Payday

I get paid the last day of every month. (It's a university thing.) Today, when I looked at my paycheck, I realized the following things.

* I really like my job. I enjoy the work and the assignments.
* I get along well with my co-workers.
* My commute is good. No freeways and I get to drive past White Rock Lake and pretty neighborhoods.
* There are lots of great benefits, including free yoga, which I have been trying to take advantage of three days a week.
* I am making almost $600 more per month than my last job, after making the maximum contribution to retirement. (I couldn't afford to make contributions to retirement at my last position.)
* My talents are appreciated. No one acts defensive or threatened when I ask a question or make a suggestion (unlike a previous situation).
* I have a regular schedule and rarely have to stay late, which means I've been able to work out, make revisions on the novel, and cook dinner almost every night.
* Nate says he's happy to see me happy. I used to wake up every morning with a stomachache because the thought of going to work made me want to literally throw up.

I am very grateful for these changes.

Some Developments

1. This weekend Nate and I will meet our new niece Maya, newly arrived from China. We can't wait.

2. Plans for the Casa Linda Theater. Nate and I both miss the Alamo Drafthouse and have talked about how cool it would be to have one nearby. We had even mentioned the Casa Linda Theater as a good potential location. If this all comes about, we will be happy campers. We aleady like our neighborhood, but this would be icing. Now if only we could manage an independent bookstore ...

3. If we have enough hurricanes to get to the letter "N" this year, that hurricane will be named ... Nate.
Beautiful.

Just a guess

My guess is that, other than the woman your ex-husband recently left you for, the second-to-last woman you'd want to hear advice from would be your ex's ex.

Two Cool Things

1. Earlier this week, Nate and I checked out Ten Times Cellars. TTC is a wine tasting/selling establishment in Lakewood. They've planted a vineyard in West Texas outside of Alpine. One of the owners gave us and two other customers an impromptu tour. Great atmosphere and good wine. If you're in Dallas, definitely check them out. I can't wait to test their Syrah, which is currently "rebuilding." Apparently, all wine undergoes "bottle shock" after it is poured into bottles and needs time to "rebuild."

2. I went to a presentation about Hatch Show Print, a letterpress that's been in business since 1879. They've done ad posters for vaudeville and minstrel shows, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, the Rolling Stones, R.E.M., Medeski, Martin & Wood, and too many others to mention. Their work is distinctive and labor intensive.

The cool thing about both of these places were the people. They were so passionate about and engaged in their work. I aspire to that.