last day, first night

A couple of days ago, it got up to the upper-60s. I sit in a corner of my room at my desk with a window in front of me and a window to the side of me. I sat there all day thinking, As soon as I finish this, I'm gonna get out there and enjoy this weather. But I didn't get outside until 4:30.

I didn't want to repeat that "mistake" yesterday, since it was going to be in the mid-70s, and then the temperature was going to drop for a while. So I blew off work in the early part of the day and spent several hours raking the yard. I got warm and took off my shirt and had on shorts. It was very nice.

The rake scooped up the pig and dog and cat poop in the yard (most of which I couldn't see because of all of the leaves). The first day, I raked a small third of the yard, and yesterday another third (a larger third). I thought I would get through the whole yard, but I was already feeling the muscle aches, so I relaxed, left the lines of leaves in the untreed third of the yard where they were. They're probably blown about a bit now because it's kind of windy out there.

I'm working this morning. Still feeling a bit depressed. I can't decide if I want to try to talk myself into going to First Night tonight. I got a request from a friend -- who's kid I'm an Official Uncle JB to -- to meet them downtown and hang out with them. That's at 3:00 p.m. That's a possibility. But she told me to not dare try to drive there, since they did last year and it was insanity. Another friend is DJing tonight, which I would love to go to. But dancing outdoors in the nighttime? It makes me uncomfortable just to think about it!

There are vegetables in the fridge I need to use, bok choy and kale, cauliflower, carrots, beets. S went over everything he was leaving undone (much of it washed and cut, I just have to throw it into a pot or pan or some sort of cooking device). I found a recipe on 101 Cookbooks for Garlicky Greens, which sounds good, but I couldn't inspire myself to cook anything last night. I'm thinking maybe that's what I'll do tonight instead of going to First Night. A soup would also be good and would last a while.

Last night, I ordered some empanadas from the pizzeria/empanada shop down the street. I had a mushroom, a bean, a spinach, and a pear enpanada last night with a Guiness while I watched the movie that came in the mail, Soldier's Girl. S had already seen it, so I don't think he will mind that I watched it without him, even though he said he would watch it again. Dang! I would watch it again, too.

I put it on my Netflix queue because of Lee Pace, who is the male lead in The Fall, my favorite movie from last year, one of my favorites of all time, I think. He plays a transgendered woman in Soldier's Girl who falls in love with a soldier, and vice versa. It's based on a true story; it doesn't turn out well. Another intense movie viewing!