For years— since before I was one of his students a hundred years ago— Dr. Erion has been promoting something called X Day. He’s devised a whole list of criteria used to determine whether a day is actually the X Day (for example, temperatures have to hit 70 degrees and stay there for a certain percentage of the day), but what it basically boils down to is this: X Day is the first truly nice day of the year. His dream is that every school in the area cancels classes that day and everyone goes to a park or quad-like space and plays frisbee, picnics, or reads.
Well, classes weren’t canceled, but we did hit X Day this week!
Sunday
On the whole, the weather was a little up and down this week, and my mood went with it, but the nice days were positively glorious, and that ain’t nothing.
I enjoyed a wonderful walk with Kath at the park on Sunday. I have no idea how many loops we made, but my phone shows I walked about five miles that day. The funny thing about spring in New York, is that whenever the weather breaks (and this happens multiple times each spring), everyone has a collective sigh of relief and joy. I’m serious. Evidence: The amount of people at the park on Sunday. And coming off a pandemic lockdown (although not over, the pandemic mood is lifting a bit now that so many are vaccinated), no one knows how to interact anymore. It is amazingly awkward in the best kind of way.
Kath sees a person she knows walking towards us on the path: “Hi! How are you?”
Person: “Hi! How are you? I’m good. How are you?”
Kath: “Good. It’s beautiful out. You’re doing well?”
Person: “Yes, I’m good. How’re you doing?”
Kath: “Great… Bye!!”
Me as we walk away: “Neither of you knew how to have that conversation and I loved every moment of it.”
Kath: “Shut up, Tiffany.”
Monday
I suppose it’s time to take down my wreath.
Tuesday
We had our last Hamilton writer’s meeting this week. There’s another session starting in a few weeks, but I’m going to sit this one out. I’m coming to a place with my manuscript where it’s time to get feedback, so I won’t have as many weekly writing goals, and honestly, the weather is getting nicer and I want to take a step back from the computer screen and get more fresh air. That said, I’ll miss the group.
It’s easy to forget sometimes how full the world is of good people. We get consumed by life in our own little bubbles and only catch glimpses of the outside world through news reports and social media. That skews our perception; it makes us happy to retreat and stay in our bubbles. But when I participate in groups and events like WWAG or the Peter Murphy writing workshops, I see into the homes and hearts of people outside my sphere.
The Hamilton group was full of kind, insightful women, and I’m glad I met them.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, I learned that sometimes life is about dumping coffee on something you hold precious and learning to love it anyway— or love it more.
Thursday
Thursday was X Day. I celebrated by petting my neighbors’ dogs and going to Jessica’s for a campfire with Allie and Vicki. The evening consisted of Allie squirting about three quarters of a bottle of lighter fluid on the fire, and Jessica accidentally hang-up dialing 911. By the end of the night, Jess was drunk on wine and sitting on the floor with her cat. Phantom didn’t mind so much.
Friday
March is usually one of the longest months of the school year, but on Friday, I was surprised to look at the calendar and see that it’s about to come to a close.
Saturday
As it comes to an end, I’m trying to get my monthly writing and fitness goals checked off. Fitness wasn’t so much a thing on Saturday because I GOT MY FIRST COVID SHOT and wanted to chillax after. I did get some writing work done, though. Writing sounds glamorous, doesn’t it? Perfect cup of coffee brewed and cozied up in your favorite mug. A crackling record on and you clacking away at a keyboard in a room that’s the perfect mix of cluttered and clean— artsy and dimly lit. But often writing is just about situating the pillows on either side of you in such a way that they hold your stacks of papers while you transfer line edits from the hard copy to the digital copy, wearing sweatpants and wishing you’d moved your cup of sweet tea from Moe’s within arm’s reach before getting all set up.
But hey, that’s totally glamorous, too, right?