This past Sunday evening was one of the best evenings I've had in a while!

Backstory:

I have a sister 2 years younger than I am. We were pitted against each other by our grandmother all the years she was alive, and none of it ever came out until about a year and a half ago, when our grandfather died. Since then, we have started to build the kind of relationahip we should have had the whole time.

After my stroke, it was my mom and my sister who spent every moment that Sam could not be there by my side. Larra (sister's name) was even the one who helped me take my first shower after having had the stroke. She and her husband helped Sam pack me up and take me home when I was released from hospital.

We've been growing closer and closer, even teaming up to tease our parents during the family dinners we had every Sunday the first 2 months after I came home. We call and text each other several times a week.

This past Sunday, we went to a movie together. We haven't done that since we were in high school or younger. It was a blast! We discoverd that we still both like our pop corn the same way, the same things still make us laugh and the same things still make us say "what the heck?" We both try to pick out editing errors in the movie, like whether a "night" scene was actually shot in daylight and they forgot to edit it, things like that. I think between the 2 of us, we caught them all. We just really had a great time!

On the way home, Larra drove, we were talking about all kinds of things, and comparing the personalities and behaviors of our dogs. Larra has 2 pit bulls, and I have Monster. It's funny how they all 3 seem to have a fondness for the same kind of antics.

At one point, we switched to fashion, namely Larra showed me her new Coach bag, that she got at the outlet mall. It was very cute and very roomy. I commented that the purse I was carrying that evening was my "smaller purse." I had changed it out of the large one I used earlier in the day "because I took the dog with me."

Larra looks at me and asks, "Wait, you carry your pit bull around in your purse? Who do you think you are, Marry Poppins!?" Then she goes on to say, "I know my wallet is in here some where, let's see, umbrella....hat stand....pit bull....." as she made the motions of rummaging around in some enormous bag and pulling the items out, one at a time. We were both laughing hysterically by that time!!!!!!! We wer elaughing so hard, she could hardly drive the car!

It was so great to have that kind of an evening with her. We also talked about getting the dogs all together to play, and maybe take them to Monster's fav ice cream shop - where he always gets a free cup of soft-serve, vanilla, fat-free, frozen yougart. They even call it a "puppy cup!" Pets are welcome there any time, so we take Mon there as a treat every once in a while. She said it sounded like a good idea. Then she recommended a different dog park to the one we usually take Mon to on "working days." So we tried it out on Monday. It's a bigger park, with more for the dogs to do, including agility equipment, which Mon loved. We may switch parks.

On a more serious note, After finding out about the whole my taking medical retirement at the end of the month thing, Larra spoke to a friend of her's that is in HR. She says that I was basically given hte choice of taking a position I cannot do, due to a disability, or allow myself to be laid off. They can't legally do that. Larra urged me to contact the EEOC and talk to them, which I have done. I have an appointment with them the day after my last day of work. We'll see what comes out of it.

In the mean time, Mon and I are in the office, as is typical of a thursday afternoon. We'll ride out the remaining 21 days of the month as quietly, peacefully, and with as few challenges as we can.