#uncoffeed...

For Michael, Proper My friend, My son, Confidante, Sometimes-secret soul: On your day Everybody passes hearts Like a telephone game Hoping to get one in pocket With its message Still recognisable. It looks like fun, sometimes, But nobody seems to read The secret words of hearts. I put my heart in your pocket Knowing it's safe there While I wait for my can to ring.

Oh. Em. GEE. Waiting has been like going into labor. The post office finally got the third package to me today - the Test Hat which Michell  made using extra-heavy, potentially ugly, yarn she found especially for me.   It's still not ugly, but it's super-heavy and thick with character. It's got a White Hat good guy side, and a Black Hat bad guy side. It's so very me. I'll take Michell's advice and wear it rolled up a bit, so my Yin and Yang show like a warning flag. Or a warming flag. I AM SO HAPPERY! I may never take it off, ever. Thank you again, Michell of CrochetAndThingsCo.   Please support Small Businesses and Handcrafters. Your grandparents would never have survived without them.

Me: :::sauntering into the office wearing the Loud Hat::: BRB: I can do it on Friday! Me: We're doing it TODAY! Three of them came last night. BRB: TODAY? Okey-dokey!  Me: :::sauntering to my cube wearing the Loud Hat::: Emilyyyy...Look what I got.... Emily:  :::frozen stare::: We're doing it TODAY? Me: TODAY! Emily: Okay...Can we do it outside? Me: :::proudly laying the Loud Hat on my desk::: Anne: COOL HAT! I am so stealing this! :::grabs hat and bounces off::: Me: :::icy death stare::: Anne: :::lays the Loud Hat back on my desk::: During lunch, we got it together - BRB, Emily, and I all in the bathroom fixing our makeup for the photo shoot. We decided to pose in front of the Christmas tree in the office instead of going outside. HR kindly agreed to take pictures with my phone; they were all out of focus but two. In one of those I'm rolling my eyes up in my head.  Thank you, HR - my phone was the problem, I promise.  We hied us to the breakro...

I attended an AA meeting once in the early 80s, having hitch-hiked to Daytona Beach with the guy who would later become the father of all my children. Laden with sleeping-bag rolls , we were  befriended by people who live on the beach. They immediately showed us the ropes: you can attend the Meeting and get some free donuts and coffee. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. There will be lots of coffee. You will need it to stay awake during the 3 hours you aren't allowed to be on the beach. It isn't recommended for newbies to try and congregate under the bridge where the regulars go - folks are territorial. So those who don't have territory stay awake and wander the city for 3 hours. We ended up making another friend - a guy on a Harley chopper who let us stay at his apartment overnight. I had about 8 minutes of terror standing on a corner at midnight, waiting to see if this guy came back after taking away my friend; he did. The guy let us ...