Panel Interview and 42

I’m sitting here this morning with my hot cup of coffee, my soft pants on, the cats are snuggled in their individual spots. They all get snuggly when the season changes. It’s cold outside. The weather has shifted, a new season is clearly upon us.

A new season.

Isn’t that the truth?

It was a really full weekend, full of friends and laughter and tests both literal and metaphorical and soup and ghost clouds and and love. So much love.

My birthday seemed to appear out of nowhere this year. I kept forgetting about it. “Oh yeah! Thank you!” was my normal response. Facebook, of course, is a grand reminder of another year passing. I spent a few narcissistic hours perusing the well wishes on my wall after I got home from the GRE. The texts and phone calls and cards and gift boxes and presents and just all of it.

It was a really great weekend.

Mark met a good chunk of the tribe. We call it the panel interview. I met his people that way, too. It felt good for my people to meet him, to talk and laugh with him. For them to see us together, and how happy I am…that was a solidifying piece of the puzzle. I had said earlier that it seemed real in Norman, where we were around his friends and out and about, but up here it still seemed like a dream. But now…all good things.

It was my favorite, the back yard gathering. The catastrophic winds kind of…blew but being surrounded by friends what have known you for the majority of your life, good food, cold beers, a lesson in drinking scotch (oy) all add up to just the best way of celebrating a new year.

After meeting Frank and Suzy last night,  for a post-pre-birthday dinner at Republic, we went to see Anthony Bourdain on his tour. Was it a book tour? Why was he touring exactly? We don’t know. But it was good, he was entertaining. He is, in person, just as he is on his show. It seems that he is just as authentic as he appears. It was a good night.

It’s time now, to buckle down. Get focused on the impending deadlines. I’ve got several that are barreling down the pike. Thanksgiving is next week, gatherings and celebrations and reunions abound. This week, I’m going to pound out some work so that next week I can relax and play a bit.

This semester will be over before I know it.

But there is a new season upon us…and I’m looking forward with great gulps of excitement.

Happy Monday Ya’ll.