Happy New Year's Eve!!

Yippeee! New Years! We will go to dinner at a small restaurant in Wellington, CO called Beauregards and it's gonna be F-U-N, FUN! My trainer Rex is coming with her curmudgeon-y husband Glenn. Her mom Carol is coming - Carol used to be my trainer until she retired. Rex's sister Mindy is coming - she is an equine surgeon at Littleton Large Animal Clinic in Littleton, CO and her brother Justin who is a true cowboy and runs a herd of cattle.... their spouses and kids will be coming so it's gonna be a big ol' party.

I am just enough of a dork that I bought New Year party favors... I have plenty o' glow stix that you can make into bracelets and necklaces and I have strobe light blinking Happy New Year pins from flashing blinky lights.com for everyone and then some.... the waitstaff at Beauregards always likes a little bling on such a busy night.

And it just wouldn't be New Years without a big ol' pimple on my face! I have a nice big, red, noticable pimple on my left cheek... right on the apple... you know that area you are supposed to put your blush on? Yup. Right there. Big and red and pulsing for everyone to see. I guess it didn't want to miss out on the festivities tonight.

Every time I get a pimple that big, I think of my old college roomie, Ellie.

Once I had a pimple on my chin that seemed to go on and on and on - it was huge and Ellie said it had become such a part of me, I should name it. She began calling it Janet.

Ellie was older than me and in graduate school for writing. She was really different. I have a lot of Ellie stories.

Ellie used to come into the bathroom when I was taking a bath and tell me I had SUCH nice limbs. She wasn't coming on to me or anything - and I think in college and living with people, you are used to little or no privacy. I dunno... maybe it was just me? It didn't really bother me... I mean we were all women and had the same parts. I'm not so willing for anyone to see me nekkid now... now I sag. Now I have a roll. I named it Sheila... see? Ellie is with me always!

I guess it was kinda wierd. shrug. I took it as a compliment. I have nice limbs! Or did... maybe they aren't so nice anymore now that I am an old bag?

I had this cat named Little Kitty at the time. Ellie always told me that Little Kitty looked like Elizabeth Taylor and she'd like to make love to Little Kitty. Hmmm. Yeah. THAT one was wierd. Personally I never did see Little Kitty's resemblance to Liz Taylor. I mean, Little Kitty's wardrobe was sorely lacking....I don't think Ellie ever did sleep with Little Kitty in the biblical sense cuz Little Kitty wasn't that type of cat. She woulda scratched the holy hell outta any human trying that sorta funny bid'ness with her.

Ellie was o.k. I guess --- just odd. She was tidy, never hurt me, never stole anything or ate my food and she paid her rent so who was I to complain? My boundaries and what I was willing to put up with were really different when I was young vs. now when I am old and crotchety.

A guy I dated at the time told me I was a "dirtbag magnet" cuz wierd people tended to come up to me out of the blue and start talking to me... maybe that is how I ended up with Ellie as a roomie. She wasn't what I would call a dirtbag, just different.

This next Ellie story is sorta gross so if you are squeemish about bodily functions you might want to stop reading....

One day Ellie called me crying. She was always calling me and crying about something. I'd listen to the story and try to offer her some comforting words. I always hung up and shook my head once the call was over.

This particular morning she called me and was crying ...

"Shanster! I'm at so-and-so's house and I put 3 tampons in myself... 'whimper'.... I can't get them out!!"

"Ellie! What am I supposed to do about it?! Go to a doctor!"

"But it huuuuurrrrrts! 'sob' "

"Well, yeah, I'm sure it does! (horrified pause) I can't help you... you HAVE to go to a doctor! Ellie! Why did you put THREE in?!?

"All so-and-so had in her bathroom were the light flow kind and I'm really heavy flow! (more sobbing) I didn't want to have to change them every 30 minutes and now I can't get them all out! "

I never asked her how she got them out but I don't think she went to the doctor. I dunno, maybe, to this day, there is still a stray light flow tampon in Ellie's hoo-ha? I wonder if she named it and ever wrote about it?

Have a very safe and wonderful New Years - all the best to you in the 365 days to follow!