RICHARD!

So, my old pal Richard showed up on my doorstep last night for a visit! Oh, boy! It was a total surprise! It was so good to see him and hug him and walk on the beach with him and laugh my head off with him. Sometimes I forget how great it is to have friends pop in and out every once in while. Things got off to a rocky start (see story below) but we ended up havin' a great time. We went to Laguna Beach and watched the surfers. We even saw dolphins! Richard was so cute - he loved the beach. Then we all went home and nestled in our beds for a long winter's nap. Okay, it was a short summer nap but you get the point. All in all, a great time!

After work yesterday, I had the worst headache. So, when Richard came I was taking a nap. I heard Angel answer the door but I just rolled over and went back to sleep. The next thing I knew, she was like, "Paula! Paula! I need you to come help me with something in the living room!" And I was like, "Huh?!" So then she said, "You have a visitor! Get up!" So I rolled out of bed in a haze and stumbled to the living room. So, I'm standing in the hallway looking at Richard on the couch and then I look back at Angel. Then back at Richard. Then back at Angel. Back to Richard, again. And for some reason (probably due to sleepy haze), it just wasn't processing. I didn't recognize Richard and I was thinkin' Angel needed help with something but I couldn't figure out what she needed help with. I just didn't know what was going on. Then, all of the sudden the haze cleared and I yelled, "RICHARD!" And then it was all good. It was really funny, though. Maybe you just had to be there. The end.

Isn't it funny how little things spark these deep moments of introspection? Angel and I discovered a really great new singer - Tyrone Wells. During one of his live shows, Tyrone talks about getting past the glitz and glamour of life to realize that what matters most are the relationships you have with people - relationships with family, friends and God. I was listening to a live recording of one of his shows and I was reminded about what he said. It's amazing to me that, when all is said and done, it really is the relationships that bring the spark to life and make it all worthwhile. It really is what matters most.