I woke up this morning at 8.30a, then dozed for awhile because I didn't really have to get up until 10a, then finally I thought that it was probably time to get up, so I sat up and squinted at the clock, which said that it was 1.30p! What? And since I keep it on military time, I knew that I wasn't misreading the clock, 13.30 is 1.30p no matter how you try to make it say something else.

Maybe my clock was wrong, though, so I got up and staggered into the kitchen to look at the microwave. But why was it so dark outside? I mean, even if it was much earlier than 1.30p, it would be still be light outside! Wasn't it light at 8.30a when I woke in the first place?

I looked at the microwave, and the time kept changing and blinking on and off. I kept hitting "clear" and hoping that it would get back to normal, and it kept saying weirder and weirder information until it was giving me the date as 1927, and that was when it occurred to me that I was asleep and dreaming.

It was so photo-realistic I had completely fooled myself, but I opened my eyes and it was just before 10a, so I got up.

So yesterday I spent the day painting the town red (or at the very least, ochre) with Melissa and Elizabeth and Rob and Schuyler.

Now Rob and I used to be friends, and then we weren't for a long time, but when he was planning on coming up (down? Over?) to the city, he asked that I be included, because it was time for us to be friends again, and I agreed.

The two times I met him in person were during the not-friends time, where we were cordial but slightly chilly to one another, so this was the first time that we ever really hung out and talked to each other, and you know what? He's a great guy! I know you're not surprised, and frankly neither am I, I had just forgotten.

So first I went to Tipton Charles and Barnes and Noble to do some Christmas shopping, and I took care of Fran and Cynthia and Teri and Mom and The Raccoon, and was feeling all pleased with myself until I went to the cash machine and found out that I had grossly mis-judged the amount of money that I actually had and was left with only $50 until payday. Whoops! So I got out $40 and hoped that I wouldn't spend much of it during the Day of Fun. The Rainy Day of Fun, that is, because that is what it was doing.

I went to John's Pizza and met the other participants in the Rainy Day of Fun, who were having a very bad waiter experience, not to mention Schuyler was having a bit of a melt-down. This whole sitting still in a restaurant business wasn't going over too well with her, not at all. Either that or she was as upset about the service as Melissa was.

O, and Melissa gave me my birthday and Christmas presents, a really cool little handbag with dirty in-flight instructions on it, a bunch of soap, two new stuffed hedgehogs and a book about How to Swear Effectively, it was really great. Especially the handbag, which I am in need of now, since Chococat is filthy and uncleanable.

After John's we went to Toys R Us in Times Square, an establishment into which I have never set foot and certainly never on a Saturday afternoon during the Christmas rush, but it was fun. I oohed and aahed over the different Barbies (Me: "When I get married, you're going to have to get me that bridal Barbie." Melissa: "When you get married, I'll get you the best bridal Barbie in the whole world!!") and Melissa loved the Muppet figurines.

Rob wanted to go on the ferris wheel, which was cool, but a real scam. You got a ticket with a time on it, but you couldn't even get onto the line until the time on your ticket, and then it took an hour beyond that to actually get on the wheel. Once you were on, though, you could never get off, so you got plenty for your money.

After that, we went to see the windows at Saks and the Rockefeller Centre tree, both tourist Meccas, so there was a great deal of stopping and starting and walking single-file and getting bashed with umbrellas. Or, if you are Elizabeth, doing a little bashing of your own. She's quite a dangerous character.

By that time we had to go pick up Julie from Grand Central, so we started the slow crawl downtown. Honestly, salmon swimming upstream against the mighty current to spawn made better time than we did. This is why New Yorkers stay home during this time of the year.

We finally got there and we were a little early so Melissa and I looked at the vendors selling stuff. I fell in love with a stuffed hedgehog that I will have to go back and get when I have some money, because it was so different than any of the others that I have.

And I also saw, well, it's a story. I saw these wine glass charms and I stopped stock still. You see, we have started getting presents into the accounting department, and last week The Raccoon got this box with six bottles of wine that she refused to share (she shares everything else, but decided to be selfish with the wine) and six little, what we thought were earrings. Yes we did! I wore mine for two days!

O course, even had I known what they were I would have worn mine as an earring anyway, but I just laughed and laughed over the picture in my head of us going "Ooh, earrings!" and then my sticking a wine glass charm in my ear and walking around proudly for two days.

Julie's train arrived and then we decided to go to Vynl for dinner. The though part was getting a cab, since for some reason nobody wanted to take five people, a three-year old and a stroller cross-town to the theatre district during the pre-show rush!

We finally found a cab and piled into it, and yes, you can fit five adults, a toddler and a stroller into a New York City cab. It's not the easiest thing in the world, but with a little determination and some very close friends, it is possible. When we got out, the people waiting to take our cab did make clown car comments, but that was only to be expected!

Vynl was great, as per usual--I love a place where all of the waiters know me. Everyone got a look at my letter of protest on the wall, I'm a Vynl celebrity! Rob was particularly enamoured of the meat loaf.

Elizabeth and Melissa ran out like scared rabbits an hour before their train, but it was the last train so you could understand their single-mindedness on the issue, then Rob and Julie walked me to the van and I pointed them in the direction of Grand Central. It was a really fun day, even with the rain and the crowds and the crying baby, because frankly, Schuyler wasn't a patch on Molly of Bonnie in their screaming days, so to me her tantrums were not to be feared.

Today's horoscope:
Virgo is both invigorated and at peace. While you're convinced of a perfect world, you're still searching for further proof. The light of the Taurus Moon shines through the keyhole, beckoning you to open the door.

One year ago today:
I am a licensed driver in the state of New Jersey!

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Last Updated Mon 16 December 11:12:09 2002