The calm after the storm

I'm having an incredibly peaceful end to an also-pretty-peaceful week. Hubby is gone for the weekend, so I'm having girls time. Just me and the kitties. We're rocking out to Owl City, and, when feeling schmaltzy, Peter Cetera. We're making popcorn and watching chick movies and playing video games. Seriously, it's heaven. To add to the fun, it's snowing, and I've got a fire going. Seriously, what else do I need?

I was up in san mateo at the office sunday night through wednesday. I got super lucky and rented a car that had a sunroof. Part of me really wants to buy a new car with a sunroof now. Monday I was in an all day focus group in san jose for a vendor. That evening I wanted to do something fun, so I took myself out on a date. I plan good dates. Especially when I'm the only person I have to think about.

To start with I drove myself - with the roof open and Lady Gaga blaring - to the Albany Sauna. It's a spa type of place that rents hot tubs - and it's super cheap - like $22/hour. And the best part is that, while you get a private room with your hot tub, there's no roof, so you get to feel the breeze while you're in the tub. It's awesome. I have a little bit of a history with that place. 14 years ago I took a road trip to California and met up with this guy I'd been talking to online. He wasn't really a boyfriend in that we didn't date. But we kind of messed around, the way you do in college, and he took me to the Albany Sauna. I remember thinking it was super-cool, but even with as much time as I spend in the bay area, I haven't been back. So I took myself there and got a hot tub and had a blissful time.

After that I went into the city to City Lights bookstore. That's another place I've been meaning to go for, like, ever, and just got lazy. I'm saying a giant FU to laziness these days. It's nice. So I went to bask in a literary landmark. I bought a book of poetry - I'm not a big poetry reader - I don't like pausing long enough to read and absorb a poem. It's good practice for me to slow down.

I've decided to take myself out on more dates.

There's a skunk outside eating the food I put out for the feral cats, but I'm not shooing him away because it's snowing, and if he's brave/hungry enough to come out scavenging for food in this weather, he deserves whatever's out there.

So next I'm going to work on my nanowrimo book, and then my podcast. Must do my podcast this weekend for sure.

And I'm going to england in 2 weeks. Life is good.