Outdoors

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments and encouragement following my ennui post. Sat morning I watched 3 back-to-back episodes of Project Runway Season 2 (the season I missed most of), and then Spouse & I had a good, long talk. I didn't really feel any better, but at least I felt like he understood, and somehow that helped.

We ran a few errands, had lunch out, did a little vacuuming, and read in the afternoon. After showers and a bite to eat we met up with our movie group at Paul & Steve's house and watched Lilies, which we enjoyed very much. Add it to your Netflix queue pronto!

Somehow, someway, after a week of ennui, Sunday I suddenly "snapped out of it". Without really planning it, Sunday wound up being 'all about outdoors' for us.

Spouse & I talked as we pulled weeds from our beds for about and hour and a half. Since the soil is sandy the weeds come out easily, but its unpleasant work due to all the bending and stooping. (I've been taking ibuprofen every 4 hours since last night.) The beds looked 1,000% better when we were done, and I got a huge sense of satisfaction from the back-breaking work.
Then Spouse said "Since we're already hot and dirty, why don't we take the furniture off the screened porch and clean the furniture and the porch really well?" This suggestion really surprised me, since Spouse will usually only acquiesce to one project per weekend. And yes, he would consider an hour and a half of weeding to be a project.
I readily agreed, so we moved all the furniture from the screened porch to the yard. Spouse cleaned the furniture while I swept the cobwebs, dust, and pet hair off the porch. (Photo above is not our actual porch.)

Then Spouse suggested we spray paint the wrought iron dining table and chairs. (We'd bought the spray paint over a month ago, but didn't paint them that day because it looked like it was going to rain.)

What??? A 3rd project in the same day??? I was tempted, but resisted asking him "Who ARE you, and what did you do with my REAL Spouse?" Instead I just decided to go with it. There was a lovely breeze blowing and the humidity was low, so it was really enjoyable being outdoors.

I soon realized Spouse was thinking ahead to this coming weekend, knowing we will be having the guys from the Fri Night Dinner Group here for dinner, and that we'll be having out-of-town visitors all weekend. His suggestions to weed the beds, clean the porch, and spray paint the table and chairs all in the same day suddenly made sense.

The spray painted furniture dried in like, 3 minutes, so we cleaned up our supplies and went inside for lunch. I called Rick & Nick to confirm they were going to the beach that afternoon.

After lunch we went to the beach. Although it was bright and sunny and in the mid 80s, there was a great breeze so it didn't feel hot. I read and Spouse listened to him mp3 player until Rick & Nick arrived. The 4 of us talked for a while, then went for a walk on the beach. After they left we stayed for a while longer. It was so enjoyable I didn't want to go home.

Shortly before 6:00 we got home, took showers, and then fed and walked Jordan through the neighborhood. Spouse then ran to the grocery store while I got the fire going in the charcole grill. Then I made myself a Pama martini, put on a Julie London CD, and enjoyed my martini on the recently cleaned screened porch. Jordan and Pouncer joined me. That lovely breeze was still blowing, and I quietly reminded myself that this was why we moved to the beach. About 15 minutes and 1/2 of my martini later, I got up to check the coals and was surprised to feel a little tipsy. Then I realized I'd eaten lunch about 7 hours ago and that I'd been drinking on an empty stomach. The coals were grey, Julie was cooing, the breeze was blowing, and my martini was perfectly chilled, so I sat back down in my chair on the screened porch and just enjoyed. When Spouse got home I immediately admitted my slightly (okay, pretty much full on) inebriated condition, but blamed it on the lack of food in my stomach. I mean, come on! I can usually hold my liquor as well as the next queen. He wasn't upset, but asked if I was capable of putting the food on the grill without burning myself. I chuckled and said "No promises, but I'll try."

We ate a simple but lovely dinner on the screened porch, and it was then, at around 8:00, that I realized that I'd been outdoors almost the entire day. It was a good day!

Crush du Jour: Marc "Sparky" Bartholomeo