Excursions
April 28
Mmm. Heather and I celebrated our anniversary this weekend. On Friday night we went to Chez Panisse and had a truly wonderful meal together (the espresso-caramel custard in particular was amazing). Then we went to the Black Oak bookshop and browsed for a nice long while. I bought Folk of the Air, one of my favorite books, and Graham Joyce's Requiem.
Saturday we rose relatively early, gathered our things, and drove north. We stopped in Calistoga for a nice lunch, then drove on (and on and on) to Harbin hot springs. A very nice place; I'd like to go there for a week and spend my days and evenings writing, dipping into the pools every so often, sitting outside and looking at the mountainside views... there are iron foxes in silhouette, a tile-and-mirror mandala on a hillside, life-sized carved wooden figures of a vaguely Tibetan cast, little touches of whimsy and magic... and the pools, of course. Warm, clean, beneath spreading tree branches... Mmm. It would be a nice place to put life in low gear and linger.
Driving down afterward was none too pleasant, though; traveling down twisty, dark, unfamiliar roads, with more traffic than I'd have liked. Somewhat harrowing, since I dislike driving even under ideal circumstances... But we made it okay, stopping again in Calistoga for a lateish dinner. Then on to Napa, where we stayed at a motel whose sole redeeming feature was a king-sized bed...
We rose this morning and had a leisurely breakfast in Napa. We'd planned to visit a winery or two, but it was looking to be a gray, cold day (thus deflating our interest in having a picnic), and we decided we'd just as soon be home -- we can always visit wineries another time. It's not nearly as big an undertaking as going to Harbin, and even that's doable as a day trip. So we came home, and spent the afternoon doing something surprisingly romantic -- organizing our books. For the past 9 months of living together, we've had separate book collections, hers and mine. Today, we integrated our books (well, fiction and anthologies, anyway; that took all afternoon, so poetry, reference, drama, etc. can wait until another day). I'm very happy. Our shelves are full and neat! We can find things! Hurrah!
Then we got absurd good news: Heather and I sold a story we didn't even submit. Susannah Indigo, editor and erotica writer, ordered a chapbook from us a few weeks ago. Today she wrote to ask if she could buy and reprint our collaboration from the chapbook, "The Ever After Book Shoppe", for her literary 'zine Slow Trains. And of course we said yes. What a wonderful anniversary present, to sell a story that we wrote together, a story that is, in part, about learning to live with your lover! What a happy happy thing.
In the afternoon we took a walk with Holly, going up to Piedmont Grocery (where we acquired, among other things, pie and ice cream). We spent the evening lolling about, watching television, and talking. I read a good bit of Dark Terrors 5, which I like a lot.
It was a nice weekend. Spectacular. As good as life gets; overtly pleasurable, sublimely satisfying... all because of Heather, really. She makes my life a dream that is continually coming true.
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You needn't send me anything. I am content. Though if you wanted to send me the first four Dark Terrors anthologies, I'd be a bit more content.
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