Meeting Grace: The Blog

I finally started the 7th book in the Harry Potter series.  The reason I waited a bit between reading the book and seeing the 6th movie was because I had a feeling I would get really sucked in.  And that’s exactly what happened.  I think I started it on Saturday and I’m nearly 3/4 done already.  I just couldn’t put it down.  It was even a weighty decision tonight whether to post something here or dive back in with Harry so close to finding another Horcrux.

That’s what I did all weekend.  Most of it.  Friday night, we ate a nice dinner (I made cashew chicken).  Saturday, we met with a woman who’s helping to promote a show later this month.  After that, I was reading and had the US Open constantly.  How about that Melanie Oudin?  I like that girl.  Good for her.  Saturday night, Han had a gig but I stayed home and continued reading and watching and just being mellow.

Sunday morning, the Acoustic Duo were on a local morning TV show to promote the upcoming San Diego Music Awards (Thursday!).  Both the Acoustic Duo AND the Rock Band are nominated for Best Album (Americana/Country for AD and Rock for RB) for their respective albums that we released earlier this year.  Plus a bunch of folks that Han produced are nominated, too.  It’s usually a fun, kind of weird night.  No one knows whether to take it too seriously or to just blow it off, but I think everyone secretly wants to win, for whatever reason.  I know I wanted to win when I was nominated way back when for Best Local Recording for my first CD (another Han production, his first actually).   Anyway, so Sunday was the TV spot, then it was home for a bit.  I went grocery shopping and Han had a session.  I had loftily thought I would make it up to Escondido to go to my dear friend Robt’s reading, but it was not in the cards.

That evening, I put forth the effort to recreate a recipe that our dear Louisiana friend once made for us: sweet smothered pork chops.  It came out pretty good, so I was pleased with it.

And Monday…a day off.  Slept in a bit, kept reading, more tennis.  Except, another weird health issue, so to speak.  My nose really hurt.  Like I’d been punched in the face (but I hadn’t been).  Tenderness across the bridge of the nose, and very sensitive should I “crinkle” my nose.   Monday was not the first day of this, it’d been like that for a couple days and it’s happened before, but on Monday, the weather changed, and with it came multiple sneezes and lots of congestion for me.  With a tender nose, this was not good times.   I took ibuprofen, I called the doctor (who said to take ibuprofen and an allergy pill).  I even tried the neti pot.  There was some relief but with the nose pain and the congestion, plus I took the one heavy duty allergy pill I had left, I wasn’t doing anything or going anywhere.  We’d been invited to Cathryn’s for a bbq.  Han went with DK.  I stayed on the couch.  I dozed heavily between chapters and matches.

On the one hand, it really sucked to feel laid up a bit.  But on the other hand, I relished it.  I didn’t email, I didn’t work, I didn’t busy myself.  That alone made it a good weekend.  I also tried to be really conscious of what I ate and drank.  Lots of water and single, smaller portions of whatever I was eating.  Han & I also talked about trying to walk every afternoon when I get home from work.  Small steps.

Today was DK’s first day of 7th grade at her new performing arts school.  She was not thrilled with all the rules and regulations that took up all of the class time, but her classes include theater, dance, English, world history, etc.  It’ll be good.

Han is up at another studio tonight working with a client on some piano tracks ’til late tonight.  Rafael Nadal just beat Monfils.  It may be time to get in a chapter or two (or five or six) and then answer some emails and do some other tasks for the music stuff.   Bona nit!

It’s a funny term, I think.  It describes weather and yet, it’s a bit how I’m feeling tonight.  And while I was going to write about that, just writing this got me thinking…why are tropical storms and hurricanes given regular names, like expecting parents agonizing over what to name their newborn?

Did you know that the really bad hurricanes have their names retired for at least 10 years?  No more Katrina, or Rita, or Agnes, Carol or Stan.  And why were the hurricanes, until 1979, always named after women?  In 2005, there were more storms than there were designated names so they resorted to using the Greek alphabet for the last 6 storms that year.

I will give them credit for using names with international flair: Gustav, Paloma, Sebastien, Olga.

Right now, it’s Hurricane Jimena (downgraded to mere tropical storm) that’s wreaking havoc with our San Diego weather.  On the coast, now at 10 past 10 in the evening, it’s still almost 80 degrees and muggy.  If you can be still and sit in front of a fan, you should be fine.

I’m ready for crisp mornings and clear skies, light, breezy evenings that soothe my stirred up mind.

I have days when I wonder if there will ever be a lift, if I will ever not be worried about something, if I will figure out a way to get ahead of things.

I hope that, like Jimena, these thoughts will blow through, leaving my mind more clear and willing to peek out from its wind-torn shelter.

…and a heat wave, Los Angeles on fire, pinky toe bone healing, school doors yawning open to accept summer-worn kids, recession, Chula Vista Park View Little League (Han’s childhood team) winning the Little League World Series, morning fog on the coast, waiting for state funding to fix my truck so it will pass its smog test, misconceptions righted, new wildflowers to look at because of a turn of a calendar page, looking ahead to the holidays, thinking of B in Austin, thinking of Lo nearby, successful trips for Han’s Acoustic Duo, upcoming work trip for me to Colorado, making dinners with DK, reading, relaxing, working with a health coach, reducing my Coca-Cola intake, seeing an old friend, getting a postcard from another one, becoming more okay with facebook, thinking of big dreams and small details, dreaming of a vacation, work, play, laugh, live.