Today, I’m a pile of birds huddling together for warmth or companionship atop a pole, looking off to the north at a smudgy daub of a bone white cloud against flat gray mid afternoon skies, and waiting for the next round of rain to drag its sodden shawls and humid hems overhead.

I spent mid-morning bemused by encountered spaces: a mall with an utterly abandoned sleigh stage for future Santa performances, and a Hot Topic store with speakers blasting an emo “Happy Christmas/War Is Over” cover; concrete steps hosting fellow fire drillers under wan sunlight.

The cat knew what kind of day it was gonna be so she behaved accordingly, as one who’s been licked before, and stayed out of sight until moments ago. Today’s weird thing: four randomly ordered (not by me) anime-themed T-shirts that arrived at our address. Tomorrow, they gotta go.

Stories came today, and I tried following without the exact same stresses and resentments from before. After all, I’ve changed, or at least recharged after time off, time away, right? Maybe. I found enough to get to day’s end, having put the words where they were supposed to go.

When I grow up, I want to be a basketball court. I didn’t realize this until walking just this morning out of my former neighborhood cafe, where bacon is still fried hard and crisp and kombucha is vinegary sweet, and seeing a dude on the court across from me practicing tai chi.

At least here, the heater is warm, the kitchen can be rearranged, the guitar can be re-tuned and listlessly strummed as melodic or rhythmic ideas occur. The new-old hoodie and two-sizes-too-large jeans will warm me while the floor heater valiantly takes on the day’s gray glower.

The end of a long staycation week away appears to be approaching fast. Normally, that would mean an increased level of frenetic activity before a return to regular working hours. But a few things aside, I feel like I can’t bring myself to get back onto the treadmill just yet. It’ll be there when it can no longer be avoided. **shrug** At least I tore down some boxes for recycling, moved my desk and piano and instruments around in our living room, took out the trash and took another swing at repairing our trash can’s foot pedal. If one tosses in an exercise-bike stint, some social posts and replies and a bit of a Fleetwood Mac listening jag, it looks suspiciously active. But it doesn’t feel hurried or stressful, the way it might if I were coming off travel like previous away-times.

A peaceful day at home watching rain gently fall, skies slowly clear and sunset just now arriving (which I know because my phone’s blue light filter just shifted). Bills were paid, meals were eaten, beverages are now being consumed. A perfect soap bubble, all too soon going pop.

A. and I spent time today at a bookstore. Walking past a front door sign urging but not requiring use of facial coverings, we headed to the cafe and got beverages. I didn’t count masks on others, but could’ve done so on a hand. We brought ours for our and others’ safety. #mbnov