TheBanyanTree: First Night In

[Maria Gibson]

Since there are no such things as coincidences, the blond guy at the
door inviting me to a neighborhood bar was ironic if nothing else.  See,
for a couple of weeks I've known I need to change some of what I'm
doing; calm it down a bit, take it down a few notches.  Knowing I had
plans for last week and then this past weekend I didn't want to put too
many restrictions on myself.  Call it strategy from my professional
dieting days.  It helps to take time to formulate a plan and not expect
too much too soon.  Anyway, today was the first day of the rest of my
life.  The plan was to not visit a bar until Thursday when Randy and I
go together so I can play pool whilst he plays Texas Hold'em.  I thought
I might hang out at B&N and write for awhile tonight or something,
though, because I am accustomed to going out and being among people,
something I enjoy very much.  So, I got home from a long weekend with
friends about 5:00 this evening.  I was tired so I took a nap and my
family left for their regular Tuesday night gigs while I was sleeping.
I awoke to a knock on the door, unusual in itself.  Imagine my surprise
when I answered the door to an invitation to a little joint I'd heard of
before, the guy says he's just in the neighborhood promoting it, it's a
restaurant as well as a bar.  I should feel free to pop in anytime.

Huh.  I make decision that today is first day of rest of life and won't
be going to a bar.  This is the first time, EVER, anyone has come to the
door and invited me to one.  Huh.  So, I took my notebook to CAH and had
one beer and wrote.  Then visited the gang at the pub and had a diet
Pepsi.  I got home at a decent hour after picking up milk and cat
food.   This is more the speed at which I should be traveling, I think.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll go to B&N or SB and write and have coffee or
water. Perhaps tomorrow I won't get a personal invitation to go to a
bar.  But, turns out, you just can't predict these things so I suppose I
should be prepared for the odd irony to pop up from time to time.

Maria