Preludes

Sometimes the best part of the weekend for me is the moment, on Friday night, when I shut off the automatic timer feature on my coffee maker. The little clock icon in the corner LED display disappears and I know that 5:30 the next morning will not bring the sounds of perks and sputters. Following close behind this thrill, as a highlight of my weekend, is getting into bed without first walking over to my alarm clock and turning it on. Just knowing the next day is all my own makes me happy. When I pull up the covers and tuck myself in for the night, I am smiling.

Similarly, while not the best part of Thanksgiving, I always look forward to the day before Thanksgiving as well. The Wednesday before my family feast is a holiday in and of itself, a half-day at school that I usually follow with a "grown-up lunch" with a friend or two, just because I can. I'll often do a little shopping too, taking advantage my afternoon off and my last opportunity to shop without roller-derby gear. When I get home late in the afternoon or early in the evening tomorrow, it will be dark. I'll probably have a night cap--a glass of wine or a cocktail--and when I go into the kitchen to pour it, I can shut off the coffee timer. And so it will begin. For four days: no coffee timer, no alarm clock.

Ooh. Come to think of it, when I get my coffee ready tonight for automatic brewing in the morning, I don't have to make myself lunch too. That makes me smile. Tonight is starting to feel like a holiday already!