Amazing date

So tonight I had one of the best dates in a long time. I pulled out a cookbook picked up in Italy and made a nice little Bolognese dish (with olive oil bought in Italy), turned on some Beethoven, opened up a bottle of Pinot Noir, and used my best china and crystal to set a spectacular candlelit table. Then, with hair upswept and a hint of lipgloss, I sat down at the table barefoot and took in every scent, savored every flavor--alone.

I'm not really one for new year's resolutions. Usually, if I do pick one, it involves taking a picture of a body part and sending it to Glinda. This year, though, I actually sort of made one--to regain my alone time. I'm forever working 80 hour weeks and taking on second jobs while squeezing in running and meeting up with friends. I never just spend time alone, refreshing. And actually, I didn't even plan to have this date tonight. I just started cooking, and then I thought about how I rarely get to use my good dinnerware or drink my good wine or use my good olive oil, etc, and I thought why the hell not? so I did.

At first it felt kind of silly, a date with myself, but then I turned out all of the lights, tasted the wine, and stared at the flame in the center of the table, and there was no place else I wanted to be.

And now it's time for yoga and Casablanca, well, and chocolate, of course.