Invisible man on 1st

did y'all used to have that? invisible man on 1st...when Steven Marcus was grounded and there weren't enough Actual Visible players? someone would kick the ball and it would be an automatic 1st base, even though Steven was very athletic, if insecure to a fault, and would probably have sent the ball to jupiter, had he been allowed out to play. so geting around to my point, and i do have one....Diva has an invisible friend. yes. she will suddenly wake up and sprint for the back door where she will attempt to claw her way out (stinks to be thumbless) like her life depended on it. the instant The Instant i tell you she hits the back deck, her tail starts a spinning wag, which is a high degree of difficulty for her breed. (eskie). her invisible friend is no doubt the very same chipmunck that has bedeviled her all summer, only now it's moved into it's winter home under our deck. the deck is slatted wood sort of, so she is able to get a good sniff of whatever is under there, and husband began a demolition on this deck last last year (that's 2 years ago) but only got as far as 1 part of 1 board in the corner. so she is able to get her snout down in there, and i worry that she'll get her face stuck and hurt something in the removal thereof. but she remains undeterred. after her recent apple-two-step incident, i am very sensitive to her needs, as far as the potty is concerned, so when she wakes up at, oh, say 2am, 3am, and starts pawing at me, i will bolt upright and run for the back door tripping on my bathrobe. imagine my feelings and thoughts when she starts wagging and sniffing along the deck, oblivious to my need for sleep and the early hour that i am freezing my ankles. then of course, about 20 minutes after we're snuggled back into bed, she remembers that she never did get around to potty-fying. i am tired y'all. i have been going to bed around 8:30, just hoping to get a few early winks before the Invisible Friend starts partying. oh and speaking of which....my stepchildren are home for the holiday. my stomach is pre-knotted. husband? oh - he left this morning for another vacation day or two in the woods. safe place safe place. thank Jesus i don't work tomorrow, because as youngblood headed out the door an hour ago, he announced he'd be back late (which means early, but on the other side of the 12) so between I.F. and youngblood, i should get 1-inch of sleep. enough of this....now i'm in a mood. speaking of being in a mood, am i the only one who just does not look forward to holidays (except my birthday, of course)? i really do not like holidays. especially the biggies - thanksgiving & christmas. i just want to spend those days in my jammies watching movies. without in-laws or other people creating chaos & trampling on my zen. i want to spend thanksgiving being actually thankful. maybe quietly doing some meditation, naming everything i'm grateful for, eating chocolate cake and napping. same for christmas, but i'd like people to stop by briefly Briefly and drop off presents for me. i just don't like commotion. at all. i think it's because my JOB is commotion all day. i need quite of lot of quietness. and my M-I-L is the antithesis of that. god! i can hear her glass-crunching voice now. advice i give my stepchildren: marry an orphan. i think i could indeed become a part-time hermit. at least when it comes to holidays. so i want to treat myself to a short vacation in january or march...i'm not sure where to...and just for a few days - leave on a friday morning, return on sunday night or monday morning. hmmmm. i'll think on that. AND! the 10th semi-annual Girls Pajama & Craft party will be coming up! picture 2 nights in a penthouse suite with a roaring fireplace and a room full of women all making art or chocolate cake or reading a book or whatever they feel like. loft bedroom, plus another plus another, plus all the other usual rooms, and a kitchen with food! if this sounds like fun....drop me a line so you'll be included! stay for an hour, come & go, stay for a few days....it's your party, do what you want to....but no crying. so what a ramble, huh? okay i'm done i think, and off to bed like an old person. if anyone has any information on whether or not my husband is planning another surprise birthday party for me, please let me know. Thanks! be back with you after the holidays....i wish you all the happiness of a Norman Rockwell thanksgiving! pray for me. :) Linda