A great episode of Friends

Coming this Fall

I mean GOING...
Just booked the trip!

I'm perfectly lonely

Had a little love
But I spread it thin
Falling in your arms
and out again

Tore out my heart
and shut it down

Nothing to do
Nowhere to be
A simple little kind of free
Nothing to do
No one but me
That's all I need

I'm perfectly lonely
I'm perfectly lonely
I'm perfectly lonely
Yeah...
Cause I don't belong to anyone
And nobody belongs to me

I see my friends around from time to time
When their husband's let them slip away
And when they ask me how I'm doing
This is always what I say

Nothing to do
Nowhere to be
A simple little kind of free
Nothing to do
No one to be
Is it really hard to see?

I'm perfectly lonely
I'm perfectly lonely
I'm perfectly lonely
Yeah...
Cause I don't belong to anyone
Nobody belongs to me

And this is not to say
There never comes a day
I take my chances and start again
And when I look behind
On all the other times
I have to thank the wrongs
That led me to a love so strong

I'm perfectly lonely
I'm perfectly lonely
I'm perfectly lonely
Yeah...
Cause I don't belong to anyone
And nobody belongs to me

--John Mayer

One for the road....

Chocolate Chip Calzone at Claim Jumper
Absolutely one of the best desserts ever!

The last of the birthday celebrations was with my high school friends!
I can't remember laughing quite so hard...
it felt so good

We are Family

Celebrating my birthday with my family...life is good!

Go ahead...

There are a few things that truly make my heart beat. Things that make me smile EVERY SINGLE TIME.
A few things that never fail to make my day:

1. Someone saying, "Good Morning Beautiful!"
2. Getting a birthday card in the mail.
   
3. Seeing the purple Jacarandas trees in full bloom!
   
4. A Dodger win!
5. Weighing less than 130.
6. ONE BITE of an amazing cinnamon roll.
   
7. Laughing til I can't breathe!
8. Finishing a book.
9. Hearing people say, "There is NO WAY you have kids 27 and 25!"
10. Climbing into bed, in my quiet little house and knowing I made it through another day.
    

Alone again, so naturally...

Until about five years ago, I had never lived alone. When I was 18, I moved from my family's home--with four younger sisters--into my (now former) husband's home--with two room mates and two dogs. Oh, and we had a baby on the way! My entire life I relished time alone, but moments of solitude and silence were few and far between. Again--up until five years ago.

Now, my life is full of silence and lots of time to myself. Though it's been a kind of rough couple of weeks for me, I gotta tell ya, being alone ain't half bad...
So as I sit here watching the Dodgers win their 10th out of 11, let me share with you a few of the things I have come to appreciate over the last several years.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BEING SINGLE & LIVING ALONE

1. I listen to music in my house day and night. I sing at the top of my lungs (often the wrong lyrics) and throw in some cool dance moves. No one is there to complain...or make fun of me.
2. I come home from the gym and strip in the garage. I come up to the house naked, sometimes stopping at the fridge and taking gulps of juice straight from the carton.
3. I eat food directly from the containers. Less dishes to wash.
4. I have yet to wash my new car. (I love that.)
5. I eat in my car. And drink in my car. And leave stuff in my car.
(I really love that.)
6. My house is kinda messy. (Unless you're coming over.)
7. I never make my bed. (Unless you're coming over.)
8. I watch baseball or ESPN 24/7. Reruns of the 1987 All Star game are better than anything on TV.
9. I buy whatever I want, whenever I want, where ever I want. (And I throw away the receipts.)
10. I do laundry twice a month. Maybe. And I live out of the basket for weeks.
11. I eat a yogurt for dinner. Or a couple of scrambled eggs. Usually with a beer.
12. I take a nap every day.
13. I take a bath every day. (Usually with a beer.)
14. I go to the gym, to yoga or for a walk nearly every day.
15. I read two or three books a week.
16. I sit on the couch with my laptop for hours every night. And I sleep with my BlackBerry.
17. I go out with friends several times a week. (Sometimes, friends visit me...)
18. I see my family a few times each month. (Because I want to.)
19. I sleep in the middle of the bed and wrap myself up in all the covers.
20. Sometimes, I get up, read the paper and then go back to bed. Often actually.
21. I'm in my jammies by 3 or 4 in the afternoon.
22. I'm the only one who bitches when there's no milk for the coffee.
23. I am going to San Francisco next month mainly to see the Dodgers play the Giants. And because I can.
24. No one keeps track of where I am or when I'm coming home. (Spur of the moment is a whole new world.)
25. It's a very simple, easy, quiet, uncomplicated, delightful and gratifying way to live.

Please know too, that I am not advocating that you become single.
I am just reminding myself of how fulfilling it is to love and appreciate the life I have, rather than to wish and long for a life that I don't have.
Let me tell you, there's a whole lot of good in this life.

So, until I find a man who just wants to sit on the couch and listen to music and watch baseball and drink beer...
I'll be living alone and loving it.