I'm back and I've forgotten everything.

So I took yesterday off from the millstone to celebrate my birthday with my family and I had a good time.

Ashton and I and the dogs went on an adventure into town on errands. She's really great to go on shopping adventures with. Much better than I am. I think the dogs enjoyed it. I opened the back windows so there was plenty of interesting air for them to sample. Scouty was quite relaxed while we were moving and more worried when we were parked waiting for Ashton in the store. Smudge was exactly the opposite. Between them they make a great watchdog.

We had my birthday dinner yesterday and cake and ice cream. We watched "Animal Crackers" while we ate and then rented a Will Ferrell movie. Ben went away after the Marx Brothers movie. Still it was a very nice time.

The new mattress was delivered yesterday morning so last night was the first night's sleep on it. It's different but I think it will be OK after we get used to it. More strange dreams. Again the dreams dealt with not being able to find my possessions and being under time pressures. Last night I was at someone's house, maybe the Campos' apartment and needing to find my keys and wallet so I could go to work. Work was sort of the operating room but I knew no one there and there was a long line of produce on display in long troughs of flowing water that I tried to rearrange and freshen. Apparently that was my job, but soon enough I worked my way to where the "others" were working and some 20 year old manager told me that I'd have to go through orientation before I was again qualified to go back on the regular line. That's about where it ended. By that point I was just back to wishing that retirement would soon arrive.

It was kind of like going through an entire working lifetime in a short dream. While there were no monsters involved I think it qualifies as a type of nightmare. More the kind that you have when you're old and tired and feel that you know you have nothing to contribute in spite of the physical pain involved.

When I opened my eyes for the 10th time I really had to force myself to get out of bed and face the day. I only made it with the "help" of my screaming bladder. It took a while to work my way around to a decent mood.

I figure I'm going to finish this and then go into the front room and veg out. Maybe have some leftovers before they're all gone.

Last night I FINALLY finished "Cider House Rules" again. It really is good writing. I think I learned a lot from it. I started the Eddie Izzard Autobiography.

OOgy, OOgy, OOgy! I feel better.

More later,