Vacation

Finally getting a full week's vacation, after longer than I can remember. A going away, full change of location vacation. ND is taking care of Moby, because unlike in Boston, the cat sitter services here never returned our calls. And he needed a little cash, despite mild cat allergies. Moby likes him, in a very respectful way. And we know Moby pines for us when we are gone, we've seen it often enough. So, doing good all around. And D needs a vacation, after finally finding work after a year of searching, and his employers are being good about it.

So, off to the Great Northwest (the new one, not Michigan which used to be the Great Northwest, but everything shifted west long ago.) It all sounded wonderful last August when we were sick to death of heat and desert and dryness. Still sounds good, if not quite as urgent. The weekend to clean and sort, pack and plan. We are planners, which alleviates anxiety. I tend to take my watch off for vacations, and try not to ask D too often what time it is.

I will be finally meeting another blogger, Dale over at Mole, who has been abetting my writing for many years now. And this makes me want to back up and hide a little. For all that I can jump into many situations with courage, social meetings bring out every shy impulse. I know Dale will be kind, will be comfortable and welcoming, but I draw in, and wait to see, wait to touch his hand for a first time and decide then.

I had an acquaintance from naginata class who went off as an exchange student to Japan. We emailed frequently during his sojourn there, a difficult situation for him, and I invested a lot of time and intention - gladly. When he got home, he ignored me, until I showed up at his naginata class, and he rushed me, picked me up in a bear hug, not noticing at all that I went stiff, tried to push him away. Even if I weren't angry with him for his snub, I would have hated being grabbed. I left without a word, have never seen him again. The guardedness remains.

Yeah, I need a vacation.