Man. This was such a fuck-all week. Starting Monday morning and non-stop until today. One thing after another, life's little dramas making one eventful soap-opera episode out of mine. Sigh.

So anyway, overwhelmed with life, as it were, yesterday I consumed one of the two emergency Valium pills I have kept on hand in a little container for almost two years. Now there is one. I hope it will be another two years before I feel the need to reach for it.

Wednesday morning I had my physical. My doctor was very impressed that since she has last seen me (for my last physical), I have lost exactly 68 pounds. She is even more impressed at how I have been doing it -- slow and steady, which equals healthy. Too many people looking for quick fixes these days, perhaps I'm refreshing. To make her feel good, I said, "Well, I listened to what you said last time." Bet she never hears that.

Yesterday my darling and I were in L.A., taking care of some business, continuing to prepare for the big month-long excursion, during which we will spend time in Boston, Martha's Vineyard, Zurich, and New York. After our errands, we walked around Little Tokyo, reading the history on the sidewalks (literally, they put bronze words in the cement, explaining the history of the area), perusing the shops (so many cool little miniature fountain scenes!), dining at one of the sushi restaurants, and grabbing one of those red-bean-filled pancake thingies from a bakery on our way back to the car.

It was really, really relaxing. Today, Saturday, stressed again (funny how that little pill seems to only work for one day), we decided to step out. We walked down Park Blvd. to Balboa Park, smelling the flowers, watching people, enjoying the fresh breeze and the clear sky. We sat outside of the botanical garden, on that little wall that lines the bridge over the pond, and watched the koi swimming beneath the lily pads. Sitting there, I placed my head on M.s.'s shoulder, and sang our song to him, improvising and changing some bits for the ocassion, and to try to make him laugh. He did.

As much as things can suck, as hard as things seem, as overwhelming as things get, these last two days, strolling and exploring and simply being by my love's side, away from life's little and big stresses, have proved to me that I am one very fortunate woman. And that, despite all the bullshit I seem to think I endure, I really have nothing to complain about. I am healthy, happy, and in love.

At the park, when I was all geeky about the sparkles that appeared on the water when a breeze sent it rippling, also making the lily pads seem to boogy, David said, "Life is just like a Disney movie for you, isn't it. Little animals have human traits, the plants dance, and you don't have a care in the world."

"On a good day," I answered. "And hey," I said, as I wrapped my arms around him, "I have my own Prince Charming. So I guess you're right."

-Barbarella

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