Roller Coaster

Is it just me or is the world just careeening up, up, up and then down, down, down? I am hanging on for dear life but it's got me ready to collapse into a heap which is what I did yesterday. Watched 4 Jane Austen's in a row... ooooohhhhh, how I love Jane Austen and especially the ones on Masterpiece Theater.... I was just in a heavenly oooze of romantic dreaming... don't know why my real world kept interferring. "Honey, where's the toilet brush?" just as the heroine finally lets the hero know with just her eyes that yes, she does return his affection after all. Toilet Brush??? You have to be kidding me....

Course no one would ever be looking for a toilet brush around here, at least voluntarily, but you sort of catch my drift, right? The last couple of days of my life (or years) have been just a case study of manic depression. Things go way up and then come crashing down in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, they then go way back up again. My new year started (Chinese New Year, that is) with a great class-- 400 people in the sanctuary! or 14, same difference. But then my ipod wouldn't work. So we did the class in silence. Which was really great! Even had everyone chanting-- so awesome.

Friday was nuts. Had to go grocery shopping for stuff for the open house. End up with a full cart at the checkout and go to pay and realize I didn't have my check card. Or enough cash. Or my cell phone. Ugh. How embarassing. Fortunately, I was at Safeway where they know us quite well so they let me go in the back to call home. And more fortunately, Cory had already showered and was ready to go to work so he dropped Rhia off on his way with minimal protest. If he hadn't showered, this could have been much worse. He will not leave the house without at least a half hour shower. Anyway....

Get home, put the groceries away, and then it's off to the party store. Rhia & I had a great time, she got to pick the balloons and insisted on mice since we were hiding them in the attic and that's where the mice live (or hopefully, lived.) Blew them up--they were lopsided and strangely reminiscent of .... well, let's just say they looked like Mother mice.... started cooking and cutting vegies (which you may recall is one of my favorite activities in the world) listening to music and then I got a phone call from my brother who was I very happy to hear from. Until I heard what he had to say. I won't go into details but it was extremely upsetting. I hung up the phone, really shaken and the phone rang again. I wasn't going to answer since I didn't recognize the number and I really did not want to hear anymore from my brother but on a whim answered. Turned out to be a lovely woman wanting to advertise Yolinna Spirit to her email base of 600 readers. For free. Well, in exchange for me advertising her event to my readers. Which I will do as soon as I get done with this.

Barry comes home, most upset with things at his work and then more upset when I tell him what my brother had to say. We decide to just put it aside, and end up having a very nice evening together in our new room. Life is great. Until the next morning when he decides to put the shingles on the outside of the house instead of helping me with the last minute preparations for the open house. I am frantic (cause this is how silly I am) trying to run around and thinking I'm not going to get it all done and getting more and more angry with him and then he comes in and we have a bit of a to do about it.

Me: this is the last party ever, I swear!
Him: Ummm, you've said that the last 10 parties.
Me: Well, I really mean it this time.
Him: But you really like having people over. And the house is beautiful.
Me: well..... well.... you need to shave!

Insert continued pointless arguing to just let off nervous anticipation of party steam.... and in walks Rhia. With a very strange look on her face. She just stands there. We both turn to her and say WHAT?

"Mom, Dad, I got accepted into Montreat!"

WHAT???!!!!

Rhia got accepted not only into college but into the college she desparately wanted to get into, dreamed of, didn't think there was any way possible. She got into Montreat. Wow. Hugs all around. She is bubbling over, walks away to call Lori (who is her mentor and really encouraged her to go for it) she makes one last turn around and says wistfully, "I guess I really am smart, after all."

Big smile plastered on my face, "of course you are, honey, I told you I believed in you. I knew you could do it." Turn around, walk into another room, disolve into sobs..... my baby is going away to college! OMG! My baby is going away into college! Where will I go? What will I do? Barry comes in, quite teary-eyed himself, Our baby is going away to college!!! We hug, holding each other up, she comes back in-- we pull it rapidly together. "This is wonderful! I can't wait to tell everyone!!!" She skips off... to post it all over her blogs and facebook...

And people start showing up for the party.

They probably thought I was insane. Blithering, blubbery nuts. What else is new?

Great party. John was surprised. Everyone seemed to have fun. Everyone was very excited for Rhia, made her feel so special, especially her Home-schooling Coordinator who really is the only reason this was even possible.... wait, I have to start blubbering again....

We stay up way too late, had way too much food and drink, laughed way too much, had great conversations, even played a rousing game of spoons which I haven't played in years, all in all great time.

I woke up yesterday sick as a dog. Earache, body aches, sniffling, sneezing. Ugh. I never get sick. Unless I get sick. Cleaned up all the after party mess and just collapsed. On the couch. With Jane Austen. Ahhh. Cept I got a boatload of stuff going on this week. Take every medication known to man...

Still sick today. Dangit. I've always said that if you don't take care of yourself, God will give you the opportunity. Thanks God! Seriously, I need a day off. Or two.

Cory came home yesterday and told me that one of the party goers told him something that has made him decide to go into the Coast Guard sooner rather than later. There is a possibility that both of my kids are going away this year.

I better get better at plastering that smile.