So awesome

Video of a friend reacting to a birthday surprise I helped orchestrate, and seeing how excited it made her. 

Vows

I got to watch a friend's wedding on Zoom this weekend. I wish I could have been there in person, of course. But it was so nice to see the ceremony online.

They referenced wizards and Hedwig's Origin of Love in their vows, and it was so damn sweet.

On this day

Four years ago this morning, I called in sick, hopped a plane, and flew to Cleveland to go to a parade.

The Cavs had won the National Championship earlier in the week, the first time a Cleveland team had won since the Indians took the World Series in 1948. The rest of my family was downtown to celebrate that night -- my brother had driven in from D.C. -- and I felt left out. So I bought a plane ticket.

Getting on that plane -- with hundreds of other people who were doing the same thing I was -- was one of the happiest moments I can remember. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you the joy and excitement were palpable. People cut short vacations to be there. They canceled obligations. We just all wanted to share the experience.

It turns out that parades are kind of a mess. Or maybe it had just been so long since we'd had one? There were more than 1 million people (can you imagine that now?) cramming ever closer to see the local stars and dignitaries. People pressed so close they clogged the parade route. It was slow and hot and really kind of ridiculous.

But it was so much fun.

I was back in time to go to work the next morning, no one the wiser. And I can't begin to tell you what a wonderful choice it was. I felt so connected to everyone else on that plane, in the street. It was just straight-up joy, the likes of which I hadn't seen before and haven't seen since.

If the Browns or Indians manage the same feat, I'm sure it'll be just as crazy. But there's something about that first victory in my lifetime -- in the lifetime of so many! -- that will stand out forever.

The past few days

In no particular order:

A COVID-19 friendly art show.

A walk in the woods:

Seeing the face of a friend going through town.

Good news for someone I care about very much.

Correspondence.

Ice cream.

In-person conversations from a safe distance.

Cavaliers

Cleveland sports teams, historically, collapse. There is a laundry list of moments where one team or another had victory in its grasp, only to collapse spectacularly and leave fans -- and a city -- heartbroken.

Then, in 2016, the Cavaliers won the NBA championship. And whatever words I use to tell you how amazing that was will be insufficient. It was a moment of joy I honestly never thought I would experience. You may think I'm crazy, but if you're from Cleveland, you understand.

I had saved the final game of the series on my DVR and would watch it when I was having a bad day -- as a reminder of that moment and a reminder that what is in front of you is not necessarily forever.

I know I'm not the only one, but it definitely made me smile today to see that in action in my Twitter feed, where someone posted the final seconds of the game and the ensuing celebration.

Oh, it lifts my mood and makes me smile. And as so many people are missing sports right now -- for the sports themselves, for the connections they create, for so many other reasons -- I was so glad to see 30 seconds of a four-year-old basketball game. Happier than I would have expected such a thing to make me.

It does matter

Text from a friend today:

"Just read an article you wrote ... and it made me unreasonably happy to see your name on the byline."

It's a stressful time (you may have noticed) and work is kind of crazy right now. So it made me unreasonably happy to know that stories were being read, and read by people I know who are appreciating the work. Thanks, friend. It meant a lot.

Cassata cake

I thought it would be a good time to clean out my freezer, and what did I find in the back of it but two Tupperware containers filled with cassata cake -- a Cleveland specialty that features fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

(This is my sister's homemade version.)

They've been there for years, so I pulled them out to make room for something more practical.

I left them on the counter, assuming they were freezer burned. But as they defrosted, they looked.... fine. Good. Like they were edible.

And then they were.

If I knew that, I might have left them in there for when things get more dire. But they're defrosted. So I ate a piece (it was delicious), and stuck the rest in the refrigerator. They'll lift my spirits over the next few days. And now I've got room for another loaf of bread in the freezer. You know, the necessities.

Washboards

Nearly a decade ago, I dragged my friend (hi, friend!) to see the last remaining washboard factory in the United States.

She was at first resistant, but then loved it. We learned that the primary customers tend to be musicians and people who live off the grid, and we both went home with a lot of washboard paraphernalia.

I sent her this picture over the weekend, of washboards from the same factory in a south Georgia home I was touring. It made me grin to see it, and to share it.

(She replied with a long line of hahahas, and that made me grin, too.)

Keys

Do you see this?

This is a tiny piece of paradise.

I spent the early part of the week in the Florida Keys on the invitation of a friend who I love to pieces, and hadn't seen in too many years. Being there made me smile, of course -- I mean, that was the back porch. Look. It's gorgeous. -- but it was the invitation that made me happiest. It's so nice to know that connections are kept, through distance and time.

We swam, and swam, and swam. We talked. We explored. We ate delicious things. And, I like to think, we refueled a friendship that I hope will last a long, long time.

Also, she shared this with me.

That's a book recommendation by Judy Blume. Who owns the bookstore. That we were standing in. (I've read the book and loved it. Judy and I are essentially BFFs now.)

We missed seeing her there, but being in her space was pretty awesome, too.

In touch

I still have a number to get through (some of them to some of you, dear readers), but I replied to several emails this weekend that I've been putting off because I wanted to give them the time and attention they deserved. Aside from the simple sense of accomplishment that one gets from hitting "send" and moving a message out of the inbox, it makes me happy that even through questionable timely response skills, I'm able to keep in touch with people who are meaningful to me, and who are far away (or sometimes close).

And also, work compliments. Being told you're doing well never gets old.

Feb. 14

I brought these to work last week, and gave them away to co-workers and friends. More than the Valentines (which are so cute!), I loved the box they came in. No batteries required! Paper-folding action!

Just wanted to send my love to those of you I couldn't hand a Valentine to, too.

Stay (I Missed You)

I have fond memories of a concert in college where Lisa Loeb played with Dweezil Zappa, and I'm pretty sure I can still sing all the words to Stay (I Missed You). Today, I saw that Lisa Loeb is coming back to town, so I sent an e-mail to one of the friends I went to the show with to see if she might want to recreate our evening.

She replied enthusiastically, which is awesome. Even more awesome? The second person I emailed -- who was at the concert with us (even though I didn't remember that she was there) emailed another friend, who now lives in Texas. I haven't seen this friend in nearly three years -- since her wedding -- but she's going to fly in for a visit and the show. And I'm thrilled to get to spend some time with her, and with this group of people.

Lisa Loeb: bringing friends together.

Drunken Stool Making

There is so much happiness in my life at the moment.  I am visiting with my sister in Takoma Park, MD, and Sister Love is always a good thing!

Last night, however, was the joy of joys that only a sibling can bring.  My sister and I have a tradition of drinking heavily and watching bad romantic comedies/teen romance movies when we visit.  Last night was no exception!

The best part of the night was in the conversation that follows.

Chrys: Do you have any tools?  I want to put together your stools...
Lauren: Oh!  Yeah! I was planning on putting those together once I got drunk!


My Family is special.
My life is happiness.

Ode to a Pear

O, pear you are
juicy and awkward, requiring me
to slurp you up
before I chew. I eat you with
a pile of paper towels,
soaked through. Your bulbous bottom
bumps my lip, your tiny stem
evades my grasp, your subtle core
hides beneath pearflesh, a sad surprise
when I bite seeking more fruit and find, instead,
something new. I eat you and think
of Jelly Belly candies, of summer days, of
my mother, who loves the flavors you
imbue. I will not bake you. You are
a fruit to be devoured raw, dripping, sticky,
sweet. O, pear, you may frustrate my desires
to elegantly consume, but pear?
I savor you.

Smiles all around

I have a big grin on my face for two reasons.

The first is that even though I talk to executives and important people with a kind of regularity, there are still some whom I get excited about. Particularly when they're chatty and friendly and generally jovial. I just got off the phone with one such CEO.

I e-mailed a friend of mine to tell him that the conversation made me think of him, and the response I got made my smile even bigger:

Your email made me smile :)  (well, YOU make me smile, but I settle for email from you when I have to).

He's far too far away (despite efforts to move him closer), so we have to settle for email more often than I would like. But I'm just so glad that we've been able to stay (close!) friends despite the distance, and I'm glad that my grins are contagious.

Coffee in Brazil

I have a Fancy New Car -- who has yet to be named -- after Webster valiantly protected me from a collision several months ago.

This new car has many cool things going for it, one of which is satellite radio. Another is BlueTooth. Now normally, I'm not someone who gets all excited about car radios or hands-free technology, or even technology at all, but this morning -- while I was calculating how long it would be until the free satellite radio ran out and I would once again be denied Big Band tunes and commercial-free commutes -- I had an epiphany.

At traffic lights, I fiddled with my phone and with my radio. And right as I got to work, I discovered this: I am able to stream my favorite radio station through my phone and listen to it through my speakers, despite the fact that I'm three states away.

I only got to hear two songs this morning, but they were coffee-themed and adorable. And so I went into work this morning grinning, and humming about coffee in Brazil.

Love is in the air

Aside from getting to hang out with an old friend I don't get to spend nearly enough time with since she moved away, this is what made me happiest this Valentine's Day.

They're just so wonderful.

Love to all of you!

Man, do I rock!

Guys, check it: it wasn't a fluke! I got another award, though I don't know what yet.

Also, my editor told me a story I turned in today -- that I've been working on, off and on, since February (let's be honest -- mostly off) was "wonderful." And that makes me even happier.

It's a pretty fun story. You should totally read it.

Of April

I certainly didn't mean to neglect the spreading of joy in April; it was certainly a very joyful month. In brief, some things that made me smile:

I went to the wonderful wedding of a wonderful friend, had a mini-college reunion and met several of the bride's friends, all of whom are fantastic. I ate a lot of delicious Austin food, snagged a Nancy Drew Mad Libs and found a pretty snazzy gift for my sister and a good friend. Eventually, they'll go in the mail.

I learned my parking attendant's name. It's Ray.

I went to the Cleveland Orchestra with friends. The orchestra is amazing. Severance Hall is beautiful. And jaunts to see Avenue Q and August: Osage County were similarly (if separately) fantastic.

I used the word tintinnabulation in a story. I scooped the competition in another (big) story, and the big bosses noticed. I managed to start a running joke, of sorts, that's made it into the paper three times now. It has also garnered me many pens and left me amused.

I reconnected with an old friend. I spent some quality time with an older friend. I had super, if all-too-brief, moments with more recent friends who went out of their way to say hello.

I hope your Aprils were as sunny.

I'm rich!

Cleaning out my wallet today, I discovered $40 tucked between receipts. And that's awesome.