Ten.Four Hundred & Twenty-Seven

1. Dark skies but no rain yet. 

2. The to-do list is short. No showings today yet, one kid to drop off for a sleepover, pick-up contacts, make dinner. 

3. She gives me a punch card and I kind of want to say, "no, I don't need one, I'm moving soon," but the reality is that it's quite possible I'll be here longer than I want to be, longer than any of us have anticipated (we've already been here longer than we anticipated) and so it's quite possible that I will return enough time for a free dozen. And that will be okay. 

4. I drink the coffee. And then I drink some more coffee. With the caramel donut, it's absolutely superb. 

5. I bring the coffee to bed and turn on the baking show and sit in the grayness of the morning. 

6. I drink some more coffee while we catch up. I decide it's time for me to go when the test tube and sticks of butter come out. 

7. My brother and I talk for almost 2 hours. 

8. All the coffee has made me a little queasy. 

9. I talk to Dad for almost an hour. I ought to make more of a point in calling. Surprise, surprise: I'm not the best at interpersonal communication. I think a lot of things that I never end up speaking. I've always said that my lesson in this life was to learn how to use my voice. And really, that's not just about speaking up for or out against, but it's also about a way of deepening my relationships with self and others. 

10. The yellowing of the light; away from the gold of summer and toward the paler shades of fall. 

10. 1 No coffee for me tomorrow.