Of course, now it's my turn. I have been a complete slug since Sunday. At first I thought it was just that I was tired from driving so much this weekend, but Sunday night I zonked before 11, and last night I was in bed before midnight. And I still feel completely exhausted. I'm sitting at work half asleep. I didn't even want to COME here today, which is really unusual for me.
Last night was busy as all hell. I worked as usual until 5, and then started my mall Christmas job at 6. I spent three solid hours in front of our store twirling devil sticks.
Actually, they aren't supposed to be "devil" sticks, because that would be bad for sales. They are technically called "Luna Sticks", but it's the same thing. Devil sticks are a good upper body workout. After about 20 minutes, I start sweating, and after three hours I feel like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
It was a very bizarre experience last night, because this was my first time in this particular mall doing this. Now let me say that the mall I used to work in was in an affluent neighborhood, where people generally are rich, preppy snobs. They tend to be quiet and aloof, and in their middle 30s and 40s.
My new mall is on the *other* end of town. The people who shop (or hang out) there are largely young people. They are generally dressed in clothes and jewelry that cost more than my car, and hang in groups that dress similarly. Some of them wear things that look like cut off pantyhose on their heads. Most of their pants are 20 sizes too big and look thick enough to be bulletproof. Their shoes are so technologically advanced that I can't really tell there are feet in there, except that generally that's where feet are attached.
The wierd thing about all of this is that these people stop to watch what I'm doing. I get a crowd of people with questionable wealth, joking around and "hanging" with me, sometimes for as long as a half an hour. Last night I was referred to in language that I couldn't even understand, and had to ask Forest to translate when I got home. Apparently "baby got bend" means that I am a skillful woman. That I am "summa that" which means that while I am an attractive single woman, I am obviously taken. (Am I obviously taken?)
I feel like I've visited an alien planet. See, I don't think I'm a snob like a lot of the people at my other mall... but I have lead a rather sheltered life. I don't "hang" in the ghetto. People I know don't talk that way or dress that way. Never in my life have I aspired to look like or act like a drug dealer. This is not to say that I'm better than anyone else, or that I don't appreciate the very real nature of their culture. I just have never been exposed to it before.
Forest jokingly calls me a silly little cracker who never set foot in the hood. Somehow I'm glad I never set foot there!
After work last night I went to Tae Kwon Do club, only to discover that it was cancelled. My dear gimpy Forest took one look at my tired face, cancelled club, and took me home and put me to bed. That was that.
Tonight is Wednesday! I am bound and determined that tonight I will stay awake long enough to see Forest in earnest. Wednesday night is our night, literally the only time that we know we will get to spend more than a few minutes together uninterrupted. I'm so excited! I plan to make the most of it. Let's see. A snack, a walk by the river, dinner, buy each other presents, see a movie, then rent a video, take a long drive, snuggle and ignore the video, stay up as late as possible, have great heart to heart conversation, read our poem for the day, then crash.
Most likely in reality we will go the the grocery store and get something nice to cook for dinner. Then we will cook, and do a little laundry, and clean up the house a bit, since it hasn't recovered from the weekend yet. Then we will eat, talk for a while, and play in the ninja room for a bit. Then we'll trade backrubs, and snuggle on the couch in front of a movie, which we will ignore in favor of more admirable persuits. We'll probably read our poem and then crash at midnight. What's funny is that the realistic version sounds like heaven to me. I can't wait! This is going to be a long, impatient afternoon.
This morning I realized that one of the things I love about Forest is that he touches me just the right amount. I've been with one person in the past who just mauled me all the time, and I was embarrassed by it horribly. Then I was with someone who would barely touch me at all, and was annoyed when I was snuggly when he had other things on his mind. Both of those situations are uncomfortable, and hard to deal with. Forests pets my hair just the right amount, holds me and hugs me often. When we are out I walk on his arm, and am very comfortable, or we hold hands. He kisses me and hugs me whenever he likes, which is just often enough for me. He also lets me touch *him* whenever I like, which is often. I get to pet his hair, caress his cheek, and wrap my arms around him anytime, any place. It's heavenly.
There I go, beaming again. Sorry.
Did I tell you we are reading a poem together every day? We got this really great book, called "Poem A Day" by Karen McCosker. There are 365 poems from all different styles and periods. So far we've had some old favorites and some wonderful new finds. It's great to just spend a few minutes a day reading together.
