the drive down to NC was spectacularly beautiful, though slightly pricier than expected (you could’ve guessed that right?) still, none too shabby. left late on tuesday, after taking the day off work to be a lazy bum (by which I mean laundry and a matinee showing of beowulf which i do NOT recommend as a movie, though the story is good) – and by 130am was happily asleep on the back seat of my bright red pontiac grand prix in a rest stop in the shenandoah valley! if you’ve never been, i fully recommend 430 in the morning in fall fog for your first experience… i spent the next three hours contemplating what i would do for work/housing/etc. if i decided to move to virginia. hitting the nc border was a rude transition to state troopers and road kill – one of each every 200-400 feet all the way into charlotte.
all in all, nap included and a lovely leisurely cup of coffee near a revolutionary battle site, around 13 hours.
then! napping! movies! dogs! cats! tours of phillip morris tobacco fields! turkey! antiques shopping! 3 kinds of devilled egg! 4 pies and a cheesecake and a loaf o cranberry bread! more sleeping! tennis! kudzu! sadly no eggnog, but 3 different fizzy kinds of wine! and, crazily, 70 degree weather. i am so glad i brought sweaters. and driving back! with the kid! for two funfilled days in new york, inc: window displays on 5th avenue! a full explanation of acrylic versus gel nails! sightseeing in chinatown! pancakes! thai food in jackson heights! plus, a nap in housing works bookstore! (just the kid on that one, though she was mortified)
it was lovely to have time off, and actually relax for almost all of it. and an excellent decision to not go in on tuesday – sometimes, when you know nothing is going to get done and its just going to be wicked stressful and stupid, it is better to opt out. this is a newly internalized nougat of wisdom – i feel the need to spread the word. opting out is _O_K_ sometimes. sometimes it is the _best_ option. not always, but sometimes.
and it is nice to be back. new york is growing on me definitely. no caveats this time. fall here is beautiful – its been raining, and the smell of wet leaves today, combined with the windy blue sky, and the bright yellow and gold-orange of the woods, is amazing. all the squirrels were chattering, redtail hawks circling, and just enough bite to make you feel Alive with a very capital A. it is beginning to feel like home. i think i just need to lay purposeful claim to it. though i still fantasize about working in a small town library, among other things, and it may happen yet… but for the moment, I am totally happy, and that is Nice.
ps good things coming up:
Dec 1, 10 pm, at pete’s candy store, supermonster. punk rock meets the beach boys.
Dec 3, 7 pm, at the living room, zoe lewis. genius.
Dec 11, green drinks holiday silent auction. give money for neat stuff + help the world.
that’s all i got folks. til next time.
