Today's highlights:

Went to see "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (not in 3-D, this was a plain old ordinary theater) with SK, Kitten, her BFF from school, said BFF's mom and grandfather.

Went to the nearby mall afterwards to have a late (2:30 PM) lunch.

Checked voicemail and found a message from my high school best friend (HSBF) saying he and his family are free. Called back, arranged for him and his to come over at 5PM.

Finish lunch quickly, get to the bus quickly, get home ... well as quickly as a bus goes, which isn't very quickly. Clean the place up while SK goes shopping for snack-y things.

They call; they're running an hour late. No problem. More time to pick up, prep. We hit the "good to also do" stuff now that we have more time than just enough to do the "must do" cleaning stuff.

HSBF comes over with his wife and two kids. I swear, she must have a portrait aging somewhere. She still looks the same as when they wed. Let's call him Greg, wife Laurel, son Ted and daughter Alison.

Laurel and Alison set about to teach Kitten to ride a bicycle. Ted is the kid who got me started on my Nerf-modification obsession. He brought his bin of parts over and two of his blasters (evidently, people in the NIC - that's Nerf Internet Community for those not in the know, such as me - don't call the toys 'guns' for some reason.)

Ted and I go crazy talking about modifications. I swear, it must be like how motorheads get on when talking about engines and transmissions and ... whatever other dohickeys are in cars.

We make dinner - they brought salad fixings and beef BBQ ribs from Costco. I don't have a grill, but the package does have oven instructions. I toss them in the oven, then go back to modifying blasters with my kindred spirit.

Alison proudly announces that Kitten's mastered the art of going straight on a bicycle. We're all out there to watch when I hear the oven timer go off. I hurry back in, start cutting the ribs, tossing the salad, clearing off the snacks and appetizers from the counter, and, in short, serve dinner.

We have dinner with them and my in-laws. Ted and I go back to the NerfdCave. Much happy chatter ensues in all parts of Chez Kitty.

Too soon, too soon they announce that they have to go. We get so flustered that I forget to give them the large Death Star origami model for Laurel's sister, who is a big Star Wars fan.

SK and I clean. Well, I do most of the cleaning; SK can't bend over, can't lift much, and she spent too much of the day sitting in a chair without enough back support, so she's wiped out. Still, she helps by keeping me company, keeping me focused.

Somewhere along the way, we watch a TiVo'ed episode of Eureka from last season. Sci-Fi channel must be running a Eureka-a-thon to drum up excitement for the season premiere. They needn't bother, SK and I have had that date marked in our calender for some time now.

More cleaning, folding laundry, showers, and ... it's now midnight. Actually, it was midnight when I started this entry. Now it's nearly 12:30.

I'm tired. I'm smiling, I'm excited, but I'm tired. Maybe this is what it feels like to be normal - I didn't spare much thought about heart conditions, cancer, end-of-life paperwork, special education, or autism.

I just felt good.