I'm sick. I'm tired. Does that make me sick and tired? Yes, but not in the traditional sense of anything other than moving. I've got a ton of stuff due at school Monday, need to be packed by Friday so the movers can pick up my stuff at 9 a.m., still need to go to school and work, Misti's coming (YEAH!), working on Saturday at the Jazz festival, and I have a frickin Ebola type flu. Where is the justice?

"Calgon, TAKE ME AWAY!"

Oh yeah, Misti...there is not just "that song" by Puff Daddy. He's had lots of top ten songs and even more on the radio. He even made some with Notorious B. I. G. And Tupac is a legend, and don't you forget it.

Word.

So this afternoon I was lounging around, buggin Vic to get up and goin so we could go buy boxes and start packing. The phone rings and caller ID says "out of area," which is typically my mother. I answer. It's work saying there is a rape victim at the hospital closest to my house, which is quite aways from the actual agency, and could I go. Now, last semester I took the Sexual Assault Advocacy Training classes, but I never did the exit interview. But now that I'm an employee, I am on back-up sometimes. So when the first in line volunteer person is either not reached or can't go, they call the employee on call to go take care of it. Today was the first day of my week to be on call. Which I had forgotten. Which, even if I had remembered it was my turn this week, I didn't think that I'd ever be called. So when I was just chillin, unshowered and all, and they called today...I freaked out. I was so nervous all the way to the hospital (I took a fast shower, btw)! So I called work and talked to this lady that I was in the SAAT class with who is now also an employee. She had taken some SAAT calls and she calmed me down, by the time I got there I was all good...but they time I was in there with the 19 year old girl and her mother--I was an expert. Oh yeah, I rocked. I new my stuff and had answers to all the questions. It's amazing how it all works like that. I hope that I was as much help as I feel like I was, but I guess that's something I will never know. In any case, I handled my first same day, very intense rape today and sailed through it with flying colors. I'd like to throw that in the face of a particular creep in OK. Rat bastard can't keep me down...this fat chick totally rules.

I'm moving Friday. There is so much to be done and no time to do it. I just called to have the house sprayed for bugs. I love bug spray, it kills my most dreaded enemy. I have to go to the city and pay $105 just to have the water transfered from the builders name to my name. Makes me crazy. I can't find anyone to do Nancy's hair on Friday either. She needs to go to the beauty shop bad. I can't stand the way she smells anymore. And the groomer could keep her while the movers are here on Friday so we don't have to listen to her bark bark bark bark.

Vic's back safe and sound. YEAH for safe and sound! He's sick and I think I'm getting that way too. Yuck. He brought me the cutest little butterfly and flower braclet from James Avery. SO sweet.

Today the SUPER HELPER AWARD goes to: Miss Teri Gunnels!!!!

She will be here shortly to try and make some sense out of this madness I/We live in! She is winning an all inclusive Nancy dance, all the sweet kitty bites she can stand, and (drummmmmm rooooollll pleaseeee!) a free night with my most honored concubine, Mandy!

So yeah, it's Friday night. Am I out on the town? Nope. I'm at work. Why, you ask? Because I have not one single thing better to do. I did all of my initial contact letters, all of my completion letters, and my monthly master log is completely up to date. I even called someone. She and I have been conversating for about 10 days now. She really needs some help, not necessarily because of her marital situation; but because she is mentally ill. She is being treated, but she doesn't understand her disorder AT ALL. I feel really sorry for her. Anyway, tonight there was a voice mail from her saying that her husband had been physically abusive and that she is filing for a protective order and a divorce. That means that he'll be kicked out of our program. I love being the first to know. I'm happy for her because maybe once she is out of the abusive relationship she can really focus on herself. The crazy thing about it all is that her husband is a big ol' powerful man in the community. Actually wouldn't surprise me if he lost his job because of her filing a PO. Fair? Maybe not. Fair that he beats her ass? Definitely not.

SO Vic is sick. He has a cold. I hate him being so far away calling me and sounding so pitiful. He wasn't feeling too bueno when he left, but I thought that he would continue taking the cold meds and get better. Nope, he continued taking them, but is not better. When I talked to him at 6:30 he hadn't eaten and he hadn't gotten anymore meds. I sent him to the Lone Star Oyster Bar so that Landon could keep him company and feed him and then to Walgreens for some theraflu and nose spray. We'll just see how that goes. I'll call him AND Landon to check later :). I'm going home. Nighty night.

I am so proud of Moe. Just like Misti coming of age with the world of pointless forwards, Moe is going to take time to better herself. I love to harp that no man is an island, but if you aren't going to get yourself together; no one else is going to do it for you. It's hard to set up limits, and it's even harder to stick by them. We are all pulling for you! Go MOE! If you need anything, I'm only a blog away. Speaking of needing things. I want a moe address. Please? When you have time, of course...and that may be next Christmas break, but if you will refer back to my very first ever blog post, I like to bandwagon :).

So today, in my Diversity in Social Services class, there were all these people with red faces and tears and stuff. It was really tense. So these two women walk in to speak. My gaydar pegged the meter. One was way obvious; the other would have only been about a 7.3 on the meter. They are late 40ish. They tell their stories about coming out, life as a lesbian couple, meeting at their (nondenominational, Christian, not gay) church, etc. So the class starts asking religious based questions (i.e.: But the Bible says...., so how do you claim to be Christian and gay???) This girl raises her hand, one girl that *always* talks and says, "This is my mom." One of the lesbians was her mom. It was cool. The whole class just stopped, like everyone held their breath. I love when people are taken by surprise and confronted with their own fears about people.

The teacher of this class always, always, always says "We are not afraid of the unknown, we are afraid of what we *think* we know." And that is so true. We fear our own what-ifs. We dream up these situations and if someone fits the description of our dream, or nightmare, we assume that they will fit the bill and play into our situations. This same teacher preaches that "Just because they look like you does not mean they are with you, and just because they don't look like you doesn’t mean they are against you." Again, very true.

One thing that I picked up out of the gay/religion debate was a cool quote that a girl said in defense of people saying that gay people couldn't be Christian. She said:

"Churches are not a haven for saints, but a hospital for sinners."

Beautifully spoken, but can't we all just get along? Back to work...

I forgot to ad a couple of other things to my "While Vic's Gone List." I watched Living Single (Queen Latifa's old show) in the living room. He hates that show and it's one of my favorites. If I watch it in the living room usually, he gets on the computer or something...so I never watch it, and instead we find something we can agree on. Not last night! I also slept with the fan on. He gives me this schpill about my allergies and waking up with a sore throat. He finally wore me down and I never sleep with it on. Not last night! I took a shower and got out, directly onto the rug, without ever touching my towel. I even stood there and dripped for a minute. Normally, he would have had a conniption fit had I not dried all of me, but especially the bottoms of my feet COMPLETELY before ever stepping out; he hates a wet rug. But damnit! Not last night!!!

And now, here I am. The reason I'm up? Because I had to poop the poodle. HE normally gets up when she starts barking. That's anywhere from 7 to 9. Today it was 7:42. And there was no one to get up except for me. SO then I had to find something to throw on, get her leash on, and make the trek down to the grass. Not that it's too far, but you never know what adventures we are going to find on the way, today it was only a wind-blown leaf; but we did have to bark it Good Morning!

I've recently spoken about my desire to be a morning person. Thanks to Nancy and Vic, I will live like I am for the next few days. I’m off to work!

Yeah! Misti is coming of age in the net world! She has found the literal disgust for forwards. I have to admit that I do love a good picture forward. You know the "Priceless" ones or "Will work for beer" kinds. If I can glace at it and get it, I will look. If it's long, it's gone. (I'm a rhymin' simon!). It also depends on who it's from. If someone that doesn't ever send forwards sends one...then I know it's probably worthwhile. But I actually very rarely get them anymore.

Vic's gone to Lubbock. Sad sad. He has to make up some army days tomorrow and Friday and then does the regular April drill this weekend. He hasn't been gone from me since he moved here back in November. I went home for Christmas for 4 days, and then went home when Paw died in February for 3 days. Other than that, we are together damn near 24/7. Not really, because he works at least 32 hours a week and I work 20-28 hours (but even some of those he is up there w/ me!). But I only have one class that he's not in. And neither one of us has a life. SO, I'm bored. Mandy is out and about too...God only knows where! And she too will be gone this weekend, so then I will be 100% on my own.

My plan tonight was simple: eat somewhere that Vic doesn't like to eat and bring it home and eat it at the kitchen table, another thing he doesn't like to do. La Madeline was my restaurant of choice, and they threw in a free loaf of sour dough bread. I love them. Clearing off a spot on the flat-filing cabinet was not as easy, but it was well worth it once I had a spot. Kitty even came and sat in the chair next to me and Fance Nance ate her dinner at the same time. I attempted to tell them about my day, but every time I would begin speaking, Nancy would stop eating and look at me. She needed to eat and they were just glad I was home, so I didn't tell them much.

Not real sure what's next. I MUST start packing. The movers will be here at 9 a.m. sharp on Friday the 26th. That's like 8 days from now and not a single thing has been packed. Aye carumba. I believe I will begin with some laundry tonight. Good idea.

Oh yeah. The storm. What storm? J-Ko is calling leaving me these paranoid messages about getting in the closet (has she forgotten Mandy is already out?) and Chicken Moe is hiding underneath pillows. I was busy at work, answering the crisis line, never noticed it. I did see that as people came in from outside they appeared to have droplets on their shoulders. I thought they had been smoking and trying to spit or something, that's what always happened to me when I used to smoke. Paranoia runs high in these here parts, I do declare. My car did enjoy the spit bath.