back where i belong

This morning, I woke up a little early and took all the bedding off.

Smitty arrived at 11 AM and we went out to Families First to pick up Ronnie, all 9.8 pounds of him that represented the metals in his bones and body.

It's amazing, and rather sad, that those metals - calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, sodium, potassium - are all that remains of a person after the organics have been converted into carbon dioxide gas and water vapor by the cremation process.

When we returned to my house, Smitty helped me move my bed back into the aquarium.

I had only asked for his assistance with the mattress, as that latex foam is so very heavy and unwieldy...

but, next I knew, the entire thing - frame, boxsprings, and all - had been transported.

Very good!

I won't say that I'm not going to miss being in the Ocean Room.

That move represented a time in my life when Michael and his girls shared my home, so those are precious memories.

Now, the Ocean Room's still-new Ocean Umbra rug will serve as an appropriate floor in that space.

As for the rest of the bedroom furniture, that can wait another day, or more, to be shifted down the hall.

What a nice change for my upcoming birthday!

Speaking of which, I've let Smitty and Christina know that I'm not celebrating this one.

I told them so around the early part of last week, or maybe the week before.

This year, I'll become the age Mama was when she died; that's not an age I want to be reminded of over and over and over.

I've even removed my birthday listing on facebook, to keep it more quiet.

I've assured my family that next year, when I'm 64, it'll be a huge celebration!

But not this year.

This year will serve as a countdown, starting at 64-1.

Yes, I like the sound of that.

And I like that tomorrow I'll wake up in my aquarium.