Distilled

It's 7:45 PM on Monday night. Today was a holiday, so it's been a lovely three-day weekend. I had to work yesterday, but it didn't matter. It still felt like a little vacation. There's something special about going to a movie--even a really bad movie--on Sunday night, and stopping for a drink afterward, and knowing that no one has to get up early the next morning. It was warmer than usual, and with crowds of movie- and restaurant-goers about, it felt more festive than a Saturday night.

*****
My older son was supposed to go to a school dance on Saturday night. He needed dress pants and shoes, and wanted a bow tie, so we went shopping. I suggested that he try gray pants with maybe a striped or windowpane checked shirt, but he decided to stick with black pants and a white shirt. He found a red bow tie with a matching red pocket square, and showed it to me. "What about this one?"

"No," I said. "With black pants, a white shirt, and a red bow tie, you'll look like a waiter. Do you want girls to dance with you, or tap you on the shoulder and ask you for another glass of punch?"

"Funny, Mom," he said. "You have jokes for days."

I do, I thought. I do have jokes for days.

An hour or so later, I realized that this might have been sarcasm, and not heartfelt admiration of my wit.

Sass.

We found pants, shoes, a bow tie, and a new white shirt. With the new clothes and a recent haircut, he looked very sharp; very stylish. The snow started as we left the store, and by 5 PM, a few inches of slushy wet snow had accumulated, and the dance was cancelled. He was disappointed, but not devastated. "I can wear the bow tie for Easter," he said.

*****

The bad movie was "The 15:17 to Paris." My 13-year-old loves ripped-from-the-headlines true-story movies, and the family movie outing was his idea. Let's just say that this one was a good story turned into a terrible movie. But we still had a good time.  We stopped for drinks and a snack after the terrible movie and basked in the vacation atmosphere.

*****

All good things come to an end, and some more abruptly than others. This morning, I heard disturbing news. And that's all I can say about that. It will pass, and there will be better news tomorrow.

*****
Tuesday: It's tomorrow. Well, you know what I mean. No change from yesterday except that it's a day later. I'm watching the Capitals, who are down 3-0 in the 2nd against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and this is the good part of my day.

*****
Wednesday: The thing that weighed so heavily on my mind yesterday seems quite a bit less worrisome today.

Sometimes, I don't sleep. On those nights, burdened with worry or anxiety or lingering post-traumatic stress, I lie awake and think, or I just give up and get out of bed. I was wide awake this morning, and I finally decided that if I was still awake at 4, then I'd just get up. Then, a minute later, it was 4:45. I'd fallen asleep, and though it was just for a little while, it felt like a whole night of sleep had been distilled and concentrated into three quarters of an hour. Everything seemed much better then, much more manageable.

And now, I have to write a newsletter article. It will be at least a week late, which for me, is right on time.

*****
Saturday: Four-year-old house guests: It's all fun and games until someone ends up in the 3 AM vomit crossfire. My kids are older now, so it had been a long time since someone threw up on me in the middle of the night. He's all better now, and I too have recovered from the shock. Vomit wasn't the worst part of this rather icky week, but it's over now. Maybe next week, I'll write something that makes sense. No promises.