I spent yesterday puttering around my houseboat and a good bit of the afternoon sitting up on the roof. After a month of illness, I’m finally breathing more normally. I’m also just (today) starting to eat real food. I lost about 15 lbs in the last two weeks, which wasn’t fun at all. Yesterday and today, it was incredibly good to spend time in the sun!
My hair is very bright! I switched dyes from Creative Image to Goldwell Elumen.
All around me as I looked out from the room, people were cleaning their boats, shaking out mats and sails and tarps, bailing their dinghies, having cook-outs on deck, and working on their cars and motorcycles. At high tide, we went up Smith Slough in the electric motorboat, which I love because it’s so quiet and peaceful. I didn’t dare go by myself. I took short naps and followed the news from Egypt. I can’t walk at a normal pace, and have to move very slowly or it’s like being stabbed in the stomach. Despite that, I have to get up and move around, alternating resting with attempts at activity. The kids read, made things with Legos and Zometools, watched Phineas and Ferb, played Peggle, and fished. At some point I also sat on the dock with a long-handled brush and scrubbed the outsides of the kayaks that were within easy reach; for a few minutes part of the general industry of the harbor.
Here is the fish that Oblomovka and his daughter caught. It’s a topsmelt silverside:
I had high tea today with my friend Gina for her birthday. Real food! Real caffeine! We talked about our lives, relationships, friends (hooray for gossip), work, school, teaching, and writing.
I have a bunch to say about books, work, life, death, illness, writing, publishing, social class, and politics — but for now would just like to post that I had a happy and relaxing weekend (despite being in a lot of pain). I’ve felt a bit hopeless and sad. Now things are looking up. I appreciate my family and friends a lot.