The past few days have been a big blur, which was good, in some ways, as it gave me less time to actually think about what's been going on. It's been hectic and sad and happy, kind of all at once.

On Thursday I babysat for 15 hours (!!!), and two of those hours were spent with not only my usual two kids, but two others that live nearby. That's right, I spent two hours watching a 2, 3, 4, and 5-year old, and I did not go too crazy. Not any more crazy than I already was, anyway. It was easier with four kids, surprisingly, but it was a looooong day, and I didn't really get to crash once I got home... because then Aurora arrived at my house and I took her over to Chelsea's where she spent the night. The next day Aurora, Chelsea, her parents, and I went to the funeral. It was sad but Kelly sat and talked with us after the funeral and laughed and seemed to be doing okay, given everything. It was another long day, an emotionally draining one, but despite the reason for it, it was nice to see Aurora and it was so good that everyone could come together for Kelly and her family.

Then today and yesterday I was busy trying to finish Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, bringing gifts to people I won't see until after the New Year, getting together with people, etc. Last night was supposed to be Rachel's bachelorette party, but it was cancelled, and instead, Amanda and I went out on the town. We had a good time... there were laughs, and then some crazy people dressed up like Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, and reindeer came into the bar... they handed out candy canes to everyone, and they said they did it every year, just for fun. We also got hit on by some older men, so woo-hoo.

Now I have to go pack and get ready to leave for Florida tomorrow. I'm excited to go someplace warm and sunny, and to recover from this past week. I'll be gone until Jan. 1 (2006!) so if I don't get a chance to write, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!!

This week was promising to be a really good one, what with the new eye and getting back to work for a couple days, all before going to Florida for Christmas (and sunshine). Now I'm ending my week with a funeral. My friend Kelly's dad went into the hospital this past Saturday after having a stroke, and he passed away yesterday. I don't even know what to say or do. I'm so sad for her and her family. It feels weird to write about this in such a public way, but all I've really been able to think about today is Kelly and wonder how she's doing. I haven't been able to talk to her yet, but I spent a lot of time talking to other friends about it, and there's been a general outpouring of shock and sadness. We're all sad for our friend... and it's like we can't imagine losing our own dads and moms, but here's our friend, whose father is the same age as our own parents, and it just happened, so suddenly. I only met him a few times, but I liked Kelly's dad a lot. I can't imagine what she's going through.

The eye surgery went just fine. I'm alive, aren't I? That's the important part. And not blind any more. Though I am kind of blurry, still, but that will go away in a few days, hopefully. My vision was really good right after the whole thing; I walked out and could read the headlines on a newspaper in the waiting room. It's blurrier right now, which is sort of making me freak out a little... but I did get something in my eye while taking a shower earlier today, and it was very angry with me, and that might have something to do with it.

The whole surgery was sort of an odd experience. First, a nurse took my blood pressure and temperature, and then she gave me a nice little pre-op valium to relax me. And boy, did it ever. I was talking to Chelsea's mom after taking it (she took me to the surgery) and started to notice a strange, heavy feeling in all my appendages and eyelids and then realized that I was not at all worried about the whole surgery thing! It was kind of nice, in a this-is-a-drug-induced-state-
and-completely-unnatural-but-I'll-enjoy-it-just-the-same kind of way. Now I know why it was once such a popular drug. Everything that happened after the taking of the magic pill was kind of a blur.

They took me away and made me put on a surgical hat thing and lie down, where my whole being wanted to stay for eternity and take what promised to be a most wonderful nap, but instead my doctor stuck this instrument in my eye to make it stay open and taped the other one shut, completely cutting off the possibility of said nap. He then proceeded to make my eye completely numb. And squirted water in it that ran down my face and into my ear. I didn't really care though... again, with the valium.

Then I had to stare up at this blazing circle with a red light in the middle for sometime while the doctor and his nurses did more things to my eye, things including but not limited to: the peeling back of the topmost layer of my cornea, which I could see happening, because my eye was wide open. So, so fun. Then the circle with the red light emitted an even brighter, white light for about 30 seconds (therein lies the laser part), doc put my epithelium back in place (aforementioned topmost layer of cornea), put a soft contact lens on top of that, and I was free to go! Whee! Seriously. No pain or anything.

In the car on the way home, I could not keep my eyes open, thanks to the valium. Once I got home around 4 pm, I crawled into bed and took a long-awaited 3 and a half hour valium-induced nap, which everyone from the nurses to my doctor to the receptionist to my mom suggested and condoned. "Go home! Take a nap! You'll wake up feeling much better!" And I DID.

On that note, I need to go to sleep. I'm getting delirious.