margarita-laced dreams

A girls' date to Artie's last night with Queens from Neighboring Kingdoms was on tap. It was a spontaneous decision to go out on what was a really chilly last night of February but, as one who craves spontaneity in her life, I depend on others to impose their spontaneous spirit onto me (thank you, She-ra!).

We had a lovely night, got home around midnight (this is becoming a pattern...!), did a little necessary computer research and then fell asleep....

The time was 2:00 a.m. and, at that magic hour the roof of Artie's opens up to the starry skies. It was no longer a cold night; we continued sitting at the bar, hardly aware that the six hours had passed. I look out the window and see that the Men are starting to arrive; first, She-ra's husband, then L's husband, and finally some really dark and handsome good looker I have yet had the pleasure to meet... And I thought, "Uh-oh, I am in trouble now." But then the guys decided to stick around for a couple drinks, then we left in She-ra's husband's super Captain Raptor Turbo Jet, of which I was to be the managing co-pilot and thus we would skillfully avoid the cops awaiting in the Artie's parking lot to check the 3 a.m. drinkers trying to make their ways home.

And so it went...until my little monkeys jumped on me at 6:30 this morning.

*-----*

I was hoping all day that the headache I felt coming on from about 11 this morning was more a function of alcohol, although I had not imbibed in any amount that would ever normally give me the most minor chuchaqui. As the day went on, however, the headache intensified despite my best efforts to maintain hydrated and well-fed and to stay off the computer. As March did enter in a rather lion-esque fashion today with some strong north winds, I did get outside with the little monkeys to fly the kite, thinking that perhaps some fresh air would do some good. By the evening, I could feel my glands at the base of my neck swollen and all I could think is 'great, now I'm getting the flu.' It is starting to go around here like crazy. Although I have felt unreasonably cold all day, I am not running a fever and it is thus not a chill, and the intense headache is all that is getting me--no sneezing, no head stuffiness, nothing else. So I'll ride it out, take it easy and hope that this is something minor that just is knocking me down a bit for the weekend. I would like to spend tomorrow working on finishing more with my book, but that will depend on how I am feeling.

*-----*

I found a salsa school here in town that I am looking into for getting back into dancing. I have always wanted to learn more on a formal scale (as opposed to discoteque salsa, where I can hold my own) and I absolutely love to dance...and what better way to get to know new people? The last "classes" I took were in swing and in belly dancing, and that was almost 10 years ago. There are beginner salsa classes, which is where I would start even though I can survive on a dance floor; better to be taught correctly and have bad discoteque habits undone early. I'll have to figure out a schedule and two hours a week that I would dedicate, without exception, to ME. This will probably have to quite a few more years yet until both kids are old enough to be left home alone responsibly, but it is worth at least looking into as a possibility. Too bad nothing like this is offered through the gym; I pay a membership fee monthly but still go and never speak to a single soul. I need to be forced into interaction, as I can fall all too easily into complacency, solitude and silence.