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McDonalds has spent many years building up addictive behavior in the eating habits of the average American and world conquest seems to be their ultimate goal. They can be cruel taskmasters when they perceive resistance to their insidious plans to suck the last quarter out of an income. Harsh indeed is the punishment meted out to traditional slug-a-beds like myself. No Egg McMuffins served after 11 am for these backsliders from the faith.

Had pretty much skipped eating yesterday so with slightly less then three hours sleep I awake and look forward to my first McMuffin in at least a year. I buy three of them, two for me and one for my partner Sam to win Brownie points. The clerk at McDonalds is treated to my patented beauty sleep joke. She smiles quaintly and falls neatly into the trap. If you express sorrow for someone missing beauty sleep you turn THAT around to express consternation at being looked upon as less then desirable. If they express disagreement with lack of beauty you then make them have to declare you a fine figure of a man. There is no way to win this and it nearly always ends in laughter and smiles for one and all. I love this joke.

I arrive at AAA about 7:30 am and toss the love-me bribe at Sam with a quip--"Since this is probably the closest I'll ever get to waking up with you I thought I would at least buy breakfast."

Sam laughs. She and I have been dancing for 10 years now and other then an occasional hug she's a founding member of the Women I Can Never Have Besides Logos Club.

The Drama Queen has been busy counseling me on how to milk the Ruth situation for all it's worth. Unusual for me I decide NOT to tell the calltakers about it partially due to the suspected lack of sympathy--none of them know her and I don't work with them regularly in daytime. But with Tonya aware of the happenings I figure I better tell Sam or she'll find out anyway when Tonya arrives at 4 pm.

I start off badly.

"Now I don't want Brandy to know this but I have some news." The idea was NOT to spoil Brandy's day by worrying over me as I was certain that would be the result. I know how obsessed she can get. I then inform her of my pending bachelor status and her place as Plan B for my life.

Sam's reaction is swift and curt.

"WHAT are YOU doing here? (This makes sense of course my place OUGHT to be at the Current Burden to the Taxpayer's side.)

"WHY isn't Brandy HERE!!!!!?????" Her eyes are blazing. I have been on the receiving end of the wrath of Sammie a time or two and only Tonya scares me more.

She then proceeds to inform me in no uncertain terms that Brandy is NOT a devotee of the honor of Ohio football victories. She just wanted to party and KNEW I woudn't turn her down. I was her only chance at being free and I was being played. More along these lines are said--denounciations rendered with blunt trauma.

I state what turns into a mantra over the next few days. I had a commitment and there was no time to make substitutions and why ruin Brandy's day for something that Ruth could have totally avoided. No one takes this seriously. Not a single employee understood this concept. Even mentioning my military background where being available 24/7 as a life style is given short shift. This was how I felt and still feel about it. I try hard to keep my word. Not saying I don't fail. An effort is made.

Turns out Brandy had left early Friday and never came back from a doctor's appointment which annoyed Sam as no one knew where she was or how she was. Our boss Josh never updates office personnel on changes. Famous for that. I've taken advantage of that scenario a few times to avoid some conversations hiding behind well Josh is boss---didn't he tell you?? Wink wink.

Sam is convinced all Brandy cares about is herself these days and uses everyone to get what she wants. I stand there blinking torn by conflicting emotions. Brandy is almost a sister to me but I have unwarranted feelings for Sam and respect HER opinions greatly as Brandy's are generally influenced more by her emotions whereas Sam's are more logical.

On the other hand Brandy has been devoted to me for years now with no sign of wavering and I have NO doubts about her love for me. Sam and she used to run around together but there has been a schism of late which I only involved myself in once and got away unscathed and a wiser man.

Sam loves me too but also believes I'm naive about too many things whereas I try to avoid unpleasantness as much as possible. Mostly because I lose all arguments at work. Even when I'm right. That has been known to happen. Most popular phrase being--well you're just a man after all. She also points out to me that scheduler Tami took advantage of me (again) and took my next two days off away and I'll be working 12 days in a row and I better not work December 3rd or she'll never let me hear the end of it. Oh well all goes to tax liens and the nightmare payback will end sooner I suppose. I'm already almost two months ahead of schedule.

Our fleet driver Chris comes in and Sam wants to tell him about Brandy leaving me here forced to abandon my spouse while she frolics away in imagined debaucheries. Chris just shrugs it off. Sam is taking this way too personally seems to me.

I begin work--slowly waking up and geting into the spirit of things. I call Ruth around 9 am but no significant news as yet. Other then the usual sleep deprivation techniques to make the patients more docile she's doing well.

About 10 am Sam gets a text message from Brandy wanting to know how Ruth is doing. This is confusing. How did she find out? Only Tonya, Sam and Chris knew. Sam checks with Chris even though I point out that Chris has absolutely no reason to be calling Brandy about that. Tonya is more likely. She tends to be a fast person on the grapevine useage. Was right but it's hours before that come out.

Sam and I both come to a conclusion. Why isn't Brandy calling me? She has never hesitated before? Why now? Mystery.

Sam gives her no info. I do not call. The devil has whispered in my ear. I strive to not let it grow to petty dimensions and confusion reigns over doubt.

Just before 3 pm Sam offers to let me go visit Ruth then come back to work and she'll stay the course. I turn her down but she persists and I relent more quickly then decorum called for.

Brandy has texted at least one more time with still no personal call for me and Sam gloats and primps. And continues to withhold information. I am fascinated and excited and I mentally start notes to myself on life changes and new horizons.

Now the confession MUST be made. Since February 26th was such a life changer I have been VERY behaved at taking my pills.

Except TODAY. Hypocrisy and irony is alive and well in Mtpspurland. Tonya insists I stop by the house on the way to the hospital and take my meds. I agree. I was too nervous about getting out of bed on time I totally forgot the pills--usually taking them around 11:30 am.

I arrive at the house at about 4:20 to discover my daughter and grand-son there. Sandy is atttempting to put the window curtains back up as the cats love to climb curtains and pull them off the wall and our living room is fully exposed. I have two fantasies appropriate for this website. One a desire to have a million dollars and I buy a brand new razor blade every day to shave once with and then throw away and start with another the next day. The other is to have the curtain rod industry create a rod that doesn't bend with the slightest pull from a kitten's paw. We buy more rods then comic books these days it seems.

I spend more time then I like getting the curtains in disarray while listening to grand-son Ron babble on. At one point he's starting to get on my nerves because I'm having trouble with one of the rods and decide might has well get his life long counseling sessions off to a good start.

"You say you have recurring nightmares about your grand-father? Since you were four years old you say. What exactly did he DO??"

"Well, I'm not really sure what I did that set him off so but suddenly while I was helping poke his eye out with a curtain rod he said and I sure it was in as inpersonal a manner as possible that I and you must know how tragic my life has been because of this --but he said I was going to grow up and LOOK LIKE HIM!!!!"

The doctor can only murmur the immortal words of Jospeh Conrad--the horror the horror.

Anyway back to 2009. I leave Sandy at the house. Mike has gone on ahead to leave some clothes with Ruth. They had all visited prior and I did not wish to chance crossing each other's path and have Mike looking for us at the house while we're at the hospital wondering where he got off to. I arrive at the hospital and half way down the hall from room 20-B call the put upon spouse.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Fine" she lies.

"Want to have phone sex?" testing Litnet's tolerance levels and embarrassing the Mrs. at the same time. Bonus.

She is actually blushing as I walk in and sit down and she begins grinning away. I'm sure it's my fine figure of a man appearance. We chat a bit. She thinks she might have her stress test Sunday but not sure. Also has a bad migraine headache. I make appropriate noises of concern.

Ruth is supposed to walk around so we hit the vending machine area and share a soda and something else I'll share when we eventually get to Sunday. The story will sound sweeter that way.

I wrap it up and get back to work at 5:37 which I faithfully record correctly on the time sheet.

No Brandy call of concern yet--Sam keeps gloating. I try not to get judgmental but the football game has been over for quite some time. Ohio won. I don't care and only recording it for my future biographer to have full notes. No I don't have the score. Sheesh!! Earn that research credit. Must I do everything?? Bad enough I have to slip the secret e-mails of Logos to an authenticator before released for publication 25 years after my death.

I'm loose at ten and I go home. Do a bit on the computer and finally go to bed and sleep a dreamless sleep.

Next: The 29th Anniversary, Sunday surprise, and the redemption of Brandy