Tired, busy, a bit stressed. I feel like we’re wasting a lot of time, and I hate not getting things done on schedule. Bitch and moan.

Saturday morning we went to the Beemer dealer and finished the deal on Ken’s new bike. It’s a new (2002) K12LT (same style as what he had in Wales), mauve coloured. Actually, it’s more of a metallic eggplant, but BMW wisely noted that “eggplant” was not a sexy colour. We had to wait for the guy to finish up with somebody else, so we were there for awhile. [grumble] There was one nice moment, though, when the dealer finally took note of me and introduced himself. “I’m Dale,” he said. I smiled slowly. “So am I.”

We came home and I settled in to do some copy editing while Ken went off to visit his mom and his brother and Marty, mostly to talk to Dennis and Marty about the roof job (tentatively scheduled for the 26th through 28th) and show off the bike. After that, we, um…oh. We ate dinner (and I have no idea what we ate—spaghetti, maybe?) and watched “Dirty Dancing”, which neither of us had never seen. I never got the whole Patrick Swayze Thing. By the end of the movie I could mostly understand it, even if it didn’t work for me. Except when he leapt off the stage and I interpreted that as a Larry leap.

Sunday we got up and cleaned up and actually got out of the house on time for once. Of course, as with every trip longer than going to the grocery store, we turned around and came back for something before we were out of the neighbourhood. We made our way up north to Ojai to the home of our friends Kelvin and Debbie and Ellie (aka Kelvin and Lucia and Ismay). Kelvin and Debbie had gotten married on Saturday and this was the apres-wedding party. We saw pictures of the previous nights’ dinner, and met family, and I had a nice chat with Cat, who’s been very busy with her new job and being on Court again so she never updates her journal or e-mails or calls or anything. (Hi, honey, how’s that for a guilt trip? [eg]).

Once it got dark, the members of Caer Glas assembled, as did we, and we all held a wonderful Solstice ritual, saying farewell to the dark and welcoming the coming light. It’s been so long since I’ve done any group work—it’s amazing the energy that’s raised!

It was a chilly ride home, but the heated seats and handgrips helped. We got gas and offered help to a women with a flat tyre, but her husband was on his way. There was a guy with a flat tyre, too, but Ken didn’t offer to help, and I teased him about that. The guy did have a jack out and all, so he seemed to know what he was doing.

Today…ah, today. I’m feeling the need to reach out and grab the hours as they race past. Went to my chiro appt. We scheduled dentist’s appts for both of us. We bought some groceries, and discovered WalMart was out of Xmas tree stands, although they did have the lit holly thing that I wanted for a mere $5. (We’re going to make an oak leaf to go with it, to represent the Oak King’s winning over the Holly King, which is what brings back the light.) We finally got a tree, and got a stand with it for $5, so that was nifty. We’re still in the process of cleaning the living room so we can put the tree up and decortate it. (Yes, I meant to type “decortate”. That’s what one does to a tree.)

In a few moments we’ll be off to a friends’ house for dinner and the extended DVD of “The Fellowship of the Ring”.

Home now. You know, when I started this entry, I was stressed. Now I’m pretty mellow. (Numerous glasses of wine helped!) Still have lots to do tomorrow—three articles to finish copy editing, putting up the tree and the outside lights, and painting the gold stars on the library ceiling—but that’s okay. We’ll do it. And I plan to get some writing done as well.

Happy belated Solstice to you all. May the light of the coming year shine most brightly in your hearts.