Good Sabbath ~ Indeed!

I've heard of this happening to other people. It happened to my Sister. But this is the very first time it has happened to me. And I have to say I've been smiling all day just remembering it. A little background might be in order.

Last night, my Sister and I and our friend, Madelyn, went for our monthly dinner at Il Fornaio as part of the Passporto program (a celebration of a different region of Italy with foods from that region and a free gift--a package of pasta this month). We normally go on a Sunday evening, but went on Saturday evening this month.

After returning home, I logged on to Facebook and spent several hours instant messaging friends, searching for Hatchlings, tending to my farm in Farm Town, visiting friends in YoVille, collecting sweets for Willy's Sweet Shop, and attending to a myriad of other tasks to which I have committed my time and for which I should be committed. Since it was Saturday evening, I spent more time than I would on a weeknight and planned my time accordingly, going to bed at about 2:30 a.m. in order to awake and spring to life at 9:00 a.m. or thereabouts in order to make my usual 11:30 a.m. Mass.

Now here's the good part. I awoke at approximately 8:00 a.m. My Sister is my alarm clock, and I wondered why she didn't knock on my door when she left for work. I got up and "made my bed" in my inimitable manner, checked on my Mom and got her breakfast, engaged in trivial early morning conversation with her as I wandered around GETTING READY FOR WORK!!!!! When my Sister poked her head into my room, I was stunned. "Did you oversleep? You're late for work." Her "It's Sunday" was followed by "You're scaring me." I thought about it for a minute and decided she was right. Deliriously happy does not begin to describe my reaction to this particular "good news" on this Sabbath morn!!

The collective wisdom (that would be me and my Sister) is that three years of going to Il Fornaio on Sunday night--give or take a Sunday--followed by work the next day was a pattern ingrained in my brain. Shades of cane del Pavlov!! The early Sunday rising gave me the opportunity to go to the 9:30 a.m. Mass, which in turn gave me more time to make some necessary purchases at Target, Burlington Coat Factory (which should really be named Burlington Stuff Factory with a Few Coats), Ross, Starbucks, and Lucky. OK, OK--a purchase made at one of the establishments might not have been absolutely necessary!

What did I learn from all of this? They have a snare drum at the 9:30 a.m. Mass.

Good Sabbath! Good Sabbath indeed!