Practically Perfect in Every Way / Let it All Hang Out

I'm not sure whether to call it the Perfect Day. It wasn't exactly perfect. It was only practically perfect.

I'll start with the imperfect part to get it out of the way: Plasma today. Oh my gosh. This girl was not focused. That, or she was too focused. That, or, she just sucks at sticking people! I swear my flesh was on fire, she had to have been scraping at my muscle tissue digging around trying to find my vein. I squirmed like a child. I winced. (I always look away). I usually try to hide my reaction to pain but this time, I said, "Ow!" She said sorry. When the saline was going in at the end, it hurt really, really bad. Almost enough to make me not want to give plasma as regularly as I wanted to, if it means increasing my chances of having an experience similar to that again.

After I came home things began to perk up. I recently purchased a bathing suit. It's the first suit I've gotten since I was 14. I have never been much of a swimmer, mostly because I do not wish to show the world as much of my body as is generally required for this activity. This summer, however, I decided I am an adult and I need to get over it and enjoy the water! Yesterday I did. I had my first swim at Barton Springs. And loved it.

So today I thought I would enjoy the suit even further by laying out. (It's a great suit for this - say no to tan lines!)

Now, where I live, "laying out" is sort of a tricky thing. We have a backyard. When I walked outside to inspect for any areas that might possibly be suitable, the dogs followed me with intense excitement. "Welcome to our house!" I told them I liked what they had done with the place, but between the poop mine field, the overturned kiddie pool (which has been trampled and compounded enough to hold muddy water that the dogs cool their feet off in), and the random grove of wild sunflowers that has recently sprung up, I found no adequate place to tan.

Thus, I made for the front porch. I ended up laying my towel in the gravel next to the barbecue grill - our one area of exposure to the sun that isn't occupied by a garden plant, car, or storage unit. (We really don't have very large yards in my neighborhood).

It was so, so wonderfully lovely.

Iced tea. A bowl full of sliced strawberries and peaches with yogurt. Bill Evans tickling the ivories via my blackberry (I love you, Blackberry). Good book (The Fountainhead) by a nice, bitchy female philosopher (Ayn Rand). What more could one ask for?

Then, when I decided that just 10 more seconds of the Texas blazing sun on my back would probably do permanent damage to my entire cuerpo, I went into the house to let the AC cool off and got a phone call from my dear, dear friend Melinda. We had quite a pleasant talk, as always, and I made myself soup.

After the soup and the convo, I went back outside for some more reading, which was followed by some thinking, writing (on my blackberry!), meditating, and guitar playing. It was cool and windy while I played guitar and sang some of my most favorite songs. Doing that was more refreshing for my soul than yesterday's dip in the Spring.

Then I realized that I was extremely hungry (it was now past 8pm) so I went to dig for left overs. There was plenty of leftover LAMB. (Do I not live in food paradise?) And there were cucumbers, tomatoes and feta cheese at my disposal to make the perfect little Mediterranean dinner.

Yep. Life is always getting better, day after day.

Thank you, Bathing Suit. Thank you, Blackberry. Thank you, Texas Sun. Thank you, Melinda. Little Lamb, God bless you!...for being eaten by me.

I can't wait to go to California!