Thursday Was Nice

Going to the Retiree's Cigar Group ON TIME for the first time in MANY weeks was really a very nice time.  Everyone who is a regular (except one person) was there, and it was extremely relaxing, peaceful, fun, and felt very experiential (I use the term "experiential" to mean it feels like an experience.... something pleasant.... not simply a task or work.).  I ended up indulging in a Perdomo Habano, and it too was pleasing to my palate and my mind.  

My wife had a work related task Thursday evening, so even though I would rather be enjoying her company..... I felt rather refreshed from the afternoon.... I went swimming, then I went home, tidied up the kitchen a bit, made a small, lime-flavored desert for us to share when she eventually came home.... AND then willingly went to my den and worked more on some of my student's presentations for their upcoming talks at the regional meeting happening soon.  

Today, I have ran already, so that is nice.  I am gearing up for a hoped for, final push on getting these presentations up-to-snuff.  I am hoping I may be able to go swimming WITH my wife this afternoon.  I still feel trepidation about the weekend, but am hoping it will go well.  

During much of the stressful times in the last few weeks, I did NOT experience any dreams, or if I did, they were more nightmares (that I do not want to relive).  But, last night I had an especially vivid and pleasing dream, which made me quite happy upon awakening.  In the dream, I was somehow in Germany, and it was a pleasant Summer day.  I was in a nice, shady park, and had just sat down and was eating a German sausage in a bun (probably not even a real/legitimate German food, but more what I imagined to be so), was drinking a large, frothy beer (in a glass mug), both of which I had purchased from a food vendor nearby (even the mug, which I was asked to return when finished).  Also in a stereotypically silly and unlikely fashion, in the park, they were having a tuba and clarinet concert I was happily listening to.  After finishing the sausage and about 1/3 of the mug of beer, I pulled out my pipe, and filled it with pipe tobacco (it was oddly some imaginary German brand I must have "picked up" prior to the start of my dream).  As I ignited my pipe, it was surprisingly and vividly robust  and quite beautiful.  In the dream, I felt so fully, the sights, sounds, and flavors of everything and felt so content.

PipeTobacco