French Christmas

Hello old friends

Ruth and Idgie Threadgoode. Odysseus. Raoul Duke. Packing brings back all the old familiar stories and faces that have been sitting on my bookshelves, waiting for me to remember. Some of these long-loved books haven't been opened since college; when I thumb through them, old notes and scraps of paper fall out. Reminding me to run errands, email professors, call friends about margaritas, make big plans.

I always get anxious about moving, afraid maybe that all the memories and pieces of myself that happened in that particular place will stay behind. This time, packing reminds me that they're always there, whether you know it or not.  

I know my posts have been like facebook status updates

But that's all I got for now.

For today: I feel like a snake shedding it's skin!

Still packing

And still too whipped to write anything worthwhile. But it's good, my brain feels busy and happy. Trying out new shapes and patterns. Maybe routine is the secret, silent killer.

packing

    and too tired to write more. Please try again tomorrow.

The final silver lining

Is that this week, and this theme, is over. Both were way harder than I thought!

(It did help me find some smiles, though, so overall it was worth it.)

Dear @#$Hole

You know who you are--you're the one who stole my license plate tags. You're the silver lining for today. Even if I don't get to see it, you've got a big dose of nasty medicine/bad ju ju coming your way. I hope it involves bird poop.

Theme #2: Dining Solo

Most people don't like going to restaraunts by themselves. But I took one look at the turkey tetrazzini in the cafateria today and decided it was time for a veggie burrito. No one else wanted to go out for lunch, so I decided to go it alone. Not only was my burrito the perfect balance of veggies and cilantro, but I didn't have to talk. To anyone. Not even myself. I just sat. And watched the trains go by. And the people on their cell phones. The city was loud but I felt quiet. It was lovely.

PS

I didn't mean to infer in yesterday's post in any way, shape or form that wedding are somehow a cloud. I just meant that, in addition to all the very cool things you get to do (like catch the bouquet, eat cake, do the YMCA) at a wedding, there are some hidden benefits as well!

A Theme: Day One

There seems to be a theme to my life lately. It relates to last week's post about using night vision goggles to find the silver lining. So I thought to myself, why try to paddle upstream when I can plop myself in an inner tube, grab a water bottle full of lemonade, and float right down the river? A.K.A. I'm going with a theme this week, a theme of finding the silver lining in every day. I figure it will be a good practice in thankfullness. (And, because I'm getting my ass kicked at work AND trying to find a new apartment, it will take some of the pressure off trying to think of blog posts when I'm so tired I can barely see straight.)

Here's the silver lining for today: those of you that know me know that I go to a LOT of weddings. And I consider myself lucky to be included in my friend and family's special day. But in addition, there is a selfish bonus to being a wedding guest. Here are some of the things I've gotten to do at weddings (and wedding-related activities) in the past few years that I wouldn't have ever done otherwise:

1. Swim in a ice-cold mountain stream in Sedona, Arizona.

2. Try skyline chili and stop by the Hustler Store at 3:00 a.m. in Cincinnati, Ohio.

3. Dance in a conga line on New Year's Eve in Villers Pol, France.

4. Swim in the legendary Hard Rock Hotel pool in Las Vegas, Nevada.

5. Practice the art of drunken golf cart driving on Kelly's Island, Ohio.

And of course the list could go on and on. Thanks to all of you who let me watch you begin a new chapter of your lives . . . thank you for giving me a reason to see the world! Today, you are the silver lining.

Happy Weekend!

I think there's been a latent full moon hiding behind the cover of thunderstorms. Even though the real full moon was a few weeks ago, this unwelcome visitor has been hiding out behind the scenes, making this week especially crazy.

With that in mind, I wish you all a very happy Friday. I think we have all definetly earned it.