How I Got To Be So Good At Pac-Man...

Yep, it's late, and yep, I should probably go to bed, but oh well. Seems the older I get the less sleep I need.  Some nights I'm just not sleepy, tonight is one of those nights...so I decided to write a blog.  Just feel like rambling tonight so bear with me, or stop reading now.  Last week I took a few days "off" from pet sitting to just get out of town. I was supposed to be in Houston on a Durant gig, but it fell through at the last minute.  This was the first year I've not done pet sitting on the 4th of July since I can't remember when.  Even when I was working full time, I was always booked at someone's house.  One year, I even pet sat in Illinois over the 4th.  But this year, it was all for ME.  I spent about a week at home in Illinois. You know, as much as I love city life, sometimes I really miss small town living and it's nice to go back "home" to get away from it all...especially these crazy Tennessee drivers who have no idea what a turn signal is or a speed limit.  While most people are spending their vacations at the beach, I'm spending mine at home with people I love and miss dearly.  I really needed this past week to help me rejuvenate and catch up with some lifelong friends that I just don't get to see nearly enough.  Mostly because some of us live in other parts of the country now or because I just can't seem to find any free time to get away. City life keeps you hoppin' at all times it seems, and just when I think I'm going to slow down, something else comes my way. I'm not complaining, I'm just stating the facts, ma'am.  So last week and part of this week was so great because I didn't have to sing anywhere, I didn't have to be at church at a certain time to be ready to sing on the praise team, I didn't have someone's dog or cat to watch...I just got to be Julie, and no one asked me to sing. It was great. haha! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE singing and yes, it's my passion, but sometimes I just want to be a spectator and not have to sing. Yes, even the singers sometimes just like to sit in the audience.  I know, hard to believe, but it's true...or at least it is for me.  So when I was home, I got to hang out like the old days. Got to play at the park and walk around the lake remembering all the times I'd spent there either with friends or church potlucks.  Remembering feeding the ducks when I was a kid, and my brother falling through the ice on the lake when he thought it was frozen. haha! Oh that is a memory I'll not soon forget.  Seeing the old ballfields where I played softball and got taken out at 3rd base during a church softball game...but little Jewels got the out even though I ended up bruised from head to toe. It was one of my prouder sports moments. :-)  Had a flashback to the 80's when I went to my old neighbor's house and they still had the old Atari that I played hours on end in their house as a kid.  It still works and I found I'm just as addicted to those video games today as I was when I was a 10 year old kid.  I'm such a nerd, but I love video games even to this day.  This time instead of playing with my buddy, Roger, who is now grown like me, I was playing with his 7 year old nephew, Adam.  Adam was impressed with my Pac-Man skills.  He says to me, "How did you get to be so good at Pac-Man?" I told him, "30 plus years of practice."  :-)  Although, he didn't like the way I saved all my power pellets until I had most of the board cleared.  It's just my strategy, what can I say? On Saturday night, I met up with 5 high school friends and we ate at the best pizza joint on the face of the planet. :-) We had fun reminiscing about our crazy school days. Just wish more could have joined us as we had so much fun.   On Sunday, I went to an amazing church with my friend, Jane.  I experienced church like it should be.  In the middle of the pastor's sermon, a lady interrupts him who had just received a phone call about her brother in the hospital and he was not doing well. She broke down, the pastor stopped in the middle of his sermon, walked over to the lady and immediately started praying as people were leaving their seats to lay hands on her.  It was such a moving moment. And the praise and worship?? Wow...out of this world and all the people were lost in worship with hands raised high. It was just incredible.  On Sunday afternoon, I was able to go to Mt. Carmel (a town nearby where I used to live in 1995-96) and see some of my dearest friends there, people who are more like family to me than just friends.  On Monday, I spent all day with one of my dearest friends and babysitter.  I know she probably loves me telling she used to babysit me.  Although I was older when she stayed with me, and she was always the best because she played "Clue" and "Red Light, Green Light" with me and the neighbor kids.  She was a pretty cool teenager, even took a few of us kids from church cruising town after church one night. We thought we were "big stuff" the night she did that and took us to Dairy Queen.  I can't even remember the last time I'd spent time with her in Fairfield, so I made a point to get in touch with her this time and we spent the whole day together...I mean, the WHOLE day catching up and doing a photo shoot.  Her hobby is taking pictures, and she was thrilled when I agreed to let her take pics of me.  What can I say?  I'm just that good of friend. HAHA!  I've posted a few on Facebook, and I think they came out pretty good considering what she had to work with and she's not a "professional". She made me look good, that's for sure. So yeah, I had a great time at home, being with people who've known me my whole life...who know the crazy Julie, the shy Julie, the sports Julie, or the comedian Julie.  So sometimes it's just good to get away and remember my hometown and where I came from.  Although I've not lived there in almost 20 years, it's still home...it will always be home. So keep practicing Pac-Man any chance you get and maybe you'll be asked, "How did you get to be so good at Pac-Man?"  It was a good get away...and now?? I think I'll head to bed as all my words look like blurred lines.  Thanks for reading!  Hope you have a blessed day!