I am at the coffee shop. Surrounded by people talking, yet so very alone. Heaven.
This is the very first time I’ve had to myself in…. I don’t want to know how long. I think it’s about….. Oh, crap. I looked at the calendar. I haven’t had time to myself, all alone, since the 5th. Fourteen days ago. You mothers roll your eyes and mock me, I know, and you should. But I lived alone until a year and a half ago, and I love my time alone, and I realize now why I’ve been jumpy. Granted, being with Lala is in many ways better than being alone, and I’m completely comfortable with her — I am no one but myself with her, which is what’s hard about being around other people — you always have to make sure you’re acting like a responsible member of society (they’ll never know).
Today is a day off. A day OFF! I’m going to do some writing — it’s been busy and hard to focus at work, and I’m ALWAYS at work, don’t know if I mentioned that — and I’m going to see my sisters — HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTY! — and I’m going to drop clothes at the thrift store, and sell some books I purged out of my collection, and maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll get all that done in time to get to yoga for the first time in over a year. I know I’m doing too much, but this is my DAY OFF! I get to do what I want, and if I want to do too much, then hooray!
I fixed my bike! Well, really, I fixed it by plugging the cord back in, and then it didn’t work, and then Lala looked at it and did the exact same thing and it was fixed, so I’m saying I fixed it. I rode it to work(ish) yesterday, and it was great. Rode it to the coffee chop this morning, and I tell you what — it makes me feel independent, in a very strange, nice way. Using my legs! My power! Making my body take me somewhere! Granted, it’s only five miles roundtrip to the coffee shop, and it’s flat, but still! The power!
Oh, I’m babblish today. Happy.
I believe (but this won’t be confirmed till next week) that I made it into the next round of the romance novel competition, THANKS TO YOU ALL! There will be 25 people in that round, and the top three move on, so I’ll be coming to you begging again for your American Idol-style of voting (the real goal is to get into the last round, where Simon&Schuster reads your manuscript — I honestly don’t care if I win or lose, but I’d love it to be read).
Meantime, I should stop writing this and start doing the real writing. But you’re so fun.
Guess who’s doing great? Digit! Oh, my man. You know, every night when I’m cuddling him, I thank him for coming home. He’s a big jerk, and he ignores the kittens (who aren’t so much kittens anymore but rather thick juveniles) until they chase his tail and then he clobbers them while emitting a blood-curdling scream (him, not them, they just roll with the punches). Clara is back to being scared to death of him, which is just as it should be. He hasn’t even really tried too hard to get outside, thank god. Seems happy to be inside, happy to be up on the table glaring at all the ridiculous animals in his house. Likes to be the manager, watching all that goes on, disapproving of everything. Man, if he could give demerits…..
And it’s almost Fall! Can’t you feel it? Today especially, with more clouds than usual and the threats of thundershowers later today and tomorrow (guess I won’t ride tomorrow to work, no fenders yet), it just feels perfect.
Oh, and over the weekend we went to a perfect wedding, a Whoreshoes wedding. Camilla loves Kirk, and they got married in the Presidio Yacht Club, an old building where almost every window looks onto the Golden Gate Bridge, being that the place is tucked almost under it, right on the Bay. They walked down to music by the Whoreshoes and Rube Waddell, and then they got married on the dock in a wonderful Buddhist/non-traditional ceremony, then exited to Ode to Joy, performed by All on the kazoos they had thoughtfully provided. The Mexican food was great, as was the dancing that followed. Lala was hit on in a smashingly rude way by a chick that actually rolled her eyes when I introduced myself (La didn’t see that). Poor Lala doesn’t ever know when she’s being hit on, so she had some interesting extrication moments over the shot the gal insisted on doing with her, and then Lala did a fantastic job of flattering me back into happiness. I do not struggle with jealousy, thankfully, and I am not insecure, however, if you’re RUDE to me, and then hit on my wife? I will be annoyed. Also, her lipstick was ALL wrong.
(Truthfully it was one of those champagne drama-moments that made everyone feel good — Lala knows she’s still got it even though she didn’t see it coming, and I get flattered and complimented and adored all night — what could be better? And we never have drama, so when we do, it’s all interesting and over in fifteen minutes. One has to enjoy it while it’s happening.)
And really, who wouldn’t hit on her? Besides the bride, everyone agreed she was in the best outfit:
That suit, my friends, is actually shiny and blue, and her tie was gloriously peach/pink, and that tie-tack is in the shape of a saddle (a gift from my sister, I think?). I wore my alpaca wedding stole during the outside ceremony on the water, and seriously shed on all the men wearing black. I forgot how that thing reaches out to anything black and eats it.
I am a chatterbox. I think I’m done. It’s so nice here. I’m a part of all of it, near the talking, but having to talk to no one. I’m in a corner alone, and no one is talking near me, so all the voices blend into one low murmuring sound. I will get on my bike soon and ride home and meet my sister who has to finish something for my birthday sister — oh! I finished something that I should photograph! I’ve been so busy I haven’t been on Ravelry in forever! Oh, Ravelry, I miss you…..
Are you still here? Aren’t you nice. I like you. I hope you’re having a very nice day, and that your blueberry muffin has brown sugar on top today.
I have had a glorious day and there is still half of it left. The day is warm and sunny smelling faintly of fall leaves and I have just returned from a 5 1/2 mile walk along the river and through the park to a cleanish apartment and a perfect sandwich!
Anybody else?
I will NOT roll my eyes and mock you; I will only say, enjoy your day! Free, alone time is such a gift (and a trap. I see you are trying to stuff too much into it, as I do).
As for me, I’m off to work!
Thank you for your post, I feel happy just reading how much you’re enjoying today and all the good things that are happening with you. Day Off! WOOO! (and happy birthday to Christy!) Oh, and congratulations on the 2nd round!
You are too cute! And you and Lala are adorable together! Your happiness cheered me up and made me smile (a tough thing today, since we have a realtor coming tonight to list our house and I’m knee-deep in cleaning chemicals and cat fur – oh, the cat fur!) I love stopping by – your positivity is refreshing!
Oh my god y’all are adorable.
xo
You sound so happy and it suits you 🙂
Actually, my blueberry muffin had walnuts on top…but I made it that way, so all is well 🙂
Thank you for having us with you! A good Wednesday for you perks up mine. (I’m in the office for a while today, and it’s too stressful in here. I don’t need my own magnified by everybody else.)
Sounds like a great wedding! Hello to Digit, master of all.
Oh, this was such a nice little entry to read! Thanks for the Digit update, I was wondering how he was doing. Pictures?
Yes, but we roll our eyes and mock *with love*.
I kid.
And oh my gosh- yes! It’s almost fall!!!! Sweater weather is coming up!
You are so adorable, and so is yer wife.
and omg, that kazoo Ode to Joy sounds fantastic. I can hear it now…
so glad Digit is doing wonderfully. he sounds like his old self!
OMG! That post was too cute!
Made me wonder how many cups ‘o Joe you downed before and during the writing of it!
The pic of you Lala – so sweet!
That post was pure sunshine. You and Lala look great. I wish we had more of a fall down here. Orange County doesn’t exactly have seasons.
Oh geez, if her lipstick was all wrong, to hell with her!
I love reading your blog – you have completely perked me up!
Blessings!
You are absolutely a delightful writer. I’m all happy now after reading that entry. 🙂 Thank you.
Don’t you just love it when everything is right with the world? I just wish it did that more often for all of us. It might if we lived more in the moment and noticed all of the wonderful things around us. So glad Digit is doing well. Do give us more pictures of him, and don’t forget Adah. There is nothing wrong with a cat blog.
Don’t you just love it when everything is right with the world? I just wish it did that more often for all of us. It might if we lived more in the moment and noticed all of the wonderful things around us. So glad Digit is doing well. Do give us more pictures of him, and don’t forget Adah. There is nothing wrong with a cat blog.
Thank you! I’ve been having the sulks all day, week, semi-extended period of time…and this post of yours helped take the edge off. I hope the rest of your day was equally wonderful.
About the bicycle? Me too.
What a lovely post! I had just been feeling a bit cranky and now I’m all smiley agian. Thank you for brightening my day! And I hope your story gets read by S & S!
I love all parts of this blog. You’re so great.
Count me in with the crankies who were perked up by this post! I really needed it.
Dude, time to myself is like gold. I know what you mean!
You crack me up. And you and Lala are BOTH cute and who wouldn’t hit on either of you?!
I think you might have had too many chups of coffee at the coffee chop. 🙂
No, but my vegan pumpkin muffin had carob chips in it 🙂
My favorite holiday is coming up soon: Columbus Day. It’s a federal holiday, but not a holiday, so I get to run off to have adventures by myself. This is a Second Annual event, and I’m already counting down…
My touchy touchpad ate the word “school,” as in “not a school holiday.”
Babblish?
That made my day. Babblish!!
Perfect.
Baaaad tacky lipstick woman, goood Lala and Rachael..hehe. girl, you make my day…
I like you too! And as a mom, may I say that 14 days with no alone time IS awful, no eyerolling about it. I love pics of you and Lala together, you look so right and happy.
How nice to see you so happy! Don’t you just love free days? And, don’t be too worried about treasuring your time to yourself. I’ve been married for 27 years, love my husband dearly and still treasure my time alone.
PS – love the pic of you two. Love is nice, isn’t it?
How nice to see you so happy! Don’t you just love free days? And, don’t be too worried about treasuring your time to yourself. I’ve been married for 27 years, love my husband dearly and still treasure my time alone.
PS – love the pic of you two. Love is nice, isn’t it?
ahhh…sounds lovely! great pic of you and the Lala! the beautiful people ;0..and isn’t it so fun to get those neck hairs up when someone hits on your honey!
ahhh…sounds lovely! great pic of you and the Lala! the beautiful people ;0..and isn’t it so fun to get those neck hairs up when someone hits on your honey!
What a great day you had – and after almost 29 years of being married (the end of the month) I LOVE time by myself and I tend to get cranky if it goes too long between. This weekend hubster will be at a show all day for 3 days so I will have daylight hours alone …. heaven 😀 Of course at the end of the week I will have a house full of company for who knows how long – but I have 3 whole days alone now ….
and the wedding sounds like so much fun even the drama –
and don’t you two look so happy together – you aren’t newlyweds anymore but not old married couple yet either – there must be a term for that in-between time – don’t you think?
What a great picture!!! 🙂
Girl, I thought those people had you on lock down. Glad you got a day off. Lala looks good, but you look mighteee fine yourself.
I’m glad you had a nice day – my blueberry muffin was a blackcurrant sundae and it was delicious – thank you! So pleased you got through to the second round – when do we faithful readers get to see more of the story?
Babble away, it’s all good! Even when one is catching up a few days later. (Due to a yarncrawl with visiting blogfriend last weekend. I was busy writing humongous posts too. [g]) Alone time is *necessary*, especially in a marriage. My late DH, bless him, understood that well. You two look superlative in that pic. If Lala has to get hit on, at least you were there to protect her! Glad to hear Digit’s being a grumpy puss. [vbg]
you seriously make me smile.
thanks for sharing your day with me. The smiles in your photographs are contagious. And all with a blueberry muffin. Is there any better way to start the day?
I. Think. Not.