Beat Up In Bed By A Burglar

      That's how I felt when I woke up this morning.  I almost wished it had happened as that would have at least been a reason why I felt so bad when I got up today.  I would have also had a fighting chance so I wasn't in the shape I was in.  Oh, what a night...and I'm not talking late December back in '63.  It was mid-April here in '07.

      I was generally feeling okay last evening as I sat chatting with Scott on line while the television played behind me.  For some reason, the day flew by yesterday as quickly as Sunday had dragged on and on.  Before I knew it, the late night hours had approached and I needed a bite to eat before I headed to bed.  Occassionally, I have a slight problem with one of the teeth I chew with and last night, it was flaring up a little.  For some reason, I have tolerance to certain pains.  When I took my swan dive on the ice in Cleveland last year and hurt my shoulder; that hurt like the dickens and I babied it.  Hardly ever, do I have a toothache that I can't handle.  With an irritation in my mouth, there was no way I was munching on pretzels or toasted English muffins.  I threw a macaroni and cheese dinner in my micro-nuker...nice and soft so I could pop it in my mouth and swallow.  I had a hard boiled egg and a couple chocolate covered marshmallow candies for my treat.  None of that really bothered me as I downed my dinner.

      By 11:30, I had a little throbbing going on, so I decided to lay down and call it a night.  It only took minutes for me to drift off to sleep...but it didn't last long.  Shortly after 1 AM, I was jolted awake when I somehow smacked myself in the side of the face with my hand and that sent a shock wave through my body making me sit right up in bed.  The pain had grabbed my attention and I was fully alert.  I laid back down and tried to fall asleep again, but to no avail.  Half an hour later, I couldn't take the tossing and turning, so I crawled out of bed to busy myself until sleept took hold once again.  Scott had already retired for the night, so I turned my attention to Gather...not much else to do at that time of the morning. 

      As I sat at my computer, the pain just kept intensifying to the point I had to take something to try and get rid of it.  At 2 AM, I grabbed the handy bottle of Aleve I keep in my desk drawer and popped a couple.  Being a big guy much larger than the average man, I've learned to double dose as the recommended one tablet doesn't make a dent in whatever's ailing me.  I could feel my tooth pulsate in pain with every beat of my heart to the point I popped a third pill half an hour later.  I ended up remaining awake for another hour before I started to feel drowsey and went back to bed.  It only took seconds after my head hit the pillow for me to crash...and I crashed hard...right off to sleep again finally; no problem.

      I slept like a rock only waking up once after that and it was only momentary.  I noticed a little light through the crack of my bedroom door, so I knew it was after dawn, but my eyes closed once again and I was gone.  I have strange dreams lots of times, but I had a doozey just before I woke up for the day.  I was playing the role of a bodyguard for a group of friends in my dream; none of whom I knew or even recognized.  (I think the bodyguard "seed" had been planted from reading a fellow Gatherer's post yesterday asking which member we'd like to look after us in a time of trouble.)  I was all spiffed up wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie...and at one point, I was driving a hot, red Porsche.  I had taken those who I was chauffeuring to a party they were hosting.  While they went inside, I was stationed at the entrance to make sure uninvited guests didn't gain entry.  The last thing that happened before I woke up was the apperance of two guys who insisted they were crashing the gala...their names should have been on the guest list and it was an oversight they weren't included.  While they were bound and determined they were going in, I was even more insistant they weren't getting past me.  There were no punches thrown but I did have to use my sheer size to block their entry.  They kept coming at me and I would simply throw my body into them to knock them back.  Then, I woke up.

      As I rolled over to get out of bed, my eyes felt like they were sunk halfway into my head.  I must have had a lot of rapid eye movement going on for them to feel this way.  When I began to stand up, that's when I noticed what seemed like every joint in my body aching.  It was either the cold weather affecting my arthritis or I had done a lot of moving around struggling while I slept.  It reminded me of going through a real battle with a couple thugs like what had just happened in my dream.  I dragged myself to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, then literally had to pull myself upstairs to the bathroom.  I found I even had a hard time bending over to greet my F.N. Kat...Daddy had a rough night kitty; you'll have to wait to be picked up until later.

      Typing on my keyboard; even holding a cigarette; hurts my fingers this morning.  This is going to be a treat trying to write something today.   I had to use both hands to carry my first cup of coffee to the computer.  I knew I'd drop it if I had just grabbed it by the handle...and I wasn't functioning well enough to get down on my hands and knees to wipe up the mess.  Let me tell you, it seems like it's taking forever to get this post done.  Luckily, I don't have much to do besides getting dressed and taking my garbage can out back.  It's not hurting anything sitting by the curb, so it can wait awhile.  I'll just chalk it up to old age setting in before Scott goes there.  I know that boy's mind and it's the first thing he'll say.  He'll catch up some day; sooner than he thinks.  I really do feel like I've been beaten to a pulp; the price to pay to get rid of pain...but at least my toothache is gone!