Poetry is no place for a heart that's a whore

Things from the past several days that have been pretty remarkable:

* Karaoke with some good friends who bought me shots and rolled me cigarettes and let me be messy and who supported my dream coming true of singing Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back To Me Now", which went surprisingly well.

* I visited Michigan for the first time in my life. (Yes, I've lived very close to it for several years, but have never really stepped foot there.)

* Eating the most delicious piece of buttered toast in my life, made from apple cinnamon bread

* Finding a seersucker jacket on the clearance rack of Target. And a new hat I love.

* Wearing white pants, yellow button down shirt, and said seersucker jacket, along with a different Grandpa woven hat, that made for a stellar driving outfit and received much acclaim upon our arrival to the Michigan lakehouse.

* After watching the tail end of a sunrise over Lake Michigan, stripping off said outfit, down to my euro briefs, and running into the lake for a chilly and exhilerating nightswim with friends

* Lying on a floatie and riding the waves of the lake and feeling the flood of memories of the Atlantic and wanting to go back to her soon.

* Opening my front door this morning to find Noriko standing on my porch, not the other way around of me standing on hers

* Going to cheese and wine shops with Noriko for an afternoon snack. Finishing a bottle of white wine that I actually liked, while marvelling at the wonder of cave-aged gruyere.

* Having the best mail day today, which included belated birthday gifts from a friend and the one I ordered for myself.

* Getting closer to knowing what to say