Dearest Fruitcake Redux:

How are you? I have been pinging words to you more often over the last few months. I hope this is a welcome change, and not a burden. I hope you are not reading into it too much. I might go away again, and get very quiet, and that will be ok too. It doesn't change my feelings of affection towards you.

So let's just go there, shall we?

I have now been living on my own, in my own home, for upwards of three months. I have inherited some good habits from the most recent roommate, and I am also reverting to some bad ones pre-co-habitation. And let's face it: the last time I was not co-habitating, I was a lot younger. It was a different decade.

Speaking of decades, we are 31 today.

Pause for applause.

I was going to wait and paste this video at birthday #32, but who knows what happens between then and now. Maybe I'll need it more; maybe I'll need it less.



Whatever happens, we keep pressing on. We strive for "ah-HAAH" moments and dilated pupils and when presented with a choice to get out there or stay in, we get out. We seek out these opportunities. We do good work. We have our "automatic veto" list and are true to it, and we are also open to new people of different genres. (p.s. How's that genre been working out for you?)

But today is not a day to beat oneself up. Today is a day to breathe deep, enjoy life, be thankful to one's parents, and look forward to pleasures to come.

Happy birthday to me, internets.

The Thing About Starting Over Again Is...

It's not about you, it's about me.

As in:

Who am I when I am with you?
Do I still value the things I think I value, and am I living it?
Are you into other things that maybe I should get into?
Do I have anything interesting to say, when I am with you?
Do you understand me? Are you even trying? Am I comfortable enough to make you understand me?

It brings to mind the motto for 2002-2003, that is, "fake it 'till you make it."

I think.

I don't know.

I think maybe you have to pretend, like, "HEY! I am totally comfortable in this weird-o situation" until you get to a point where, presto, you are.

Maybe I shouldn't take dating tips from the Bachelor/Bachelorette.

I am just going to say it

Putting my books on shelves and alphabetizing them is the best drug out there.

I mean, really, what a high. Especially when they are positioned in the room in a place where I can look at them in all their curated, Dewey decimal glory.

MARY. Become a librarian. What is wrong with you?

I have multiple copies of many, so come take a look and we'll work out a loan system.

TurboTax Passive Aggression

"Your income went down a little this year, but don't fret! We'll keep an eye out for new money-saving write-offs for you next year."

Robyn

Y'all, I am so excited for this show...



But, probably, it won't sound like that. It will sound like this:



And they both sound great, right?? Mark of a great artist.

Who is this newfangled lady, you ask? Actually, you know her, remember? We were 17.



Did you know she is Swedish? Like ABBA!

Anyway, excited.