Down Right Perky

After weeks of despair, I turned the corner and found happy days hiding under that dark cloud I had put over myself. I tend to do that. I’ll just be carrying along with life in general, then BAM. Gloom, despair, and agony on me. I don’t like where I am in my life, I don’t like who I am, I don’t like this dull day-to-day existence—all said while dramatically draping the back of my hand across my forehead. Is it any wonder my mother refers to me as Sarah Bernhardt?

But, I’m feeling much better now, thanks.

I’ve had a wonderful few days, and Mom and Jay are on their way here for Thanksgiving, so I have some wonderful days ahead of me. I love Thanksgiving. I love to cook a huge meal (always trying something new with all the traditional favorites) and I love having people around. Our good friends the Zs are joining us this year, and the more the merrier was never truer than at Thanksgiving.

But leading up to this day was a great weekend.

My friend T and I went to see Stranger than Fiction. I loved this movie. I thought it was very clever. So clever, I’m not quite sure how to talk about it. I just know that the idea that a character in a book is real and can hear the narration of his story and goes to a literature professor to figure out what kind of story he is in is just brilliant. It’s romantic, it’s funny, it’s sad and there are wonderful people in it—Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal. It’s also the kind of movie my hubby would hate. He would be sitting in the theatre, dreading the movie being over because he’d know that this is a movie I would want to “talk” about. He just hates that. He’s so not a movie guy. So I talked about it with T and got it all out of my system, to his relief.

Saturday was a nice “couple” day and we just enjoyed each other. We did some grocery shopping, getting ready for the big dinner, laid around the house, and watched X-Men III. That movie is more his style, even though it was much more message-driven than he thought it would be. Plus, [Warning: Spoiler coming!] when Jean blew up Xavier, Al said, “I’m pretty sure that didn’t happen in the comic book.” He’s the master of understatement, that one.

Sunday, after church, we decided the day was much too pretty to stay inside, so I packed a picnic and we headed out. We drove out into the country, daydreamed about having a house and land some day, and toured around some of the state parks, before deciding which one to eat our cheese and crackers and drink our tea. He has discovered Lapsang Souchong tea, and we’ve been drinking more of that than coffee. This tea smells very smoky and has a strong flavor that at first I didn’t think I liked. But the more I drink it, the more I like it.

Then we headed to the Dundee Dell, our favorite pub/bar, for a Christmas Beer tasting. Have to say, I wasn’t real impressed. Christmas beers are really full-flavored, hoppy, high-alcohol beers. There wasn’t one that I think I would drink a whole pint of, but I’d come closest to Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale. But at 6 percent alcohol, someone would have to drive me home after I drank it. Either that, or play a really great song on the jukebox so that I have something to dance to when I climb up on the table. Oh, but the best news was that the Dell now has Smithwick’s on tap! I may never leave this town.

So, now, it’s Monday. I got my teeth cleaned and no cavities (this is only because there are already so many filled cavities and caps that there is no room left for new cavities) and I’m getting a check up at the neurologist this afternoon and a flu shot, then I’ll be done with doctors of any kind until next year. By then, Mom and Jay should be here, Al will be off work, and we can plan out our activities while eating dinner.

Posting will be sporadic this week again. But I’ll still be lurking around other blogs. Or at least, Jay will be and he’ll keep me informed on what’s going on.

Have a great week, everyone!