Sleep Talking

My sleep-talking has gone to a whole new level. It's one thing for a person, say Natalie, to call me in the middle of the night, wake me up, and engage me in a conversation (this happened Sunday night). But for me to make a phone call, at night, while asleep, is something else entirely.

But it happened. All day yesterday I was having this odd feeling that I had talked to Nancy the night before, but wasn't sure. So when I got home last night, I called her.

Me: Did I call you last night?
Nancy: You sure did, and it was hilarious.

It was 11:30. I had been asleep almost two hours. Apparently I was very concerned that I would not hear my alarm in the morning, so I somehow managed to dial my parents' number (not even using speed-dial) and, while sleeping, had the following conversation with Nancy.

Me: I've been having trouble getting up to my alarm this week and I need someone to call me in the morning to wake me up.
Nancy: Okay... what time do you want us to call you?
Me: (prolonged whine) I don't know!
Nancy: Just tell me when to call you.
Me: I don't know. I'm half asleep, okay??

And then I hung up. So if you ever get a phone call from me at odd hours, chances are I'll be asleep.

This, and yet somehow, clinically, I'm not crazy. My friends Charlotte and Tabitha are in school to receive their Masters in counseling, and needed some guinea pigs. So Charlotte analyzed Beth and Tabitha lucked out with me, a case book in crazy. I had to take one of those 500-question tests that, when analyzed, can determine all sorts of neuroses. I was excited. Finally, an explanation. So Sunday night I took my pencil and the answer sheet and within an hour I answered all the questions. Honestly. I gave my answer sheet to Tabitha on Monday night. "Have fun," I said. "I'm sure there's all sorts of crazy in there!"

But at life group last night, Tabitha said she had bad news for me. "You're normal. You're not crazy at all." In fact, I'm apparently more normal than Tabitha, Charlotte and Beth, at least according to this test. "That can't be!" I yelled. "How is that possible?"

So, I'm not crazy. I just have a tendency to call people in my sleep. Whatever.

Easter Egg-stravaganza!

This is the third Easter I've spent in Omaha. It's a holiday I've always loved. It's always been an indicator of spring and renewal- physically and spiritually. I love Easter in Amana. But now that I've been here a few years, I can say that, if given more of an opportunity to go home for the holiday next year, I'm not sure that I would, to tell you the truth. I've liked my Easters here. And this year was no different.

Yesterday afternoon I went over to the Pleiss house. I always enjoy going back there and catching up with Ann's family, who are all growing at alarming rates. Emily, Ann's niece, is almost nine (holy crap!) and said to me, "I'm almost as tall as you are!" She is. It's scary.

Then last night, my friends and I had an Easter party at "the house" (four of our friends are renting a place that's become our central hub). We hid Easter eggs. We hid one fewer than there were people, so that each round there would be someone who didn't find an egg, who would then have to do a dare. First Luke lost, and had to lay outside for a few minutes with no coat or shoes. Then when I lost, I had to write and recite an Easter haiku:

Jesus rose today.

That was very nice of him.

Jesus is my friend.

Then Luke lost again, and had to dye his hand. So we dyed our fingers and a couple of dozen Easter eggs and really had a lot of fun.

Today after church, a group of us went to the Whitney's (a family in our church) for a huge, yummy Easter dinner with all the fixins. I truly felt at home, and have just been smiling all weekend over the fact that I continue to feel more at home here as time goes on. The people at this church are so wonderful, and it was great to celebrate the most important holiday of our faith together, and to have some silly fun in the process.

Ode to Wayne-o

I love my dad. I think he is the nicest, most giving, and most adorable human being on the planet. Well, I don't know everyone on the planet, but he's at least the nicest, most giving, and most adorable human being that I know.

He came to visit me this weekend specifically to help me do some spring cleaning. We were able to get so much done! All the clutter in my room is gone. The mess in my bathroom is gone. My car is fixed and clean. Everything is organized and I feel like my room is twice as big and twice as comfortable.

My dad doesn't complain. He could have. We worked long and hard yesterday, but he's just so loving and helpful that it was FUN! Even now, I sit and look around and am amazed at what he did for me. I feel like a huge weight of the long "to do" list has been lifted.

And he's just so cute, too. He was very excited to be able to go to Menards yesterday. He loves that place so much. He was excited to go shopping at Target with me. He was happy to have dinner with Beth and Charlotte and to meet some of my other friends at church this morning, cracking jokes and being goofy all the way.

So now he is back in Iowa and I am here in my clean, happy room feeling so blessed to have the nicest, most giving, and most adorable dad in the world.