Things I love.

Back in the 'Bridge last night. After a quick nap for him, Mike and I went to ten cent wing night at the Asgard, and I got those french fries I've been craving. We got ice cream at Christina's with Jennatron, then met Meg and Tom at the Druid for drinks afterward. Mike left this morning, and I've gone through my usual withdrawals today. I worked from home since the bosses are out of town for the week. I got a good amount of work done, and did some laundry and grocery shopping that were completely essential. Tomorrow I'm going to the office, then Thursday night it's working from home again before picking up Randall at the airport around 7. Cyndi gets in Friday late-late, pretty much Saturday AM with her roommate Ellie. It's going to be a full house, but I'm looking forward to a fun return to Cambridge. Hopefully there'll be dancing and not TOO much drinking, though I fear Randall may have something else in mind. He suggested drunken Monica Lewinski poem-writing, which should be awesome. I think Mike's coming for some portion of the weekend, so I hope it all works out.

Dad bought his ticket to come visit today: April 13 - 18. I'm stoked. He might meet Mike's parents if they end up coming for lunch one day. I wonder if this is all weird for him, especially since he's so far away. I'm excited for him to meet Mike though; I think they'll get along great. Meg remarked last night that Mike can get along with anybody, and my heart almost exploded. I got the best one.

Tonight was writing group, and I was prepared with all of my critiques and even some left over from a meeting I missed a couple weeks ago. It felt good to not be behind or scrambling. I had coffee with Jenna today, and it was a triumphant return to 1369. It's so funny to watch us mature, almost at the same rate, figuring our shit out at the same time in different ways. It's like when Cyndi, Randall, and I graduated from middle school into high school, then into college. Except these days, the changes are a little more subtle and a hell of a lot more scary.

The No Fun Book Club meeting was pushed back a week on account of me and my revolving door. I'm secretly stoked for the schedule conflict because I'm not even close to finishing the book. It's like college, except free!! Ahhhh!!

I picked up a new collection of short stories that I read a review on (somewhere) by David Rakoff, Half Empty. I skimmed the first story, and saw that it involved Y2K and decided to wait to read it. I'm reminding myself that I felt similar when I started reading Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam, but that ended up being a phenomenal collection/novel in stories, so we'll see. My New Yorker issues are piling up, and I still haven't made it all the way through the Paris Review. I decided not to submit to Ploughshares because I've already submitted to them this year, and I don't have anything ready to send out. Another lesson in deadlines and priorities. Thanks, universe.

Today's list (besides groceries) -- Things I Love:

1. Email chains with tangents and inside jokes and one-liners and being able to hear each person's reply in their voice and intonation.
2. Snail mail 4 Life.
3. The ability to hop a bus to visit friends in Philly.
4. My dad!
5. Mangoes that I eat before they rot.
6. Every voice on NPR.
7. Opening the windows because the kitchen's warm after a long winter.
8. That moment in writing, like in running, when it's no longer laborious but natural and rhythmic.
9. Taking my contacts out after a long day.
10. Looking forward to a haircut.

Discovered Bon Iver today. Also love Sarah Jaffe and Nikki Minaj.