Sinking into the vortex of a doomed passageway

I feel like a Barbie doll.

Smiling and greeting people with warmth and compassion. Then someone says...

"Hey, what's that behind you? It looks like a hole. A swirling black hole of death?"

Barbie: "Of course not sir. I don't know what you're talking about." (still smiling and almost singing the words)

Where did all that come from? Lack of sleep. I've done the same local the last 2 days. 5am report. 4 legs. SMF-LAX, LAX-ABQ, ABQ-LAX, LAX-SMF. It's a long 2 days (14 hours of flying) and to top it off, 5 hours of ready reserve. I'm not complaining...it's great pay for a local. I need the money.

I've also been picking up locals/trips on my days off. The girls come over, but somtimes they don't want to. Like tonight. I could drive up and get them, but Katie is sick (again) and Megan is just getting over it. Both of them are tired and just want to stay home. I don't blame them, but it makes for another night in my apartment alone. O'well. I'll survive.

I have 2 days off coming up. I was invited to go to Hawaii with a friend, but I just sent her a text message telling her to have fun without me. I hope she's not to disappointed. I also need to tell my dad that we are not going to SLC to visit the geneology building. We can do that another time before we go to Portugal this October.

I'm hoping my girls will want to come over then, but if they don't...that's okay. I am concerned that they feel like stretch armstrong, being pulled from both sides.

At least I can pick them up from school on my days off and see them for a couple hours.

I know this sucks, but it will all be fine. It's not a doomed vortex or a black hole of death. I don't know why I wrote that. Chalk it up to being a science fiction writer. I guess if the unreal ever entered my daily life, that would be my pain showing.