Simple Pleasures

Early this morning, my friend, Terri, sent email with some sage advice for my recent defeated state of mind:

Treat yourself to something nice, even if it's just a good cup of coffee or a drive in the country.

So, I made myself an iced latté and, since I knew Terri was awake (and had also mentioned in her email that she had no real plans for the day), I decided to have a cup of coffee with her, and picked up the phone and called her. And what a coincidence, she had just made herself a cup. I talked too long–I was procrastinating my day ahead–but it was thoroughly delightful.

She was sitting outside on her balcony . . . I was inside with windows shut and air conditioning on. I am currently trying to teach the cats, Johnny Be Good and Grace Hopper, the meaning of the phrase "It's too hot." They sit in front of the French Doors and look longingly in my direction, no doubt wondering why we no longer leave the doors wide open for hours so they can enjoy the fresh air and chase the occasional fly at their leisure. This morning it was 85 degrees at 5:30 AM. It really was "too hot" to entertain the idea of turning off the AC and opening wide the French doors for them . . . but, they continue to make me feel like a bad cat-mom, as they stretch out in front of the doors, roll over on their back and call me over to scratch their bellies and flirt with me. I'm pretty sure that cats have a very different idea of how hot is "too hot" since they seem to love to lie on the bare, hot concrete floors in front of the sunny windows, but I haven't given up on the idea of communicating the concept of "too hot" (for me) to them.

I have been waiting a few weeks for another "cold front" and another "cooler" 90-degree day or two, so I could move the things I have in storage in Irving to my newly acquired storage in the building, but the cooling thing wasn't happening so I've spent the last two days driving back and forth and moving just about everything anyway, despite the triple digit high temperatures, despite the Orange Alert, bad air quality conditions. I'll make one more trip tomorrow morning to pick up my bike and everything that I can move myself will be moved.

After my second trip today, Brenda, the manager of the storage facility had another great suggestion for me, that I go to the fountain in Millennium Park and just

Enjoy the spray

She said the fountain had been turned up full force. She thought I should wait until the sun wasn't so high in the sky so I didn't fry my pale self . . . so at the end of my long day, I decided to go check it out.




I thought a picnic dinner sounded good (and meant no cooking when I got home), so I picked up a torta at a restaurant near the pet-friendly motel where I lived with my two cats when we first arrived in Texas. I am showing you a small photo because that yummy torta really was almost as big as my head . . . but it was so tasty, even if I could only finish about one third of it.







Here was my "table-side" view . . . OK, there weren't any tables, but that didn't matter. Did I mention that as I drove to the restaurant, I saw a sign that said at 8PM the temperature was 100 degrees? But the sun was just beginning to set; there was a slight breeze and it was actually very pleasant by the fountain. I confess that I dined on the side of the fountain that was away from the spray, but walked around the fountain afterward to enjoy the full effect. It was heavenly.



The people-watching was also great. You might notice in these photos that some of the people in the park were enjoying a bit more than just the "spray" from the fountain.



The kids were having a blast. Though I wondered how the parents of a couple of them were able to compel their offspring to come out of the water before the sun had completely set, their joy was so obvious. I saw so many great photographic opportunities, I really regretted not having my camera. I think these iPhone photos hint at the energy and beauty there.

Today was so much work and so hot, and at this moment, my back is killing me–I am sure it will feel much worse tomorrow–but I am thinking about the simple pleasures that marked its beginning and end and my thoughtful friends who made a tedious day really pretty wonderful with their advice and suggestions for me. How incredibly lucky and grateful I am to have people like Brenda and Terri in my life.