I get to attend the "Twilight" Release?? Oh, overwhelming joy.

Both Rebecca and Brandon have an excellent work ethic, and each of them hold down a couple of jobs. After all, their main objective while living at the Home Base is to work and save up some serious cash prior to returning to school. Recently, while she was at work as a server at a popular Tex-Mex restaurant, Rebecca fell down a short flight of stairs, carrying a tray full of drinks and injuring her ankle. Badly. She was in tears from the pain, and this girl is a tough cookie with a rather high pain tolerance. She rode hunter-jumper horses for years; so falls, injuries, and broken bones are nothing new to her. She was also miffed that the tray full of drinks was for a table full of Hot Guys who happened to also be Red Sox fans, and she'd been bantering with them and enjoying her evening before the fall. Jack and I were at the dog park and received her teary phone call, so we loaded all three Girls back into the car (whilst receiving several confused/irritated looks from the Girls) and drove down the highway to get Rebecca.



Several hours later, after leaving the ER with a splint, crutches, and pain medication, with a diagnosis of "a severe sprain, torn ligaments, and a possible fracture"; Becca was giddy from the pain medication...giggling and starting to flirt with the cute young doctor, and so we hustled her out of there. It was 1:00 am and we nearly ran over a juvenile armadillo (SO CUTE!) as he crossed the hospital parkway in front of our car. (I still want an armadillo for a pet, but according to "ArmadilloOnline!" they carry leprosy. Risk of transmission is low, with the exception of ingesting undercooked armadillo meat - not likely, but still, not a good scenario. ) As we drove her home, I mused that she wouldn't be able to drive with that injured ankle. Then it hit me:



Guess who gets to drive her around for the next few weeks?



Okay, mother-daughter bonding is a good thing, we have a lot of fun together, and I'm off work right now anyway, due to some minor foot surgery. (But honestly now, did we have to get matching big black orthopedic boots? Mine is for the left, hers is for the right, and we have the beginnings of an awesome Frankenstein costume for Halloween this year! This Summer 2008 Orthopedic Boot model is so fabulous, it even has a button in front that lets you pump it up with air for additional ankle support!)



And her activities...one thing she's been looking forward to is the release of the latest book in the "Twilight" series. I have no idea what these stories in the series are about, but I have a feeling I won't be in the dark for long. Apparently there is a release party planned at one of the bookstores in town. She's had her costume planned for this event, but now, from the back seat, I hear slurred speech from Becca discussing how "Now we get to go to the Twilight release party together, Mom!" (Would she be that excited about going with her mother if she wasn't currently under the influence of Oxycontin?) She's also debating the pros and cons of changing her planned costume to accomodate her injured leg. (Why, I ask you!? She's already GOT a costume planned! Obviously, I truly do not get the importance of dressing up in character.) I'm giggling at her slurred words as the memories begin to swirl to the forefront of my brain...waiting in line forever at a bookstore surrounded by people dressed as characters from the Harry Potter books (have I died and gone to Purgatory?)...remembering how, above all, I detest waiting in line for something I can buy the next day with no wait whatsoever; be it Star Wars tickets, Ricky Martin concert tickets, or the latest Harry Potter tome.



THIS is where I'd hand her off to her father, he *never* minds waiting in line for this kind of thing! He has gladly waited HOURS in line with her for the aforementioned Star Wars and Ricky Martin tickets, back in the day! He has accompanied her to each and every Harry Potter book AND movie release! They've had many a good time at such events over the years. Alas, the man is three and a half states away from where we live now, and as much as he loves her, I sincerely doubt that he'd alter his plans and fly out here on the spur of the moment (no doubt missing some important political-type dinner engagement) to attend a book release this coming Friday.



So...I guess it's me.



(To be continued)