visit from the mind monsters

my eyes opened at 4 o'clock this morning. the mind monsters had come to visit again. they were just making their usual rounds. every week or two they show up in the most tender hours of the morning, always returning just when you think they've forgotten you. they sit on the side of the bed, whispering at first, and if you don't respond the way they wish, if you just lie there trying to go back to sleep, they jump on your stomach and stomp. your chest starts to feel pressure, and your stomach starts to hurt, and there is nothing left to do but rise and shine, as if it were your intention all along.

so, now i sit in front of the computer, my only friend in the wee hours of the morning, and we chase them away together. like peter and his gang, we draw our swords, swipe them deftly back and forth, making whizzing sounds through the air, double daring them to stick around a second longer. then they flee, like the cowards they are, they always flee, and our laughter tinkles on the morning air as they scatter to the four winds.

ok, enough of that!

today is thursday and i don't have to cook. well, at least i don't have to cook tonight because it's patsy and bec's turn. i have no idea what they will bring tonight, only that they will show up with something to feed herman and me. they come over every thursday night and we take turns cooking. sometimes we just pick up something or order out, but most of the time one of us cooks. i have to cook some today for my sister who will be here tomorrow but not tonight.

jacob will be coming tonight too, that's bec's little boy. i'll pick up some glue sticks and poster board for him at the dollar tree today. last week we got kid scissors and construction paper. he made lots of cut outs and now he needs a place to paste them. he is beautiful, brave and bold, all the good b words.

omigod, did anyone see oprah the other day. she had that scientist on that talked about the bird flu and a potential pandemic. it was enough to make you crawl under the covers and pull them up over your head, and stay there. it was the scariest darn thing i've ever heard, too much for me to wrap my mind around.

he said that the global economy would collapse, we wouldn't have enough health care professionals to take care of us, and we wouldn't be able to keep up with burying the dead. it was horrifying! no wonder i had a visitation from the mind monsters early this morning. this guy said that we would all be on our own if it happens, that we need to stockpile food and water. he said that most major cities only have seven days worth of chlorine, so we would be without water as early as seven days. he said that grocery stores are also only a few days away from having shortages if the trucks can't bring food. transportation would break down and people that are still healthy will not want to come out of their houses to work. he went on and on and on with nothing but bad news. essentially, we're supposed to stock up on masks, food and water and hunker down. there will not be enough vaccine in any meaningful way for the first year of the pandemic.

i'm a little ray of sunshine this morning, aren't i? well, kiddies, off to prepare for my sister's visit. maybe i'll pick up a few extra bottles of H2O. how bout you?