My friend, her daughter, and her husband are napping right now.

I had a hard time sleeping with my finger, so even though I smelled something cooking downstairs a few hours ago, I rolled over and slept some more, trying to ignore the consequence of hours of labor without my medicine. I also had had to get up in the middle of the night to use the nebulizer because I had also forgotten to take my asthma medicine yesterday. Altogether, I was quite tired.

Still, at 9:30, when I would have preferred to sleep a few hours more, I dragged myself out of bed to join my friend and her family.

They are napping.

Funny, for once the silence in my house makes me smile instead of feeling lonesome. My guests are resting, peaceful, enjoying their accommodations. My best friend is here and will rise eventually to play games, watch movies, visit Mount Vernon, and grill dinner on my tiny hibachi.

Last night, while we were waiting for her husband's train to come in (it was two hours late), we went shopping. Still reeling from the basement flooding, I threw many "treats" into the cart. One of which was a new DVD player.

I had bought one two and a half years ago. For about two years, I have had to stop and clean the lens reader every two or three movies, sometimes twice in a movie. The DVDs would stop, get stuck, read the wrong parts, randomly turn on subtitles...etc. Using it was a chore, but I couldn't see spending money again even though battling the thing when people came over was even more onerous than usual.

So, last night I plunked down money on a new one. Of course, it has progressive scan, so I am feeling quite confident my days of forcing a DVD player to work are over.

I asked my friend if she would install it. I did so, because one of the things I love and admire best about her is her curiosity. We have the same cell phone and she is probably acquainted with ALL of its features, while I basically just make calls. When we see something she is curious about, she will jump on the internet and discover the answer. She actually reads directions to things, too. A marvel, eh?

Well, in VERY short order, she not only had the DVD hooked up, but she had found the instruction book for my universal remote and programmed in the new DVD player. I won't mention how very LONG it took me to do the same when I first got the player and then again when I got the universal remote.

When we watched the movie, not once did I have to force the player to continue. A good ending to a rather trying day...

They are up now. I am sure that this day will be far better than yesterday!