Monday night...

... and all is well.  I just finished watching Michelle Obama give the keynote speech at the Democratic Convention, and was struck by how wonderfully she spoke -- I hate hate hate public speaking, but apparently do it well.  She made it look effortless.  I found it particularly impressive, given the weight of history that was on her shoulders.  Wow...  I'm sorry I wasn't watching it with my daughter, so we could have shared this very special moment.  As it was, I was watching it avidly, but with the spousal unit and the son both paying total attention to their respective computers, and not paying any attention at all to the TV (or to me or to each other, I might add).  Sheesh...  

I have been thinking big thoughts all day.  I have been ruminating on friendship, and how deep it can be and also how ephemeral it can be.  I got a wonderful email from my best friend -- from high school, and still there -- and it made me smile.  I had written to her about hearing a balalaika melody on "Prairie Home Companion", which was the same piece she and I would goof around to way back when...  That simple tune took me back more decades than I want to admit to.  I recall writing long letters to her, when we were apart during the Summer -- all handwritten, by the way, children -- and her wonderful letters back.  Now, we do emails, but the contents are still great.  I'm sure our offspring would just roll their eyes if they could read our emails, but that's just fine with me.  We missed many years, when we were both busy raising our families -- although we were both transplanted New Yorkers, living on the West Coast -- but now we're back in contact.  We're still trying to figure out what we're going to be when we grow up...  I treasure her beyond all measure, and give thanks to the Great Being that we still have each other.  I'm also more than a little bummed at the lack of contact with any of the buddies I worked with at The Company...  I know, in my rational mind, that life there goes on without a hiccup, and aside from an occasional fond memory (perhaps), the hole resulting from my departure has been filled quite quickly.  Sad, though...  Almost 17 years, and I would have hoped for some more outreach.  But, I guess it's up to me to instigate the continued contact, if I want it.  I have my sewing ladies (the sip-n-sew bunch), and I treasure them, as well.  I've tried their patience over the past months, and they've been more than generous with their time, their listening, their advice, and their offers of support.  All very much appreciated, and I want them to know it...

The husband and I also went and hit tennis balls this afternoon, and I didn't do at all badly.  I'm getting better at controlling the ball (not that you'd know it by looking at my performance on the court), and know enough to know when I'm not doing it right, which is infinitely more frustrating.  Then, we went to Peet's, and indulged in our new favorite drink: the Jasmine Lime Iced Tea Cooler (or words to that effect)... major yum!  I am really enjoying having the time to pay attention to The Husband -- he got sorely short-changed for many years, when I was working like a maniac.  And, I've paid the price -- we've both paid the price -- for that.  We're working on being there for each other, and trying to make up for the lost years.  Lots of scar tissue there, but we're working on it.

I cooked some splendiferous spaghetti for dinner -- chopped onion and garlic, sauteed it in a tiny bit of olive oil, and then dumped in bottled sauce -- I can't seem to just leave things alone... Great garlic bread, and some nice white wine (can't drink the red stuff any more -- terrible allergic reactions), and there you go...  A lovely dinner...  Now, I'm on the sofa, writing this post, the husband has finished looking at eBay (there MUST be something there we need desperately) and is doing some work-work, and he's rubbing my feet somewhat absent-mindedly...  A cozy domestic scene...

I must say, I'm starting to enjoy this "holiday" from work (i.e., office work)...  I am thinking of this time as the two sabbaticals I didn't get, as management got rid of that benefit during The Times of the Troubles (all hands on deck, blah blah blah)...  I figure that's 12 weeks I'm owed... ha!  That ought to take me through the end of the calendar year, and then we'll figure out what's next...  I know I'm busy all day, but at bedtime, I'll be darned if I can list more than two or three things I got done...  What's up with that?  Reminds me of when I was on maternity leave with both of my kids...  I'd still be in my jammies at 9PM, staggering around, wondering what the heck hit me all day...  

OK, enough of this babbling...  Time to read a bit of the latest "Cooking Light" magazine, and then off to bed...

Cheers!