notes & things: 11/30/2023
I return to you, dear reader, having been remiss the past couple of weeks. In the cracks and dark spaces, much was happening despite the radio silence here. Much of it was in the flesh outings and endeavors squeezed around a lot of writing (both holiday craftiness, gift guides, and Black Friday sales). There may have been a few poems, cover designs, and manuscript reading in the quieter parts. Also some cleaning and organizing in prep for J inhabiting the Barbie Dreamhouse early next year. Plans for new shelves, a larger bar cart, and a new desk area for him in the living room. Plans to turn my takeout and frozen dinner-friendly kitchen into a place where actual cooking may now happen on the regular. (I am trying to be generous about closet space, but the dresses and shoes seem to think otherwise.)
There have also been road trips to Rockford, not one, not two, but three Thanksgivings (two with turkey, one with meatloaf). Two hotels. A strange echoey ache that I know now will probably not ever go away around the holidays that are nostalgia-centric. Lots of impromptu movie outings during the weeknights I now have free. (the Alamo Drafthouse has become a favorite haunt...we saw Dream Scenario and Wild Things, which was part of their Queer 101 classics series and is still as much of a trashy hoot as it ever was.) Eli Roth's Thanksgiving elsewhere, which was actually fairly decent despite low expectations.
Tomorrow, we are heading out to the drive-in again to see Gremlins and Krampus, complete with a thermos of boozy mint hot chocolate and two very fluffy new throw blankets. We may freeze, but hope that running the heat a little combined with multiple layers will keep us cozy enough to enjoy the movie and that it's not too chilly to venture to the concessions at intermission. Also that it may be nice enough to sit out on the little balcony at the hotel out there even for just a little while and gaze at the darling view of the river.
Since I hate November, I am actually glad to see Decemeber, though I know this is only the beginning of forever-long winter. We've had some sticky snow already, and some bone-chilling cold outside of the city, but Chicago, as always, is fickle and unpredictable. I have not gone so far as pulling out my Christmas decor, but perhaps when we get back on Saturday will haul out the box in my closet and go about adding a little more glimmer and light to the apartment. The early dark always feels like a heavy hand pressing down on my head so it can help, at least for a while, to focus on pretty things about winter I do appreciate and ignore the ones I don't.
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