1. I got up about 3:30 this morning -- couldn't stay asleep, too much to do. But I've accomplished quite a bit.

2. I worked on a project that I can't mention because "someone" might be reading.

3. I folded a load of clothes and have another one in the dryer.

4. I paid all my bills. I still do this the old-fashioned way, with checks and envelopes and stamps. Getting money out of the ATM is as close as I'm going to get to "online banking."

5. I still have a few more things I need to get done today to be ready for our meeting with the architect tomorrow. The one I called previously strung me along for a month, then called me an hour before we were supposed to meet and told me he was over-scheduled and couldn't take the job. The thing that really bothered me about it was that he wasted so much of my time.

6. Guess I shouldn't count my chickens. I'd better wait and see if the new architect shows up tomorrow.

7. About 4:00 this morning, the Professor came limping out of the bedroom. He was trying to work out a leg cramp. He was dreaming that he was in a group working on a lunar exploration module, and they were trying to get the weight to an exact amount, since if it was too heavy it wouldn't drive, and if it was too light, it would float off into space. Someone test-drove the module right at the Professor, who jumped over it. Apparently he gets really involved in his dreams, because the jumping made his leg cramp, which woke him up.

8. I have some pretty detailed dreams, but I have never, ever dreamed about a lunar exploration module, have you? It amazes/amuses me that the Professor's dreams are always logical. Mine tend toward unrealistic things, like I'm having fun on the beach but suddenly I'm climbing a mountain, and it all seems to make perfect sense while I'm dreaming.

9. For the first 40 or so years of my life, there was always a man I was afraid of -- I mean, really afraid of -- and I had a lot of nightmares. I very seldom have a bad dream now. Occasionally, I dream that I am in the back seat of a car, talking merrily with other people, when I suddenly notice that no one is driving. Of course, that's when the car, which has been staying in the lane and maintaining speed, suddenly starts veering toward a cliff (which wasn't even there until I realized there was no driver!) I can never seem to climb over the seat and take control of the wheel in time, so I have to wake myself up. Even I can figure out that I have those dreams only when something in my life feels out of control. Other than that, a bad dream for me nowadays is that I find myself in a really dirty public restroom. No, I have no idea what that one means!

10. I expect to have some humdinger bad dreams when we start remodeling. I know that's going to be stressful. I think I'll let Stormii, my DIL, make most of the decisions for me. I trust her taste, and I can blame her if something goes wrong. (Just kidding about that last part.)

11. The Professor and I are going to Hanalei Hawaii for a few days over Labor Day. This is my favorite place on earth. I would move there in a heartbeat, but unfortunately Sylvester Stalone and Bette Midler and I-forget-who-else have discovered it and have run the price of land up beyond our means. It's not like I've ever seen these people around Hanalei, but I've been assured that they have homes there.

12. And, yes, that is Hanalei as in "the land called Hanalei" from Puff, the Magic Dragon. It is simply perfect, with a big half-moon bay on one side and mountains on the other. You have to cross a one-lane bridge to get there, which keeps the tour buses out. There are no hotels in town; we rent a garage apartment a half block off the beach when we go. In the mornings, I take my coffee down to the beach and watch the sun rise.

13. I can't start daydreaming about Hanalei yet; I have lots to do before we go. I've been dabbling back and forth between writing this and working, but it's time to get down to some serious work.

Happy Thursday, everyone!