switch

Lately it feels like someone else is living my life, because, really, this life filled with gifts, generosity and love can't be mine. Therein lies the problem. This last week has been filled with surreal moments and I do not know if I can handle them.

First I managed to make it to Wrigleyville in 1/2 an hour and that included a ride on the North Avenue bus and the red line. I then had the most serene Thanksgiving ever at my friends house. It was like pixies came and sprinkled good food on the table. I know she had to have worked hard but she made it seem so effortless and so unlike the stressful mad dash at my grandmothers. I went and helped another friend walk a dog she was watching and it was a very nice interlude between dinner and desert. I even got to run a bit with the dog. It was a wee bit, but still it was a bit. Plus I got a ride home. A ride home people.

My grandparents gave me an early Christmas present which is a spinning color light for my 1950's aluminum tree. Now I have the complete set and I'm kind of geeked about setting up my tree. Does anyone want to come over and help decorate? I'm not asking just because I want someone to carry the boxes up from the basement. I'm an independent woman of the 0-0's and I can carry my own boxes.

My mother gave me a huge gift to help towards the down payment of my own place. Now it looks like this house thing (all right, a condo) can start to become a reality. She said that she took all of her singles and kept putting them in an envelope for a year. Granted she is a waitress and so she probably has more singles then the average bear, but it amazes me how a pile of one's can add up to so many. I'm going to put it in a CD for a year. Well, maybe two.

I'm going to Cancun. I didn't even have to do anything just agree to go. I mean how amazing is that. I answer the phone and kazoom someone makes it possible for me to go on an incredible vacation. We are going in February which is brilliant because that is the time in Chicago when I am about to open up a vein and let the ice cycles creep in and succumb to the gray doldrums.

I had to go see the Doctor for a check in at the Wellness Center. I managed to not gain weight over the last week and that was with two Thanksgiving dinners. That is in part because a friend and I went on an amazingly lovely walk on Friday. I even jogged a couple 1/2 blocks. Once again, wee running, but still moving! Then on Saturday I left my mom and grandmother to the cooking (I thought we were cooking for 8 and then found out, no just us and there was a 12 course meal)and tried to take a walk on the treadmill. The treadmill is possessed and after slowing down and speeding up every 10 seconds it finally stopped after 8 minutes and 28 seconds. I grabbed a flashlight and ran up and down the driveway a bunch of times. OK, I jogged half way and then walked the rest! I jokingly asked if anything was going to eat me out there and my grandmother said there were coyotes but they would just run along side me. I didn't freak out at every rustling branch or rock I kicked, no, not at all.

The point was (I hoped you enjoyed the amusing segue) that I could not get a cab to work after seeing the Doctor because supposedly there is some big convention in town. Then a lady comes up to me and asks if we could share a cab and I agreed. Me, the person who does not talk to strangers felt perfectly comfortable chatting with this woman as we shared a cab. I'm guessing she didn't see my giant wall that said all strangers out, or maybe the wall is crumbling.

I need to go find some bricks.