I ran down the last of the Tehachapi gas from the pass till my tank light turned yellow, after crossing through counties with joy as my bounty, feeling righteous and mellow. I paid forty dollars to top off the hollow that lingered within my machine, and into the rain I made my way home from the scene.
Sang my lungs out tonight, but no more first and third Saturday nights for karaoke here: starting next month it’ll be Tuesday evenings. I can try to make it to the first time, if I shift my schedule and my luck holds. A midweek music moment could be just what I need. Maybe you too, if you’re nearby.
No contacts, just glasses. Takeaway for the second straight day from the South Asian mall spot that goes hard on chutney giveaway. A little bit of lounging around, a lot of language app drill time, and an in-between amount of thinking about what work feels like during the last few days not doing it.
Our homeward trip retraced our outward route through the central valley, full of big rigs dodging potholes beside charged canals and flowing aqueducts. At one point we were briefly dazzled by a canary yellow plane wiggling its wings as it flew over the interstate before crop dusting a tree orchard.
More driving today, neither for distance nor for speed, but for height and then depth. We didn’t have to climb a mountain, but we obtained excellent sandwiches in its shadow before carefully, deliberately hauling it all the way to the bottom of a basin, where we ate and schvitzed and took in nearby wonders.
Today’s heights to depths and back journey meant a lot of slow and careful forward motion over many hours around sharp curves and along steep grades. It was easily well worth it early, but even diminishing late returns yielded some potential gains. Now I just need our windshield to stay in one piece.
Any day behind the wheel beats one behind a keyboard. Throw in scattered sunshine, sweet views of green and flower laden stretches up toward snow capped ranges (and empty space between them) from several remote highways, some roadside barbecue washed down with NA beer, and an amazing book, and yup!
Today was for drifting between pleasurable moments (favorite candy! local chatter! extra inning chat with the maternal unit! karaoke!), showing up and releasing routine cares, realizing that their satisfaction changes out of context but still managing to wring measures of joy and delight from them.
I didn’t give anything at a store, studied the rain until it eased up, and got in some time with taxes before lunch. A few videos helped distract during exercise after I’d got a couple more chapters into one of my library books. When A. got home, she said I looked relaxed. Leisure mode unlocked: I’ll take it.
Before going anywhere, you have to start from someplace. I left the house like I’ll leave it for the next couple of days, but then I’ll come home and make plans, some related to time away from specific fine grounds of attention, energy and effort, and others related to necessary and restorative leisure.
