Missing You A Lot Lately

For some reason, dear friend, I've been thinking about you and missing you a lot lately. It could be because I've gained so much weight and I have been having trouble breathing, and I wonder if it is all due to the CPAP machine and its widgy promise of helping me sleep better without apnea, which hasn't proven to be the reality. I have less deep sleep and more times waking up with breathing troubles than ever before. You had these same problems before passing unexpectedly of a heart attack in your sleep, and I would bet that the coroner lay the blame at the feet of your weight instead of investigating the impact that your CPAP had on your sleep and your snoring.
At any rate, I came across this tidbit from The Irish Way on Facebook, and I think you would have had a laugh with me about it had you seen it. Tomorrow (Monday) is February 29.

There are posts flying around on the internet that are suggesting that the tradition of a woman asking a man to marry her on the 29th Feb (leap year) was something that came about through a conversation between St Brigid and St Patrick, although this little snippet of 'history' didn't appear anywhere before the 19th century.
If it's true, you'd wonder how the conversation came about.
Biddy: "Paddy, I've been looking at this new Calendar and we've an extra day every four years, what are we going to do with that?"
Paddy: "Ah, don't be bothering me with that oul extra day Biddy, I've enough to be doing converting all the pagans, they're a mad bunch with their customs and beliefs, but gawd help me, the music is fantastic. I've to get up to Mayo and walk that bloody mountain before the snow settles on it!
Biddy: "ah yeah but ... we've an extra day Paddy, an EXTRA DAY!"
Paddy: "You think of something"
Biddy: "hmmm ... arragh I don't feckin know"
Paddy: "You like the animals, do something for them"
Biddy: "No, I need to do something for the women"
Paddy: "Biddy, I'm really busy girl, I've to be in Cashel next Friday"
Biddy: "Right, I need to do something for the women but make sure the men won't hate me for it, I'll think on it some more"
Later that night Biddy went and found Paddy. She couldn't wait until morning she was so excited, she got the torch and found him reading his 'to do' list and she said,
Biddy: "I have it Paddy ... what about something to do with love and courting?"
Paddy: "G'wan, where are you going with this idea"
Biddy: "And you know the way we want to stop the women having the same rights as the men?"
Paddy: "yeah?"
Biddy: "Well we could tell the women that every four years they can propose marriage to whoever they want and that way we don't have to tell them that they can't propose marriage anymore, just that they have to wait for the right time to do it"
Paddy: "Biddy, you're a genius"
And they all lived happily ever after.

Ah, my friend, it is so hard not to wonder how you are doing, wherever you are. Are you happy and free of pain? Are you watching out over your beloved family? I hope you've forgiven me my trespasses, my friend. Sleep well.