Your kisses scourge me, hysop in your perfume

The weekend went by in a blur, as most long weekends tend to. Much of last week and beyond was spent trying to coordinate the surprise birthday party for Janelle that was held at our place. It was difficult at times trying to work in concert with multiple party planners, especially through emails, but the party went off without a hitch and Janelle was surprised.

Friday, the day of the party, was a lot of running around in preparation. And the heat was absolutely oppressive. I came home as early as I could and cleaned the house furiously. Mike and Kristen came early and helped out where they could. And later, so did Spira, Tracy and Ray, and Karen. By the time the rest of the guests arrived, the house was a sauna, despite the open windows and ceiling fans operating in high gear. I had hoped the so-called hurricane that was supposed to have asserted itself that night would have ushered in cooler weather; it did, but not in time. Not in time. We sweated, we toiled. And no, the reverie was not lessened. We persevered.

Later in the evening, when the party found it's legs amidst the departure of some of the guests, I broke out a guitar and Craig's Beatles songbook I've had in my possession for a while now. Several of us sat around and rolled through the discography, some songs sounding better than others. Ecstatic harmonies did peak through clouds from time to time. I remember clearly.

Overall, the party was success. I think Janelle and our guests had a good time. I know I did.
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Spira came by Saturday and had breakfast with Janelle and me. She hung around a while after that and, after not liking my suggestions about what we could do, left in a state of restlessness that had little to do with me. I was not insulted: I had just finished the post-party clean up and was looking forward to a bit of relaxing with a book.

Rachael came by later that night to drop off a birthday present for Janelle. She was shooting a wedding the night of the party and wasn't able to make it, which is a shame because she's a model party goer. She did, however, take part in the party planning by sending out invitations to a fake party for Janelle that was to be held at her house and slated for the night after the real one. It was the only way we could think of that would throw Janelle off the scent.

Yesterday, I went to my parent's house for a little cookout. I picked up my grandmother on the way and was surprised by the absence of my sister and her family. "Oh, didn't you get my email?", my mother asked. "I sent you one the other day explaining why they couldn't come." I didn't tell my mother this, but most of her emails to me are forwards, the ones that usually end with an admonition to forward it to twenty five people I know or my friends and family will be drawn and quartered in front of me, and, as a general rule, I delete most that come my way. Why? Because people who forward emails usually tend to do so a lot and along with that I guess I'm not a big fan of superstitious bullying. My mother picked up the habit from her sister. Forgive her, for she knows not what she does. Anyway, I missed her email about the cookout.

It was a nice gathering. Had a burger and a hot dog and wondered quietly and without much concern whether my stomach would get all riled up over the transgression. My dad had roasted some peppers and they made a fine addition to the burger and dog.

Our small group ate in the dining room and as we ate, my mother confessed that she was glad in a way that my sister and her family didn't come because this way she'd be able to spend some quality time with her son without all the commotion that children invariably create.

Last night I watched a couple of episodes of Dexter with Janelle. Despite still being at the beginning of Season 4, we both know how the season ends thanks to the Dexter fan page on Facebook. The news that blew everyone away a few months ago and that I did everything in my power to avoid, is now known to both of us. Fuck you, Dexter fan page. Really.
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Spira thinks Melanie and I would make a good couple. Perhaps. I don't disagree, but how can I know at this stage if that it is so?I thought about it before, but not too deeply. There was definitely some kind of chemistry and other indications, which I won't go into here, not yet, at least, but the odds of anything happening seemed pretty slim, particularly because she had just started seeing someone during our camping trip. According to Spira, though, that wasn't going anywhere. I guess we'll see. I'm not banking on it and am keeping my options, such as they are, open. It's not an unpleasant way to be.

Might watch A Prophet tonight. Maybe a second viewing of Army of Shadows or The White Ribbon instead. Maybe none of the above. Again, options are being kept open.

I went for a run earlier today. Beautiful day for one. I needed it. The weekend screwed up my exercise routines, which is to say I abstained from doing any, and I probably ate more cheese than I have in the last three months, thanks to party leftovers. So, yes, the run was needed.