Most Pleasurables: January 2009
January has come to an end; it flew by in such a flash. I felt the same loss of time last year. Some would say I’m just getting older, but I defy those people. Besides, as my friend Egan will attest, I’m only 23. No. This time-warp phenomenon is simply due to a lack of focus. My mind is always going a mile a minute, usually in the direction of doomsday scenarios or sex or why people insist upon SuperPoking me on Facebook despite my abhorrence for the practice. There’s just not enough brain space in which to remember things, particularly the truly pleasurable things in life. Ask me about a natural disaster or my last break-up, and I can recount everything to the minutest detail. But otherwise, I will emphatically claim that nothing has happened and I’ve done nothing of interest. When I wrote 2008: Most Pleasurables last month, I finally embraced the idea, in a public forum, that my perception of the past is truly flawed. And hey, that’s a super cool relief! So I’ve decided to institute Most Pleasurables lists on a monthly basis. Because no matter how crazy the world gets out there, the pursuit of pleasure is why I’m here.
- The inauguration of Barack Obama. Duh. That may be the highlight of the century, certainly the decade. I think you all know how I feel about it.
- A new haircut. I freely acknowledge that I’m a high-maintenance gal, except when it comes to my hair. It’s the one place I actually might benefit from being a little more high-maintenance. I simply can’t be bothered. Which is why I go to the Vidal Sassoon Academy for a 21 dollar cut rather than shelling out the hundred bucks like I used to do. A trip to the Academy, while being a smart fiscal choice, can be traumatic. These are students, after all, with very sharp scissors. But this time, I walked in resembling a damp, mildewed, cloth mop and left looking… well… like a dry, clean, cloth mop, with layers.
- Warm weather. Yep, I’m going to gloat a bit about living in Los Angeles. We do not get ice storms. We do not have to throw out our backs while shoveling snow. We wear scarves, hats, and gloves as accessories, not as life preservers. This January, the coldest overnight temperature was 41 degrees, for a few hours, one night. We had highs in the 80s almost half the month. It was 88 degrees on January 12th. Now I’m sure this is all due to global warming, and it’s causing catastrophic environmental damage or something, but damn it gives me pleasure. And a wee bit of a tan.
- Mom’s visit. As you get to know me more, you’ll realize how utterly remarkable it is for me to include this in a Most Pleasurables list. Like that of many mothers and daughters, my relationship with my mom is complicated and there have been many moments of high drama. This was the first visit in a very, very, very long time during which there was not a single argument. To top that, I had a fucking ball; I had a girls’ weekend in L.A. with my mom (and her best friend). To my chagrin, it is the first time I was able to fully see my mom removed from her “mother” persona, and I really liked her. I feel like a huge shift in our relationship just happened, one I didn’t even know was possible. I’m grateful, optimistic, and looking forward to the next time I see her.
- A job. Not a small thing, people. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims that 2.6 million jobs were lost in 2008. Forbes Magazine estimates 162,962 jobs, in just the top 500 American companies, disappeared in January. How could the fact that I have a job not bring me profound pleasure at this moment in time?
- Strengthening friendships. I am lucky. I have a lot of friends. I have a lot of comrades too. Now, I don’t mean that in a red-shirt kind of way. I’m talking about phenomenally awesome folks who are programmed into my blackberry but who I see only irregularly and usually in a group setting. These are the men and women with whom I’m constantly making vague plans, wanting to reach that next level of friendship, the one where, no matter what kind of mood I’m in or they are in when the phone rings, I answer the call. This month, for whatever reason, those vague plans transformed into activities and my friendships, new and old, are flourishing.
- Not having to bury my cat. I’m still a little shocked that I’ve transmuted into a cat person, but this month proved the metamorphosis is complete. My cat caught some ghastly bacterium that is chowing down on her liver. Many cats die from the infection. Bella, thankfully, has not. She’s still on antibiotics and not completely out of the woods quite yet, but the vet is hopeful. So rather than having to put her to sleep (the cat, not the vet), I still get to spoil her rotten which, you may have guessed, is entirely pleasurable.
So that’s my January. How was yours?
Great list! I can’t believe we are already one month into this year. Slow down already. Damn. I can’t catch my breath.
And I can totally relate to the mom thing. My mom and I shifted into a heavy “friends” category a few years ago. It got to the point where I actually had to say “hold up, you are still the mother in this relationship. don’t forget it.” We’re working on a balance these days!
calimama’s last blog post..strays and stays
Wow – congrats on the shift with mama. That’s huge. And the job. And the friends. It’s all good.
That’s not a bad month. Not at all.
Here’s to February…
LiLu’s last blog post..A Face Lift? … Are You Saying I’m Old?
Your mom item nearly brought me to tears, nearly. I think it’s really cool you shared this with us and that you see her through different eyes. That’s a great bond and I hope it continues to strengthen.
I used to get my haircut at the academies too. It is great practice for the students and it’s cheap. Plus, there were too many college age guys getting their haircut there. It was a win-win for all. I once dated one of the girls, that didn’t go quite as well. C’est la vie.
Your list has a very nice feel to it. You seem very greatful for what you’ve got. Keep it up. My January wasn’t so bad even considering the job situation. I’m still employed, but things are still uncertain. Part of me wants to be unemployed, there.. I said it.
Finally, you’re on FB? If you’re feeling it, you can Friend me. Your call, “egan fo”. Cheers friend!
egan’s last blog post..Conversation Starters Should We Meet
Congrats on the job!
You know, as long as it doesn’t get in the way of the blog, right?
And what a relief on the cat thing. I hope she pulls through with flying colors!
lacochran’s last blog post..4th Annual Silent Blogger Poetry Thingy
Calimama: Ah, yes, balance. One baby step at a time I think, but certainly balance is the goal. Hopefully there won’t be too much see-sawing between here and there.
Sasymama: Yeah, you know, it feels huge. Thank you. And welcome!
LiLu: Cheers chica!
Egan: You are so not alone in the sorta wanting to be unemployed thing. If it wasn’t for the need to pay my bills and my love of stuff, unemployment would be a blast. Who wants to be in an office all day when there is so much else to do in the world? And re: the FB thing – sure, but a) don’t you dare superpoke me and b) gotta find you on twitter first!
Locochran: Will keep everyone updated on the cat situation. Thanks! And it really is AMAZING how much time blogging and playing in the blogosphere takes! I need an extra 20 hours a day, it seems…
Great list. Thanks for being so open and honest. You seem to have a great idea of what is important to you in this new year. I look forward to reading in the coming months.
My January kicked butt. It was a lot of food and friends. Now I am on a juice fast. February is going to be interesting.
Oxen Cox’s last blog post..Where’s the cheese?
You know what I love about you Em? You’re grateful. In a city (and world) full of overpaid, ungrateful nitwits, you stop to take stock of what you have and how lucky you are. I wish more people (including me) were like you.
I hope February is even better!
Jamie’s last blog post..What’s So Funny?
Yo, I’m not on Twitter. I pulled the plug on it late in December as a way to declutter my online life.
I have a round of internal interviews today to gauge my interest level and learn more about the job offer. Part of me wants to take the money and run. Shhh, don’t tell my co-workers.
egan’s last blog post..Conversation Starters Should We Meet
One more thing, not only will I not SuperPoke. I also won’t send you any Facebook applications, no 25 Things About Me shit, no You Might Like This Meathead I Know requests, no nothing. I’m on there to share not to add as many damn applications as possible. Shutting up now..
egan’s last blog post..Conversation Starters Should We Meet
What a great list. I don’t tend to look back much (I’m more of a visualize my future kind of gal), but I love it sometimes, when you do look back you realize that something amazing took place. And well, that’s just too damn cool.
Oxen Cox: Thank you. And I’m glad to hear your January went so well too! Best of luck with the juice fast. I become homicidal if I attempt those things, but I look forward to hearing about your experience of it. Let me know.
Jamie: Thanks chica! You’re actually an inspiration, so there!
Egan: I hope things are clarifying themselves for you on the job front and elsewhere as we continue into February. Look forward to the updates. And you get a huge gold star for understanding FB etiquette. I fear, however, that my love of Twitter is currently outweighing my love of FB. I still visit, don’t get me wrong, but the obsession has lifted.
Kat: It is damn cool, isn’t it?! Thanks! I actually strive to focus on the here and now as much as possible. I’m simply discovering that the more I acknowledge the accomplishment and pleasurable moments in the past, the easier it is to be in THIS moment. Call it a transformation from a glass-half-empty outlook to a glass-half-full.