

One of my friends kept us amused with her plethora of voices and accents, although my favorite was her very British woman who reminded me far too much of Robin Williams' Mrs. Doubtfire!  In between, we managed to cover every topic from classmates to men, to families to kids to movies to...geez, what didn't we cover???  We might have even found the answer to World Peace in there somewhere!  There's no telling what three strong, self assured, intelligent women can accomplish given the opportunity!  The best part, though, was getting some more insight into two women I respect and am coming to love like sisters (actually even better!)  I find it enervating and refreshing to spend time with women who can laugh about the twists and turns in their lives, get a little bawdy, love their daughters to distraction and who you know will cry "bullshit" if the situation warrants! 

Despite the less than welcome addition of a screeching child behind us (who, thankfully was gone long before we were done!), I know this evening was a special gift for me, and I look forward to doing it again!  And I may even be making use of that passport to take a little trip north when the weather warms up a tad (a tad being about 30 or 40 degrees!).  Rumor has it that it even warms up enough to shed the Uggs for about two months of every year!  Oh wait, I don't own a pair of Uggs!  Maybe sneakers and my extra thick leg warmer socks?  And it was nice to find someone else whose hamster bladder rivals mine!  But I'm giving up my dream of a career in standup because my impressionist friend really puts me to shame!  I swear, she could even make Eeyore laugh his tail off!

Is there really any better mood booster than nearly four hours of laughter?  Even better, we were all sober!  OK, maybe a little punch drunk, but that doesn't count!  The best part was, I don't think anyone was trying to be funny, per se.  It was just natural ebullience rising to the surface.  I am surprised that when the screechy child family left, they actually seated another family with children near us!  As our conversation was a bit less than G rated, I have to question the wisdom of the host.  Could they not where the conversational bubbles of three, thirty-ish women might float?  But I guess you can't expect teenage boys to consider whether or not guests would keep their conversation within the guidelines for family entertainment despite the fact that it was a Friday night which is traditionally a night to blow off steam at the end of the work week, right?  Add in the faces my comedic friend was making at a little girl behind me and you have the makings of a routine worthy of the likes of Abbott and Costello!    I have always been particularly fond of the song "I love to laugh" from Mary Poppins, and the scene where laughter causes her uncle and the children to float near the ceiling.  It would be extremely useful to be able to float up to the ceiling to clear cobwebs or paint or reach something from a high shelf in the cupboards simply by thinking of something funny enough to make you laugh.  The therapeutic value would be amazing and an added bonus. 

I find myself wanting to skip around the house chanting "Laughter and blessings and bonuses, Oh my!"  and only restrain myself for fear of traumatizing my cats.  They're only just becoming accustomed to me doing line dances in the living room!  I need to allow them time to adjust before I start working on "Skiffle Time", which is 64 counts of insanity workout!  If I'm not careful, the living room will become a no fly zone for them, at least when I'm home.  I can hear them thinking "ok, what is that crazy human going to do in here tonight?  Did you see how close she came to my tail last night???  Does she not realize that when I stop right in front of her, she is to cease all other activity and give me attention?  It appears we may soon require an intervention!" 

If you have ever been subjected to a cat intervention, you know what that entails, but for the uninitiated, let me give you a small glimpse into the process. 

It typically occurs somewhere between laying down to sleep and oh dark thirty.  The cat with the largest paws (in my house, that would be Toby, of the Labrador feet, paws down!) begins practicing the Sonata in D sharp major for one cat and mini blinds, thus abruptly dragging the human out of a deep slumber as said human becomes aware of Chatty Catty sitting on her chest, singing along with the instrumental accompaniment.  As the human reaches full consciousness, Esthetician Kitty begins a vigorous tongue facial, making sure to include macro dermabrasion on eyelids, nose, cheeks, chin and lips.  Harmony Kitty now joins Chatty Catty to add volume and discord to the cacophony.  Finally, Sabre Tooth kitty uses the human's body from toes to neck as a racecourse, making sure all claws are extended for maximum traction. 

If the human does not, by this point, understand that her behaviour has displeased her owners, Labrador Feet will drape his ample body across hers, preferably across the bladder and demand the skritch of two hands, refusing to take no for an answer.  Compliance is mandatory.  Resistance is futile!  Chatty Catty and Harmony Kitty increase the volume and the discord while Esthetician Kitty adds additional vigor to the

macro dermabrasion.

Now that the human has been properly reconditioned, she should immediately get up and open cans of food for her now exhausted bosses who have had to exert so much energy to retrain her.

My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful for girlfriends who make me laugh and keep on laughing long after we part.
2. I am grateful for bonuses and blessings.
3. I am grateful for my daughter who gives me reason to smile nearly every day.
4. I am grateful for a home which, although I never manage to get it clean, is always filled with love and affection.
5. I am grateful for abundance:  friendship, love, laughter, success and prosperity.

Love and light