City Mouse

I’ve been spending a long weekend in the Cities. As much as I despise city driving, I’m happy to be here with a good friend and having a chance to take care of some errands. The oil’s been changed, I picked up some supplies I need to finish up the Christmas presents and a 50 lb bag of sunflower seeds for the birds. Throw in a Target run, some Christmas sales, and a trip to Half-Price Books and I’ve taken care of a lot of things I’ve been meaning to do for a month or two. Tomorrow I’ll do a big grocery run and fill up the remaining empty space in the Corolla.

I spent last winter in this townhouse, working at a major retail corporation downtown and running home to the woods on the weekends. I’m at a point in my life where I don’t want to be a roommate. But I do miss my bed that’s still stored here and the space and sometimes I miss the convenience of it all.

Beyond the shopping and eating out, we’ve had a chance for some Christmas traditions. The annual batch of Shitballs (chocolate-covered peanut butter balls so called because of the lumpy chocolate coating we created the first time we made them as a sophomores in college) was whipped up and now there’s sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge. Last night we decorated a mini gingerbread village complete with houses, buildings, a church and a chalet. We even completed a canvas for Sarah’s entry, although I have to admit that my participation was heavily supervised; I’m pretty out of practice as a painter.

I’ve had a chance to get some writing done and I’m feeling much more in control. One draft is finished and sent off to those who were quoted to verify accuracy. I’m halfway through another draft and am fairly positive I won’t need to gather any information to finish it. So I’m down to just two articles to write, one of which isn’t due until the very end of the month. That gives me just an article and a half to get done in the next week, leaving me with plenty of time to work on other writing projects.