Another reason to be happy today

This afternoon I skipped work to trek into Lexington to get my hair cut, etc. by Maddy (she of Maddy’s Mad Tango trip to Buenos Aires and my español-learning partner). Maddy travels fairly frequently, often to Mexico where she has friends, and I’ve been unable to accompany her because of my slow income over the past three years. Well, income has picked up, though clearly not enough yet to make up for the previous years’ slim pickin’s, and I have quite a stash of frequent flier miles burning a hole in my American Airlines account. So I asked Maddy today if she’s planning to go to Mexico this winter. “Yeah, I’m thinking of it,” she said, “probably in March. Wanna come?” Hmm. Hmm. The more I thought of it the happier I got. I’d sit there in the salon chair thinking about it and a smile would creep up my spine and break out on my face. Heh. I’ve not had a lot to be real happy about lately, except of course for getting more work, but, you know, it’s still work. I haven’t been on a plane to go anywhere in over a year and a half. And there’s nothing like a trip somewhere to blast me out of all my routines and thought patterns. Of course it is still six months away.

Well, this does give me motivation to practice my Spanish more diligently. And also, hopefully, to rein in my great desire to buy new clothes this fall. Need to save some money. ¡Ay, que quiero viajar!

8:12:35 PM      trackback [] 

Reminder of why I don't work in a corporate office somewhere

I am working at my desk, sipping a cup of tea while contemplating how to organize a certain section of the interactive training project I’m writing. Ingrid, my housemate K’s schipperke, trots in silently – I see her dark shadow glide in behind my desk. She emerges from beneath the desk and, when I turn to greet her, she hoists her front paws up on the cushion of my chair. I scratch her head behind those pointy little ears and the ruff around her neck. As is her way, she lifts one paw and wraps it delicately over my wrist, almost cat-like, so I use the back of that hand to caress her around the sternum. Her eyes narrow and her head tilts back as she appreciates this most marvelous of gifts of being domesticated, next to being fed and warmly housed, of course. But there’s a noise somewhere. Her delicate ears perk up and twist around radar-like to locate the source of the sound, eyes round and alert. She drops down and trots off to go stand guard at the top of the stairs looking out to the street, ready to fling all 18 lbs. or so ferociously at any intruder, perhaps the garbage collectors or one of the landscapers. I hear a gurgly growl, but no sharp bark. Then silence. Nobody out there. By the time I break away from my desk to go out and see, she's slipped back downstairs to K’s living room to nap.

1:15:09 PM      trackback []