Walking Backwards

I had a lovely surprise this week; my best friend, Deta, came down to Austin for a short holiday. She came over yesterday and stayed for almost five hours. We got to talk and gossip and kvetch. It was so wonderful getting to see her and it reminded me of how much I love having her around and how much I miss her. Being a stay-at-home parent really can test your friendships. It is difficult to imagine the degree of isolation you feel, not only from the people around you, but from your friends who aren't at the same point in their lives. Having Deta here for a little while made me forget that our lives had so far taken us in totally different directions. We are friends because we appreciate who the other person is and we respect each other for our values and beliefs and candor. I love Deta and will miss her when she's gone, but I know we'll always be close.

Tonight, I am going out on my own. I can't decide the best course of action for this stolen evening of independence. Should I go to the walk-in art studio and get my craft on? Should I go see one of the five movies out in theatres now that I really want to see? Should I sit at the local coffee shop with one of my books and read in the relative peace and quiet? The couple of nights a month I get to go out and pretend I don't have anything to do are always so much fun. It is just so hard to decide the right way to waste my time. Now that school is in session, these nights are soon going to be consumed with studying plate tectonics and mineral composition, but for now I'm going to try to get away with doing what I enjoy - the completely inane.