sweet sunday kinda love

Who knew Mondays could be so good? I've gotten work done and I'm going home with a free pizza, courtesy of the department. I've got a fun week to look forward to, with my new camera coming in the mail and lots of birthday festivities for the Boy - lunch with his parents, cooking him a nice dinner, and then a rockin' party on Friday that a surprisingly large number of people are really looking forward to. Plus, have you seen the countdown? Only a little over a month until Hawaii, people!

The weather is brisk and beautiful and every day the feeling grows stronger that spring is coming and my body is ready to do the oh so slow striptease as sweaters and coats slip away into long-sleeved shirts and blazers, then t-shirts and hoodies, more fabric will get snipped away into tank tops, then halter tops and floaty wisps of skirts and my feet will slip out of boots into flip-flops and then go nearly bare in sexy strappy sandals. I am totally ready to give Nature a lap dance.

Was a really good weekend. You could say that weekend quality suffers from restricted range because with the Boy, weekends are either pretty good, really good, or great. Whether working out or going shopping, spending time with friends or staying warm and cozy inside, sleeping late, snuggling, and watching the Muppet Show during breakfast, it's all good.

An international spread of food and drink over the weekend - Indian food, tall, cheap margaritas, the fun of digging into Ethiopian food with your fingers and reaching over a half dozen other pairs of hands, White Russians as required beverages while watching the Big Lebowski yet again.

Realized yet again how much I'm gonna miss these folks when I get outta here - both the big eclectic group of weekly drinking buddies and the smaller inner circle - smart, funny, driven, amazing people all. I keep having flashes of my Dream Future - the job, the house, the family, because all those things are just around the corner now. But even with the light at the end of the tunnel getting ever closer, I'm still firmly planted in the simple pleasures of work and friends I have right now. Crazy but true, life can be satisfying even when you're stuck in grad school in the Midwest.

i can't remember all the times i tried to tell myself
to hold on to these moments as they pass
-counting crows