Laugh!

There is this woman at the pool where I swim who pretends to talk on the phone in the shower. The women smile to themselves, like they understand this because she has Downs Syndrome. One day, a woman resembling Aunt Jemima said, “Get off the phone, you’ll get electrocuted.” The woman said, “Okay, but I just have to finish this call, the baby sitter doesn’t know how to do this…” Aunt Jemima and I smiled at one another.

Later as we were all getting dressed, the woman put her invisible phone aside and yelled to anyone who would answer “This is my phone, I’m getting a better one tomorrow, this is my phone.” The woman next to me said, “I ain’t got no beef with you girl, phone away.” Everyone laughed; the woman with the phone and the others but…especially me.

It occurred to me I hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. Not because something has been horribly wrong but maybe because in long gray winters, laughter is like a hammer to a tightly wound rose bud trying to get it to bloom. In a long gray winter, laughter, when it comes can be addictive, a little sonic boom of the soul, a little reminder that work, books, good movies, passive voyeurism, the restorative habitations of winter will pass.

I learned last night from my friend Tanya that light accumulates in spurts and this week we get 20 minutes. How great is that? Especially in Portland Oregon.

That’s all I have today. Just wanted everyone to know, I’m still here; I have a pulse.

Oh, and something else, I bought some new shoes and socks to go with them. They are very girly shoes. I’m a boot person, but I’m trying. I wore them last night to a poetry reading. They were noticed by one of the poets. But he couldn't help it. I looked like some Scottish twinkle-toed dancer. All socks and dainty little shoes. I felt kind of silly. But social experiements are important. And, as an ex-tomboy, I just can’t get the manicure thing down.

Oh yeah, and I just took a new job. The offices open tomorrow on the Columbia River in Vancouver Wa. It’s a pretty stunning view. Not sure how I’ll get any work done. I’ll be thinking of those ducks down there that need food. I’ll be thinking of the Kayak I want for lunchtime adventures (not eating and rowing at the same time J). Anyway, it promises to be a cool job…I think my title is Sr. Interaction Designer.

Today is Valentines Day. Dakota (the rabbit) seems to be in love with Kayla the new girl. I'm not laughing, I’m a little jealous.