grateful

What with so much sadness and kvetching lately, I thought I should let you all know that I am having a splendid day.

Though my splendid day did, in fact, start last night.

Yesterday afternoon, I got home around 3:30 and started cooking. I made stew, a whole big vat of stew. I'd invited Shelley, M-C, Steve and the Born Ruffian to help me eat it. Steve couldn't make it, so the four of us hung out and drank wine and ate my very tasty stew and dumplings. I would feign modesty, but really, it was frickin good. M-C and S had to be off early to the Radical Drag show, so the BR and I cleaned up a bit, which is only partially a euphemism.

While I was drying and rearranging the dishes, I checked the message that had come during dinner.

It was from my brother's number, and I got all worried, listening to the prompts and punching in my numbers. "They never call. We email. I hope nothing's wrong. Maybe this is about that life insurance thing I haven't gotten back to him about yet. I hope nothing happened to the kids."

I trailed off because by then, my 3 year old niece was singing happy birthday.

That, I can tell you, is a very good way to start your birthday.

Then the BR and I hied ourselves off as well, and Chad vanGaalen was so good I was disappointed he only played for an hour; and then there was some delicious making out; and then a good sleep with Freya curled up purring by my head; and then this morning my mom singing on my voice mail; and then the emails and phone calls and skype chats from a whole whack of people I'm insanely happy to have in my life.

Tonight I'm having dinner with a small group of the friendliest friends around, then drinks with same, and then a video date with CT.

Honestly, 34 is shaping up to be one banner fucking year.

Yesterday was the big day! Shelley and Steve arrived last night, safe and sound and only somewhat dazed. I spoke to Shelley not too long ago, and their stuff is currently being loaded into their house. My new roomie moved in last night too, and we'll slowly start setting our own habits.

My life this whole summer was about discrete events: moving, CT's visit, the Esses moving in, having a roommate. Now there's just life.

But man, what a life it is.

I went for a drink with one of my pride makeout friends last week, ostensibly to have a conversation I might fully remember. At one point, well into the evening, the Born Ruffian asked me if I liked my life.

Maybe I was a little lightheaded from the drinking, the kissing, but in reply I used a word I often think, but rarely say out loud. I looked at the ceiling, spread my arms as wide as they could go, opened my mouth.

"I feel blessed."