Friday, October 16, 2009

Friday Nights

Half the time the world is ending
Truth is I am done pretending
I never thought that I
had any more to give
You're pushing me so far,
here I am without you
Drink, to all that we have lost
Mistakes we have made
Everything will change
Love remains the same.

Gwen Stefani I can live without, but Gavin Rossdale I like. And somehow these lyrics seemed quite apt, tonight.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Golden

If I could just have at least one weekend like this every month.

This weekend, unexpectedly, turned into the perfect storm of just what I needed to recoup and energize after several weeks/months of bad juju. My girls spent the weekend with their aunt, and my husband flew out of town for a conference, so Friday night was spent downtown having some creative time with four really good friends and some Justin pinot, which resulted in a really BIG business idea involving box wine (don't ask), a couple of possible jobs, and laughing until my sides hurt. Not to mention the cheddar and butter orgy - but some things should just be left unsaid.

Saturday morning I went back to my old stomping grounds in Newport Beach, and ran six miles, half on the boardwalk and then back again on the sand. It was one of those absolutely perfect days -- crisp and sunny, with no one on the beach. I stopped at the old house, but no one was home. It felt so good to be there, like a homecoming, and I realized I hadn't been back for at least 2-3 years. Lots and lots of renovations going on -- one of these days I'll have to figure out how to finagle a house there.

After my run I headed for the hills and the house of my best friends and surrogate family. We sat in the jacuzzi, drank champagne, and took turns getting a massage from a guy who used to work for Two Bunch Palms. On the whole, it probably ranks up there with one of the best afternoons of my life! And then we got dressed and took four teenagers to see Spamalot -- not as funny as the movie, but a surreal deja vu experience to hear the four next to us quoting lines that WE were quoting at sixteen too. Maybe 40 is really the new 16? We came back and got out old photo albums from when we were all in college together and told old stories about people we haven't seen since, which was hysterical and bittersweet at the same time -- and then watched Heathers, which I don't think I've seen or thought of for at least 15 years. A fabulously evil movie -- found myself shouting the lines out in each scene, and all of us laughing until we cried. It made me remember what it's like to be around people who get everything about you, who not only appreciate but celebrate the fundamental elements of your life and perspective. It also made me think I may have to relocate to OC at some point so I can have that in my life again on a regular basis.

Or maybe I wouldn't appreciate it so much if I did.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Seriously?

Forget the pre-relationship credit check.

There are only two things you need to find out about someone before you marry them:

1. How do they handle packing for a trip? and
2. How do they handle filing their taxes?

In other words, if: (a) they run through the house frantically searching for things like a madperson while yelling at you 20 minutes before you have to leave for the airport, and (b) they consistently file for an extension, put off meeting with the accountant, and then lose the folder with all of your tax receipts, 1098s and 1099s -- RUN AWAY. Believe me, your life will be far, far better if you do.

Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything. Just a hunch.