Absolutely Splendid

I got a call at around 9:30am this morning, just as I was about to get in to the shower from my bestfriend's Mum (pictured below). My bestfriend Penelope, was admitted to hospital with Meningitis last night. As we all know, this is a contagious disease ... I would know having been there and done that a couple of years ago -- however, I don't particularly want to get it ever again, given my medical history. So, her Mum told me she'd call me back a bit later with an update. I was thinking I'd shown no symptoms of having it. No headaches, no neckache, no rash, no lethargy, so far so good. It was just a courtesy call, nothing too important.

So then Belinda called me back to let me know that after the lumber puncture (spinal tap), Penny may just have meningococal. Splendid. If the test is positive (I will find out later) I will have to go to the hospital for a round of medication because it's a life and death illness as per everyone else who spent time with her in the last few days including her recently (as of 2 days) ex-boyfriend. Poor thing.

So can you guys please pray that she doesn't have it? I don't want her to have an illness that serious, and I don't want to go to hospital (I've been on such a good run! lol) I don't want to contract it and I don't want her to have to go through the discomfort of having to contact her ex.

What a Merry Christmas gift! haha. Me and my good ol'e diseased friends! We're a sickly bunch.

....And while I'm waiting for that call; you can see that I fixed my stupid profile side-bar thing-o by changing the appearance of my blog. I did much prefer the other layout, but this one looks a fair bit neater and I've justified all the alignment and added a few new things.

So on to the conversation with my Aunt that I destested so much! (And continual references to it all through the weekend)...

My Aunt is one of those people who just have nothing nice to say about anyone. She's extremely negative, a hypochondriac and all she does is complain about ev-ry-thing. So with that in mind, we decided to go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner -- one in an area that she didn't approve of (this is two nights before Xmas) much to my Mother and my disinterest. We sit down to eat, order and wait. I leave my purse on the table open. I used to have a photo in my purse of Guy Sebastian and one of my friends and I, together from some event taken about 2 yrs ago. I since decided that I've grown out of keeping my celebrity boyfriends from my purse (haha a big decision) since I was also so embarrassed when people saw it. (Especially if they knew my age.) I wanted something to cover it ... and I realised my Divine Mercy prayer card fit there just perfectly so I have Jesus sitting in my purse, with his hand up, ready to show me his Mercy! Beautiful and perfect and this way it'd always be with me.

Now, I'm not at all secret about my faith anymore. At first I wasn't entirely comfortable with people knowing I was choosing to be Catholic (which was only because I wasn't comfortable with my beliefs, myself) I was also a bit embarrassed about my Mum finding out, cause I didn't want her to make me feel stupid. But everyone so far has been really accepting, even my Mum who baits me at times about it (but has since stopped) so for me to talk about it is nothing... So, you could imagine my surprise when, out of nowhere the Aunt says;

"What's with all this God stuff?" She stared directly at me. I gave her a funny look. Another thing is, is that I always take my Rosary with me, wherever I go. I don't normally wear it, but just keep it near in a pocket or something. But I had it on (under my clothes) because I was traveling and scared of losing it and I generally wear a silver Crucifix (and I believe I was not at all advertising my Faith. I despise when I see people who do that).

"What?" I asked her. I was a bit confused I didn't know where it came from.

She pointed to the picture of Jesus and then to my neck and said, "You've become all weird."

"Weird?" I glanced at my Mum (was this their not-so-divine intervention???). She rolled her eyes. I added, "What are you talking about?"

She said, "Oh all of a sudden, all this Jesus stuff... going to church and having a bible and anyway, if you're Catholic what are you doing reading the Bible??"

... I gave her a blank stare. I detest it with all my heart when people try to tell me that Catholics don't study the Bible. We obviously got our beliefs from somewhere, did it sprout from thick air? I said "its not all of a sudden at all."

My Mum, surprised me by interjecting and saying, "It's not weird at all. She goes to Mass on Sundays and she believes in God. What?"

My Aunt scornfully laughed and said, "What, has she been once in her entire life?"

I defended myself (not that I really needed to) and said that I go quite often and that there was nothing weird or sudden about my interest in not going to Hell and going to Heaven after I die.

She then said something that was just oh-so hilarious, "So does the church fall down on you then?" followed by her own laughter.

Oh excuse me while I double over in hysterics, clutching at my stomach until this unmerciful laughter subsides! You are just so funny and nooooo I haven't heard that one at all before!

I rolled my eyes at her and made it clear that I wouldn't be continuing the conversation any further. I told her that the only way to go on and up was to believe and I was going to be getting myself off to the right place! And I let it be that.

I wonder what it is in God's name that repels people so much? Why are people so repulsed by the thought of believe in Jesus, looking at a Bible or knowing that someone has been brought so much joy through The Lord? Why can't they just be happy for me?

As if that wasn't enough... I have a very blunt, bold and sarcastic personality. I say things that could seem quite harsh if you didn't know me (I make a conscious effort to try not to do that in front of strangers these days). I like to be inappropriate and witty because everyone who really knows me thinks I'm hysterical, and they laugh a LOT. and I love keeping my friends and family lauging. When they smile, I smile. My Aunt knows me. My sense of humour shouldn't be taken seriously, well you'd think she knows that. Anyway, I borrowed her street directory and left it in my brother's ute by accident and I told her I'd get him to drop it off. It was a mistake on my behalf and I felt bad.

She went on this spiel about how my brother hates her (it's true, he does. That's not my problem though, and he's never explicitly told her. He just avoids her -- it could have something to do with all the negativity.) and that she wouldn't get the street dir. back without me bitching about her to him. I was offended since she loaned me the street dir. out of kindness, and I'd obviously made a mistake, but why would I say bad things about her? It was my wront to right, there's nothing bad to say about her. I said sarcastically, "Oh, you just know me so well, don't you?" (I was a little annoyed) and she said to my mum, "Don't you think that it's ironic that your daughter who believes in all this God stuff can be such a spiteful little cow?"

I wanted to give her a serving of my own kind, but I said nothing and seethed on the inside. My Mum rolled her eyes and walked outside. I then said, "And why would I bitch about you to him? What could I possibly have to say?"

And she added, "It's just the type of person you are."

....I had two words for her and one of them started with f and ended in k and the second one could abbrieviated in to a single vowel. I didn't say them. I closed my mouth and walked right out of the room. I am still highly offended and I refuse to ever stay at her house again and subject myself to that crap. And she's my God mother too! Ha! Can you select new Godparents during communion? lol! I need a new one. I was at the end of the line when God parents were handed out (or even indirect family)

Isn't that harsh? Also when my Dad arrived to pick me up (he wouldn't come to the door, he too hates my Aunt after she threatened to kill my Dad years back; to which he responded he'd put the backyard hose on her turned up lol) and beeped for me. As I walked out the door she goes, "Big kisses to daddy for me!"

.... Now, I don't expect my Mum to like my Dad. I expect my Aunt to care much, much less about my Dad. But apparently she hates him more than my Mum. I turned and told her in a sugar sweet voice, "Don't be nasty."... Oh man, that woman.... She just makes me seethe. So much happened this weekend that made me want to karate chop her head, jet li style.

*SHAKES FIST*

I'm still recovering from Christmas and the sleep I missed. I want a nap. I hope Penny's Mum calls me soon so I can sleep easy.