Random Thoughts on a Beautiful Morning

I went out this morning to meet a friend for breakfast (who ended up not showing up because she wanted to be my Valentine date so badly that she thought we were meeting tomorrow!). As I pulled out of the drive, I looked across the street and saw how pretty the snow was on the lake and trees. Across from my complex is a place called Kaufman Park. In the park is Clear Lake. I'm not sure how clear it really is but I'm looking forward to nicer weather when I can take walks around it or maybe just sit by the lake and soak up the sun. 

The morning frost coated the trees really heavily so that when the sun shone on them, they looked so bright. I stopped and took a couple of pictures to share. 

 

The sky is so blue!! As always with photos, it looked better in person. If you look to the right, you can see a little pier. This is a new addition. I'm looking forward to hanging out there in the warmer weather. 

 

  

I ended up ordering breakfast at the restaurant and eating alone which was a good challenge for me since I don't do that much. Here's a weird thing I don't think any of you know about me. When I was in high school and through the first couple of years in college, I never wanted to eat in front of anyone -- especially boys! Seriously, it was like a phobia!! I was so scared of boys/men and I didn't want to have some piece of salad stuck in my teeth or mustard on my face. I'm so strange. Obviously, I got over that little phobia pretty well. I'm still afraid of men but I can chomp down a triple decker hamburger in front of any of them. Maybe not Colin Firth or Laurence Fishburne but anyone else. 

I thought Valentine's Day (or as I like to call it People-Who-Are-Separated Awareness Day) was going to be lonely and a drag. But...I have a date! I had a date last night too. I'm rockin' this town, baby. So what if the man I had dinner with last night is gay and the woman I'm having dinner with tomorrow asked me because her partner's out of town and we have to have carry-out Chinese because all the restaurants are booked. I'm considering them my Valentines.

I'm doing my share of grieving, of course, but I'm also starting to get used to my new circumstances. Staying close to Maddy. Trying to maintain a connection with Geoff. Building a different kind of social life. I think I'm going to survive. Things are pretty calm. Much less drama which is good for me. Just the internal healing and stretching I've needed to do for years. I have a number of things to look forward to. Next Thursday, I'm going to New York to hang out with Susan while she's presenting at the Multicultural Summit Conference.

I'll have lunch with Toby and go to a museum or just watch cable and order room service in the hotel while I'm there! I'll post some photos -- this new phone is awesome because I can access the web anywhere and hook it up to my computer so I can be connected 24/7 wherever I am.  I'll try to send something from Central Park if the weather isn't too awful.

Maddy's asked me to go with her to visit UMass Amherst sometime this spring to see if she wants to go to college there. Isn't it cool that she wants me to go with her? I never had a doubt that I'd always want to stay connected to her (and Toby) but I was a little worried about how things would pan out. Made me feel special and more secure about it. And it is all about me, of course.

One more thing, if you haven't heard of or checked out Michael Franti, check him out! His music is really upbeat, very smart and also socially aware. He's in DC on the 20th. Too bad I can't get out there to go with my sis. I just want to get up and dance when I listen to him. I don't actually get up and dance because that would just be scary. I feel like it, though! I really like Hello Bonjour and Have a Little Faith is a nice John Hiatt cover. You can listen to some of his music here. He'd be cool to have dinner with...I wonder if he's available tomorrow...hmmmm.