Fantastic Friday Five #12

In celebration of a gloriously beautiful Friday, I decided it was time for another Fantastic Friday Five.  So here I am for some wonderful sharing...

1.)  I have learned even in the country, I am not safe from people knocking on my door soliciting their religion.  I've considered putting a sign in the yard that says "Not interested in converting."   I also thought of just blatantly posting a sign stating that an agnostic/atheist lives here but I figured if some local farmer's cow gets found slaughtered in the pasture they'll be knocking on our door first.  Stupid bible belt!

2.)  We have decided on a vacation destination for when my husband returns for this round of leave.  We narrowed it down to Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon and then we let the kids make the final choice.  We are going to visit the Grand Canyon.  I have already made all of the necessary reservations including a smooth water float trip down the Colorado River.
Since my husband and I are planning this all in different time zones, I have devised a power point complete with a time line to keep him up to date.  I'm sure many people think that is anal as all hell but I just like thinks to flow.  When they don't, I get anxious and then I feel like I'm all irritated and ruining everyone's fun.  So you see?  This is all for the best.  You don't want to see me on CNN as the lady who tossed her children AND husband over the side of the canyon, do you?  DO YOU???
My husband, being ex-military and still working with the government, loves that I plan everything out.  He's accustomed to frequent power points.  We always do this for big events and/or adventures...and by "we" I mean "me".  His contribution to this...he wants me to locate "Holiday Road" on i-tunes so we can listen to that along the trip because every family vacation should be jammed to in style just like the Griswold's.  Maybe I should also try to rent the Wagon Queen Family Truckster for that authentic Griswold feel.

I guess we can hope that my husband doesn't end up running around deliriously with pants on his head.

3.)  This school year I have been co-leading my daughter's Girl Scout troop.  I LOVE working with the girls more than I thought I would.  Dealing with the parents?  Not so much.  It seems like no matter how many different ways you put out the information (a paper copy in their hand, a text message, an email, posted to the troop's Facebook page) someone is going to say "Nobody told me about that...I didn't know."  I swear it is enough to beat my head against a wall.
We recently finished cookie sales.  THANK GOODNESS!  Our troop sold 6500 boxes.  My daughter's share of that was 765 boxes and, man, did she hustle. 

4.)  This season of The Walking Dead is over.  That makes me sad.  Season 3 needs to hurry up for two reasons A.) The hooded woman at the end of the season 2 finale is the most bad ass character thus far in the graphic novels.  B.)  The show's creators, clever little bastards that they are, also allowed us a glimpse of the prison in the horizon which can only mean that the introduction of a villain no one will ever forget shouldn't be too far behind.  I already have Volume 16 of the graphic novels preordered.  It is set to release mid June.  That should hold me for about an hour...

5.)  Lately, I've been wondering if I am going to have to use the safe room for it's intended purpose.  We've had some nasty weather the past few days.  Fingers crossed we don't blow away.

Bonus:  For those that have been reading for awhile you know my history with owls.  The mascot for the school my children started this school year is, in fact, an owl.  How ironic is that?
 Enjoy your weekend!  I know I will!

Somewhere In The Middle

Half of the time, I can’t remember the things I dream.  It seems like when I do remember them I’d wish I didn’t.  Yesterday was one of those days.  Maybe I watch too many horror movies or maybe I am just a disturbed person.  My dreams have been imbedded into my head.  What’s worse is they are happening in the state of sleep paralysis (half asleep/half awake) which can be outright terrifying.  

Yesterday, I was feeling exhausted around two in the afternoon.  I decided to lie down and take a nap before the kids came home from school.  I’m sure it was the snow that had crept into Oklahoma recently that made me feel so sleepy.  I curled up into the bed and nuzzled under the covers.  I dreamed I was taking a nap and woke up.  In my bedroom, there was an attic door on the ceiling that had been pulled down with the door extended.  In reality, there is only access to the attic up the stairs and it is a walk in attic.

In the dream, I was only slightly alarmed by the open attic.  I climbed out of bed and in my living room there was another attic on the ceiling with the ladder extended.  In the dining room, it was the same thing only the ladder had been broken into pieces on the floor.  The hallway closet was open.  It was the open closet that made my heart start to race.

I picked up my cellphone and dialed 911.  The operator was an idiot who I repeatedly gave my address to over and over again.  It was as if I was on a three-way call with the 911 operator and the police department.  I pleaded for them to send someone to my house and stated that someone is in here with me.

As I am pleading for them to help me, everything in my house turns on almost as if the electricity had been out.  The fans are spinning at their highest speeds.  The televisions and radios are all blaring loudly.  All of the lights came on at the same time.  At this point I look down the hallway and I noticed my son’s door begin to open and a shadow creeps out into the hallway.  I take off back towards my bedroom and into my closet where the safe room is located.  I make it into the room and slam the door behind me.  I manage to lock it as whoever it is stands on the other side trying to turn the knob.  I can see a shadow underneath the door.

Then I wake up, fully alert.  My heart is pounding in my chest.  I look at the clock and only about a half an hour has passed since I first laid in the bed.  Yeah, nap time was over.

Later that night after I sent the kids to bed, I climbed into my bed around 10:30pm.  I dreamed I woke up again and the bathroom door and closet doors were open.  Immediately, I felt startled.  I never sleep with doors open.  I heard whispering all around me and one by one I started to see these cloud-like, smoky images in front of me.  They appeared to have facial features and it looked as though they were whispering.  I tried to climb out of the bed but I was tangled in the covers.  I knew I was dreaming and was trying to get myself to wake up.  The whispers felt as if they were getting louder and louder.

I woke with a jolt and all at once there was silence.  I glanced over at the clock and thirty minutes had passed yet again.

Am I saying my house is haunted?  Not at all.  I do think something is weighing on my subconscious though.  Maybe I am being haunted by something like my own failure.  Who really knows though, right?  Maybe I just watch to many horror movies…