Oh, when the Saints … go on the field

Oh, when the Saints go on the field
Oh, when the Saints go on the field
A little later on to-day (more…)

Family fun …

Tonight, I went to my Mom’s house for dinner … with her stomach all bandaged up, she STILL managed to warm up some quiche, steam some broccoli, and set her brand, new dining table (the one my brother and I bought earlier this week).

I made her laugh — which made her hurt (in her stomach). (So, does this make me a good daughter or a bad one?! :)) (more…)

Fun in the sun

Late this afternoon, I knocked off work and went to the beach. It was not very crowded — which was super nice — and the water, the sand, and the sky all had a tranquility not often felt or seen, really. Sometimes the hubbub on the beach gets to me, but tonight was calm and a beautiful light was in the sky and in the water that reminded me of those certain European painters (I don’t know art well enough to remember just which ones) who captured light in the loveliest of ways.

The air had that special quality that I think is one of the reasons why this area was once called or marketed as “The Italy of America” for possessing light or maybe the essence of light similar to that country where so many master painters went to indulge their passion.

Anyway, I walked at a brisk pace for about 35 minutes and then indulged myself in nothingness. I took off my shoes and socks and walked in the water — it was pretty cold. I watched the sanderlings. I thought, really, about nothing.

I watched the sunset, something I’m often too busy or too preoccupied to do.

Then I came home. And, although fun of a quiet kind, it was still fun — to just be kind of still in my head. I think I need a bit more of that.

A little bit of slapstick

So, yesterday, my brother came in to town for a quick visit to see our Mum. Of course, it AMAZES me — when he walks through the door of the hospital room it’s like a combo of George Clooney, mile-high chocolate cake, and Jesus has rolled into one has waltzed on air into the room instead of my regular, old, human brother. My Mom breaks into tears: “Oh!” “Ah!” “You made it!” “I’m so glad you’re here!” Tears flow harder. Small smiles (in too much pain to smile BIG) come.

Sheesh. What am I? Chopped liver? (more…)

Mojo rehab

After a dismal last week through Friday, then, came Saturday.

A friend, another writer in town, called and asked if I wanted to go on a walk. I jumped at the opportunity, despite my sloth-like mentality and went to meet her.

We walked, and laughed, and swapped horror stories about clients and writing projects and people and men. We yakked and gave each other advice and swore at the skies and it was …. hold on to your hats … a lot of fun. Just shows the power of a good girl walk ‘n talk.

I returned home, mood considerably brightened. And then had tremendous fun that night on a date. (more…)

Fun-angst

Geez. I’m more than a little disappointed in myself. I’m sorry to be such a drag … but I’m not having an easy time with all this fun I’m supposed to be having. Last week, I REALLY struggled to find my fun mojo, hell, I struggled to find any mojo at all. I was schlepping around like I had an albatross the size of Manhattan — maybe several of the buggers — around my neck, on top of my head, and tied to my ankles. I was in a major funk — and not at all the fun kind. (more…)

Help MC have some fun … and possibly have some fun for yourself!

Sarasota Magazine is running its annual Best of Sarasota Readers Poll — and guess what? — they have a blogger category! If you’d like to help me have some fun by giving me something to have a martini for in celebration — just vote for MC as “best blogger” in the magazine’s online poll. The polling ends this Friday, January 15th, I think. (more…)

Friday night fun

Last Friday night (day eight of FANY), I was invited to go hear Fred Eaglesmith perform at a place called Aces — some out of the way watering hole on the outskirts of Bradenton. Since I rarely venture out of Sarasota, I said, yup, sure, count me in and went searching for my cowboy boots.

I went, sans boots, just boring shoes, with a few people, and met a few more there, and the place was so jam-packed you got to second base — with just about everybody — just by trying to make it to the bathroom and back. (more…)

Fell off the fun wagon

Eek! Yesterday I fell off the fun wagon. I can’t even blame my fall on work. I had read about a lecture I wanted to go to — given by one of the Bielski brothers. If you missed the movie made about their efforts to save Jews during WWII — check out Defiance. It’s a really gripping story, sadly true — but truly inspirational about the power of defiance.

Anyway, I’d planned to go but needed a push to get out the door. I invited a couple of people but neither wanted to go. I could feel my energy waning with each no. I still thought about going — I’m used to doing things on my own, but when I realized the cost was $18, I immediately jumped on that cost as an excuse to not go.

I say excuse because, really, that’s what it was. I had the money — even though I’m trying to be cost-conscious, I could have sprung for the lecture if I’d wanted to. But I convinced myself that I shouldn’t spend $18 and so let myself off the hook for keeping to my new year resolution of having fun.

Now, I’m not saying a lecture about the subject matter of the Holocaust was “fun” per se. But the idea of getting out an hearing a lecture that wasn’t work-related would definitely have felt like fun and the whole idea of my New Year resolution was for me to quit my last-several-years lifestyle/reputation of being a stick-in-the-mud who always works and won’t spend any money on fun. Yuck. That behavior is so 2009.

So, I fell off the wagon on Thursday, January 7 — time to get back in the saddle again (okay, I’m mixing my metaphors but at least they all have to do with horses …).

Friendly fun

Yesterday, all day, I looked forward to the fun I had planned for last night. It’s something that had been on my calendar for quite some time … something I don’t do nearly often enough: I met up with some girlfriends and just talked and listened … and talked some more.

Was very fun to bring in the first week of the New Year with two of the smartest women I know south (and maybe even north) of the Mason-Dixon Line. These are the kind of women who know politics, know Sarasota, and know how to toss off the words “deus ex machina” in casual conversation.

We swapped stories about dating, marriage, careers, the economy, Alex Sink, New Year ambitions, and when the topic of ambition came up, I mentioned a quote from my newly acquired fun 2010 calendar — “Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.” (Hey, I didn’t write it, I just report it! — and you won’t believe who said that, by the way, Timothy Leary! … of course he was the same guy who infamously said “Turn on, tune in, drop out” or something to that effect.)

Anyway, it was two hours of fun — even though the topics were often serious — it’s hard not to have fun when you’re with two women you like and admire so much. Which brings me to another quote from my new, obviously highly quotable 2010 fun calendar: “In my friend, I find a second self.”

After I said goodnight to my friends, I drove home (don’t worry, I hadn’t had even one martini!) and when I went to bed, I dreamt of dancing. Dancing on a big floor crowded with people. Dancing a bit clumsily, with no partner, and feeling a bit self-conscious, but still with an admirable portion of abandon.

Dancing! Having fun! Even in my sleep!

Now that’s the kind of fun I’m talking about.