New Days

It's the first new day of a new decade in my time. This one has been hot and sunny, in sharp contrast to the windy, rany, cold days we've had recently. Much of the rest of the country is being whipped by a mighty winter storm; it's seems almost (but quite) criminal that our weather is so nice here.



Lots of people throw themselves birthday parties, but I'm not one of them. Though I commonly disclaim caring about my birthdays, that isn't entirely true. As each one approaches, it's a perfect excuse to feel life slipping away, to indulge regrets about my lifetime of errors and wrong turns taken. It's simply an easy time for the sweet sickness of self-pity.

None of that happened this year. I felt peaceful, secure that I'm loved, grateful to all my children, a few close and special friends, and even a couple ex's who remembered that it was a big round number and therefore a vulnerable transition moment.

So, rather than any of the self-destructive sadnesses of times past, this year I enjoyed my current situation in the city I love. I've been cutting down bamboo stalks that are dead but still green. I don't know why. Maybe I just like the look of them, plus how they feel as I slide my hands along them.

Tomorrow is a big day at work. We relaunch our company under a new name with a newly designed website and renewed hopes that what we've built will find an audience. We've been anticipating this for months. The official cutover is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow...

The Detroit Red Wings have won their first two playoff games. My extended Weir family are all hockey fans, reflecting our Canadian roots, and there's no town like Hockeytown when the race for the Stanley Cup is joined.