T - 26: I'm the Answer to the Question!

Me too! I'm rewatching all the HP movies this week, now that I have 1-4 & 6

on the DVR, 5 coming from Netflix tomorrow and 7.1 on DVD. I'd forgotten

how annoying Dobby was until I rewatched Chamber of Secrets.

This was like waking up with a hangover and slowing remembering

that embarrassing thing you did last night. Dang, that's a LOT of cereal.

I started the day with changing all my plans. I was going to go to a water park with M and her kids, but I couldn't get moving. It all worked out, since she had to do errands early and really needed a nap afterward.

First, I caught some good deals at Ralph's, including 4 boxes of granola bars for $10 (of course I had coupons!), plus 2 gallons of milk as a free bonus. I gave up on regular milk a few months ago, since I can't finish a quart (and a pint isn't enough) before it expires, let alone a gallon or two! So I gave it to a friend who lives nearby and has kids.

Then I tried to go volunteer at a food bank, but it turns out the address I was given was not right. I'll be checking in tomorrow instead.

I was practically to M's house by then, so I stopped by to catch up and give her some beginning couponing tips. Her daughter made me this sign:

Isn't that sweet? I spent most of my 30s facing daily hostility just because I had the audacity to show up. So it means a lot whenever I am welcomed. After getting to the place where it was acceptable for someone to literally kick me, I sometimes still find myself surprised when I encounter basic human respect. The one good thing I can say about being dehumanized is I have a deeper appreciation for kindness and affection.

It's funny, because the kids were just vying for my attention. I tried to be fair and keep a balance between the kids, but one had a very unfair advantage.

Not like I needed any convincing to want a baby. I hadn't seen her in a few months and now she's all smiley, animated and fun. Seriously, she has 2 dimples on each cheek. Her dimples have dimples! She's the poster child for poster children.

Left M's house to get to the Y early, so I would have time to do PT exercises before class. I was so early, I did 50 of everything, instead of 20-35. Pushed myself pretty hard, since I know all the moves and can get complacent. After class, a woman who watched from the benches asked me how it was, if I felt OK being in a bathing suit in front of people, if the people in class were nice. I told her about my horrific grad school experience and how it's dragged on for 2 years after we graduated. If I can feel safe and comfortable in a group at this point, anyone can! It wasn't even a year ago that I was the woman sitting on the benches wondering if I could handle the class.

In the sauna, a woman began asking the rest of us if we were married. She said she was divorced, but really wanted to get married again. One woman said it doesn't always last forever. I thought she meant divorce, but she was a widow, as was the woman next to her, who is probably in her 80s or 90s. She said she was with him her whole life, until he died 7 years ago. We marveled at that. She said, "I didn't just know him a week, I knew who I was marrying!"

I said I couldn't imagine being with anyone for more than a few months, that's pretty much my limit. She asked if I was ever married.

"No."

"Really?" she asked. "Such a beautiful woman."

Well, goodness gracious.

Driving home from the Y

Grilling in the dark isn't necessarily the best idea. But now there's protein for the rest of the week and then some. Tried to conquer a porterhouse that started out as big as the plate. Forgot to photograph it in all its glory, right off the grill. I ate the whole filet and a good portion of the strip, but I wasn't quite up to the challenge. Turning the rest into steak fajitas later this week.

Throughout this day and the last few days, I've been listening to my Jackson 5 box set, particularly songs from the short period of Michael Jackson's pubescent voice. I can remember them doing "Dancing Machine" on Bandstand or Soul Train in the '70s. Long before the moonwalk, I remember excitedly telling my dad about "the Michael Jackson spin!"

By far my favorite is "I Am Love," their last Top 20 single as the Jackson 5 (the group had to change its name when they left Motown). Listening to it today, I realized MJ's falsetto doesn't completely break through the mellow harmonies of his brothers until 2/3 into the song (ok, there's a bit of a standout in the "come back lover" part, as shown in the video). I've noticed this before, of course, and I'm sure it's due to the way it was mixed.

Today, though I had the image of him going all diva and shoving his way in front of Jermaine and Jackie. Although the part I'm talking about (I'm the answer to the question!) wasn't performed, this Cher Show appearance tells me I'm not so far off! MJ, in the tangerine suit, even does a couple of spins.