On the Sunny Side of the Street

In the end not much good came from writing my novel all those years ago but one thing that did was coining the adage that it is much easier tearing something down than it is building something up. Yup I'm quite sure I was the first one to think of that.

So as I struggle to think of something to jot down this week I thought I'd mention the few life moments from the past week where things seemed so perfect and in tune. Yes I could have followed the alternative and whined about things that didn't quite go as well as expected but that would be too easy. Instead while I didn't exactly find any moments of pure bliss I did find a couple of seconds that brought quite a smile to my face (and no it wasn't a smirk).

I returned to work Monday after taking the previous week off to recuperate from a difficult fall. I was sitting hunched over my computer in my small office, wrapped in my fleece Sports Illustrated sweatshirt and my favorite scarf that was knitted for me by a co-worker, listening to the shuffled songs on my iPod. Up came Frank Sinatra's live version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" from his 1974 concert in Madison Square Garden captured in all its splendor on the CD, The Main Event. It's a schmaltzy performance of a near perfect Cole Porter song and at the end Frank hams it up by introducing the next song, "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by asking the musical question, "Are you ready?" at which point my iPod shuffled to a song from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical soundtrack Once More with Feeling. The song has Giles singing the opening line, "You're not ready for the world outside/You keep pretending but you just can't hide..."

It was like one song answered the other in perfect synchronicity. I sat there at my desk with a weary grin on my face and thought that somebody somewhere was responsible.

The next night I was lying in my brand new futon/bed watching the boys in their own worlds. Thompson was sitting peacefully on the ground nearby keeping an eye on me. Diego-san was a few feet away up to no good. He was clearly in playful pounce mode as his impressive tail was wagging like the tongue of a sailor on shore leave and sure enough he soon launched his massive frame airborne towards the unaware Thompson. I had a flying kitty and I had to chuckle as he missed his mark and fell far short of his victim.

Another perfect moment presented itself at dinner one night. I had just finished my unimpressive meal of processed grocery store ramen noodles (enhanced by my sister's homemade Japanese mochi rice cake) when I splurged and had some dessert- cookies made from two friends- tasty toffee/Heath bar like goodness from one of my favorite mothers of two, and cookies with white chocolate chips made from the Public Health scholar. Oh boy, I couldn't help but appreciate the baking mercy.

I threw my most perfect curling shot ever too this week. There were two of the opponent's rocks laying right in the home target and I flung my last rock of that particular inn as hard as I could aiming right down the middle. I split the rocks and sent them flying out of scoring range. Their curler came over and playfully cursed me and said he could do no better and I had spoiled it all. Indeed I did. It was quite intentional.

Then there was Wilco's performance of their spiffy song, "Late Greats" on the Late Show with David Letterman. There's something magical about the simplicity of the song- it's the type of composition that seems to have always existed yet it's truly original and out of its time. Watching the band have lots of fun with the stops and starts that drive the tune was something grin inducing. Even Paul Schaffer went out of his way to praise the band and its performance.

Finally I enjoyed the perfect big ass burrito (BAB) from the county cafeteria downstairs. The chicken was flavored just right and the preparer added just the right amount of cheese, pinto beans and rice, topped off with jalopeno peppers and spicy salsa. I woofed the BAB down in no time flat.