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Sunday, October 17th, 2004

bracing

Filed under: random — alison @ 14:49

I took pity on my poor old body and on the dogs and took them all for a walk to the park. The weather is not what most people call beautiful — windy with a light misty drizzle — but we all had a grand time. I love the light this time of year: indirect because of the atmospheric cover, never fierce because the sun is never high in the sky, but what remains is fully available and unfiltered by trees.

I bundled up in a jacket and scarf, wooly socks and a tuque pulled down over my ears. The dogs were naked. Poupoune deals with bracing weather by galloping exuberantly and raising her heartrate; Pepe doesn’t have that option, being snugly harnessed and leashed to me at all times. I fully expected him to ask to be carried about halfway through the walk, but he’s tougher than I thought: he made it through the whole circuit without complaint, grateful just to be outside.

[originally transmitted by e-mail October 17, 2004]

Saturday, October 16th, 2004

First day on my own

Filed under: random — alison @ 22:16

Mark left for Holland last night. He said it was the worst-prepared departure he’s ever made, putting his clothes out only the day before and still packing less than four hours before the taxi left. (I’m somewhat puzzled: I didn’t know there was any other way. Still don’t.) He’d been working on a demolition/renovation/storage projet for a client fourteen hours a day for the past few weeks which explains his unusual carelessness.

(Historical note: we met exactly three years ago this coming Friday. A week later we lit out for the Laurentians to spend a couple of days tramping around outside. A few days after that – so probably right around Hallowe’en, or about ten days after our first meeting – I wrote to my mother to tell her about this new person in my life who had “thrown me for such a loop.” I listed the things I thought I knew about him at that early date, one of which was that “he has strong opinions on food storage.” Turns out I was being too precise: he has strong opinions on storage generally. Very strong. And they’re generally good ones.)

After seeing him off at the airport I checked out the bookstores for Sara Paretsky mysteries and found one I hadn’t read. This morning saw me staying in bed until after one, cuddling with my dogs under the blankets, reading about V.I. Warshawski vs the Patriot Act and eating apple crisp and ice cream. I can handle this…

[originally transmitted by e-mail October 16, 2004]

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