Autumn Equinox*

When I finally got out of bed Sunshine was down at the nearest roller rink. I took a really long shower. This exciting blog material details exactly what both of us will wish we had time for over the next month, but this is the last weekend we have free to do them. The word free is maybe misapplied, of course, since we had plans on both days; but we were free to make plans this weekend, which is just enough liberty for me to use that description anyway. I came out of the shower wrinkled up and Sunshine returned from the rink with a bruised behind. Then she busied herself making tortellini salad for a pot-luck gathering being held just downstairs in Oakwood's lounge. We bought salad ingredients after derby yesterday. These pot-luck things usually consist of people I've heard about, but rarely met, who are leaving town in a few weeks. I spend the first hour learning the faces of people I've little chance of seeing again for several years. The people I do know well are people I met at other events just like this, months or years ago. Sometimes, I spend the last hour of such gatherings saying goodbye to those officers leaving soonest. Since we infrequently manage to make the salad and attend these things, it may be my last chance. Today's pot-luck was easier: we're among the ones leaving soon. I didn't have to pay attention to other schedules, I just bid everyone goodbye. The food was precisely what a southern picnic consists of: several potato salads, pasta salad, tofu salad, cookies and grilled meat. After saying goodbye to everyone, I headed off to eat some auxiliary food at Lebanese Taverna. Sunshine, filled with grilled meat, stayed at home and did laundry. [Cavin]