life is good

i have passed many weekends in the last few years feeling empty. some were spent in intoxication, some in idleness, most were unmemorable despite a fleeting sense of happiness. this has been one weekend when every minute has been filled with contentment. not overflowing, but just right.

on saturday i helped out with inventory at the pharmacy where my cousin works, and it was a nice feeling to be put to good use again, even just to count (counting pills is nothing like counting clothes). then hen8 came into town for the night and we hung out with the good 'ol high school crowd (plus significant others and adopted children). the rest of the night was spent over a bottle of wine in the living room until the dawn broke and he had to leave. he said i finally look happy. and i know this must be true coming from one who knows me best.

4 short hours of sleep later i went grocery shopping in the chinese supermarkets, bought lots of meat for soup and veggies for stir fry. the last time i consistently cooked was the year in italy followed by summer at yale, and it feels great to take matters into my own hands again, in line with the theme of this trip/move back to the city i love. then we came home and put up christmas lights for the house. that's right, mo with a stapler gun and a ladder while a pot boils on the stove! (yes ladies in asia, a far cry from our gallery-hopping, wine-drinking, posh-restaurant-frequenting weekends in taipei. although admittedly i did all of the above here last weekend). and now in my room waiting for a friend to arrive for dinner, i document the past two days which have been a mix of the old and the new--old friends, old settings, old times, and me who is on the way to become brand new. livingston taylor on itune sings "isn't she lovely?"

my dog just gave birth to 3 puppies. how does life get better than this? =)