Just do it

Recently, I have had a serious case of, to borrow a phrase from my brother-in-law, the summer doldrums. It is still hot in Texas, and although I've lived through this season before, I can't get used to it and probably never will. We have no exciting trips planned for the immediate future, (but are very much looking forward to our Christmas travels!), haven't gotten together a lot with our Texas friends (although things are looking up), and work has been incredibly draining and difficult. Therefore, I haven't felt like I wanted to blog. Part of it stems from laziness and a big part stems from not wanting to sit in front of the computer when I get home from work. However, the biggest reason I haven't felt like blogging is because I was "waiting for inspiration." ha!

Catherine and I saw Dave Barry last week at Bass Performance Hall. Fort Worth was the first stop on Dave's book tour for his new book, of which I can't remember the title. Our fantastic paper, The Star-Telegram, hosts a yearly author series and gets great authors to visit our fine city and discuss their new works among other things. Catherine and I saw Khaled Hosseini (read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns as soon as you can!) a couple months ago, and were in the mood for something funny this time around. Plus, the five dollars we paid for entry went to benefit a local homeless shelter. How great is that?! Dave was funny and witty as usual (I'd seen him once before at UNM); although the moderator didn't have his bit together and it would have been a much better discussion if just Dave were allowed to talk free-form, but I digress. The last 10 minutes of the discussion included an audience question and answer period. The final question came from an aspiring writer who asked Dave for advice. I don't remember Mr. Barry's advice verbatim, but he basically said, "A real writer knows that inspiration isn't something that just hits you as you sit down to write. You have to find time each day to write, and sometimes you'll sit there completely frustrated and annoyed, but keep on writing. That's all you can do." So, I will try hard to keep blogging because I'd like to be a writer in some sense.

This weekend provided Nate and me a much-needed boost out of the doldrums. We enjoyed grilled salmon with a delicious tomato sauce, grilled asaparagus, smashed Oregon potatoes, and an Argentian Cabernet Saugvignon on the patio Saturday night. Yes, we were still eaten alive by mosquitos, despite the various citronella candles, OFF spray, and Nate's smoking cigar. It was still hot, but we are ready for fall, darn it! We also spent Saturday and Sunday mornings giving our house a thorough clean. Boy, we needed that. And it felt so good to see the gleaming tile surfaces, a tidy kitchen counter, and clean laundry hanging in the closet. I may take this back someday, but who needs a maid? (I know several people who have maids, and I've always wondered why?) I don't like the thought of paying someone for things I am completely capable of doing myself. Sure, I don't like cleaning toilets, but who does? But I do enjoy the satisfaction after completing my chores. It feels so good!

Sunday was a leisurely day, and we enjoyed some Riesling on the patio before meeting Andrew and Anna at Joe T. Garcia's. Yum! We most definitely enjoyed the lush patio, the good company, and the food. A&A came over after dinner and joined us for a short walk with the pooch, and then we decided to call it a night. We'll get to see them again in a few days for The Office premiere party at our house on Thursday night! It should also be noted that we've known them for a year - we met at the dog park last September. We are so thankful for their unexpected and wonderful friendship.

Perhaps I created my own inspiration this weekend. I guess Dave Barry is right - nothing good ever just falls in your lap. You've got to work hard to discover it. I like that.