New cup, new drink, same old face
Went to visit, in Georgia, a friend I’ve known online for a decade but had never met in person. Through a divorce, a marriage, a birth, a death, countless changes in their life, and finally I got to go visit them.
It was easier than I thought to slip into their household for a few days, in part because somehow our friendship was older than their marriage (which I hadn’t really given thought to until their spouse pointed it out) and in part because my friend took care to make sure I was aware of triggers and boundaries before I even headed their way.
Normally I sleep very badly my first night anywhere, but there I slept easy. We embarked in various configurations on several adventures, one of which was visiting an antiques/vintage/rummage shop not far from his house. I happened upon a knife that drew me in like a magnet, in a locked glass case. I went and spoke to the shopkeep, and we discovered the lock was broken. As luck would have it, the owner of that section was nearby and, by hook and by crook (literally - she bent and twisted a wire coat hanger and used it to tug and tease the knife toward the small opening she could manage in the case doors until she was able to twitch it out with her fingers) it was freed from its little glass prison. I bought it, and thanks to TSA restrictions it will hopefully show up in my PO Box in the next week.
In the same shop, I found several gifts to bring home for folks, as well as a silver spoon from an exhibition that had taken place in Atlanta in…some year, I forget. I don’t think it was 1996. I also found a little spoon that had, nestled in the bowl, an enameled design of strawberries.
The teacup I happened upon in another shop. I quite love strawberries, in part due to Strawberry Shortcake (80’s OG, not reboot) and in part due to the berries themselves. I collect teacups and somehow didn’t have a strawberry one yet. I buried it in the center of my suitcase for the trip home.
After I returned home I drank a bit too much and had a rather horrid meltdown. Poor SALM handled my nonsense beautifully.
He is having a difficult day himself today, and I asked if he would do better with company or solitude. He chose the latter. I offered him food, which he graciously declined. I let him know if he changed his mind on either, I’d be in the living room.
I made cucumbers and cream cheese on toast. It is too hot to cook. I cleaned out the pitcher and ground fresh coffee and set up the cold brew for overnight in the fridge.
I will retire there shortly to watch more Outlander (no spoilers please, as I am only in S1, but happy to discuss it here or on Discord) and work on Thing 22 of my 22 Things project. But, as it is hot as balls and hydration is important, I put into my cup some seltzer and a couple spoons of a rose syrup I picked up recently and had yet to try. It is perfect! Cold, rosy, only a little sweet but not cloying. It feels and tastes special.
Good evething.
