Happy Thursday

What a week. I went from dragging ass across my death bed to laryngitis and sounding like a raspy, dirty old man to laughing so fully and hard I couldn't stop the tears. And it's not even the weekend yet! That fast and furious kind of a roller coaster ride reminds me how alive I am, right now. Of course, I'd much rather do without the sicko histrionics, but swinging that pendulum from "just shoot me now" misery to "no, don't stop!" exhilaration kind of puts things into perspective. Pardon my Pollyanna, but sometimes you're so damn grateful to be alive and well, the little things that might otherwise set you off just don't matter.

It helps that last night I spent a couple hours with four of my most favorite friends on the planet -- collectively and affectionately known as the Hoo-Ha's. I look forward to our Hoo-Ha Happy Hours and gatherings from the time one ends until we see each other again. We've been together for over ten years -- through marriages, affairs, childbirths, deaths, and divorce -- and I imagine we'll still be sipping our drinks, telling closely held secrets, and laughing irreverently when talk of kiddos and empty nests, facelifts and wrinkles, men and sex are no longer our obsessions. Well, we may never quit obsessing about men or sex.

It helps that today I talked to my mom. Nothing major going on, but the sound of her voice from so far away makes me feel good and reminds me that I am loved in a way that no one else on earth has ever or will ever love me. Hearing Dad shout "I love you, Mimi!" in the background was just cream cheese icing on top of that deliciously rich family cake that only tastes better as the flavors age.

It helps that tonight my two nanaboys were only too happy to walk briskly with me around the 'hood, skipping along beside me in their black and blue Ba Ki Do uniforms and making small talk about their day. Sometimes a lot more can be heard in the quiet ramblings of children when their parents aren't around, but someone else whom they trust a whole lot is.

It helps that my two oldest daughters were with me to share dinner and conversation and to watch our fave Grey's Anatomy. Being together with a common purpose -- McDreamy and McSteamy -- makes for a great girls' night in. That my daughters like me a whole lot more now than they did as teenagers (and vice versa) gives me hope that we'll always be close-knit like the family I had growing up.

And it helps that I got in a good workout, hacked out this oh-so-goddamn-rosy blog post, and look forward to lunch with a dear writer buddy tomorrow -- which is, by the way, FRIDAY. On my bed lies a curled up calico kitten who, when not scratching the hell out of my arms, thinks I'm a pretty cozy and safe place to hang out. I don't want to disappoint her, so g'night, y'all.

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