Tuesday, April 15, 2008

I am sitting here, listening to something high in the wall scratching around (a mouse? a ferrett? a bird on the roof?), looking out the windows, vaguely aware of faint voices, human interactions taking place outside or in other people's homes (only feet away, but so very anonymous). Tonight my goal is to pound out a five-page paper I'd like to turn in tomorrow and cross off my list. It's not going so well.

In a few minutes I will scrub potatoes for either baking or boiling (do you all have a preference?). I have some low fat cream cheese I'm thinking would make a really lovely addition to mashed taters, but I've also been kind of lusting after baked potatoes with their skins rubbed in olive oil and kosher salt. I bought a steak to cook in a skillet, and will toss a salad with strips of red bell pepper and cook some green beans or limas. This will be a proper dinner. We will listen to classical music and drink very cold water.

I'm feeling sorrow in my heart again today, but I'm really very thankful for these things:

- the red cloth binding on my copy of Love by Toni Morrison, and the chance to write a paper next week that plays in all of the novel's ambiguities.
- four loads of laundry washed and dried (or drying) and folded and put away. Even the socks matched and tucked into their drawers.
- a high of 70 tomorrow? seriously? Shall I teach in flip flops?
- the stability of a manilla folder full of notes and outlines waiting to be expanded.
- Josh's recent flurry of kindness, even though he's been sick: the man washed our floors, shopped for groceries, vacuumed, cleaned the bathroom, ordered and procured fabulous takeout, and brought me coffee -- all in the last few days. We were cranky at each other this morning, but it only takes a moment of reflection to make me see how blessed I am. Plus, he's pretty smart and listens to me ramble about books he's never read.
- The news that Starbucks is giving perks to those who register their gift cards, like free refills on brewed coffee and free fancy drinks if you buy a pound of coffee.
- a blog to type in as warmup/procrastination.
- readers.

Seriously, though, answer me three questions:
1. best potatoes?
2. best hot beverage?
3. worst laundry experience.

3 comments:

  1. 1. best potatoes - mashed
    2. best hot beverage - green tea
    3. worst laundry experience - hmm... can't think of one.

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. 1. sliced and baked into chips
    2. hot cider
    3. at my first apartment, which had communal laundry machines, I was always worried someone would steal my clothes while the machine was running

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