Friday chickenBecause it’s Friday AGAIN. And because traditions are important. In which I cover the good stuff and the hard stuff in my week, trying for the non-preachy, non-annoying side of self-reflection.

And you get to join in if you feel like it.

Seriously? Friday?

I’m a little confused as to how that happened when it was just Friday a couple days ago.

Huh.

The hard stuff

The busy and the tired and the busy-tired.

So it was Dana‘s 50th birthday bash all last weekend.

Which was awesome because we love her. And because practically all our friends were in town.

And it also meant staying up waaaaaaaaay past my bedtime three nights in a row.

Oh, and drinking. And eating burritos. Yes, plural. Not all at once though. And generally wreaking havoc on all possible rituals and routines.

Don’t get me wrong. It was fabulous. And having houseguests was considerably more fun than I’d imagined.

It was just a lot. And my recovery time isn’t what it used to be.

Bleargh.

Tired body. Tired brain.

Not getting to work on my stuff.

This week was so … full.

I taught a bunch of classes. Had a ton of client sessions. And it was all marvelous.

Except that none of the things I wanted to work on got any attention.

Trapped under piles!

I went all Metaphor Mouse on the filing thing and am pretending that it’s pirate treasure mapping.

But I still kind of hate it.

The good stuff

Dana’s birthday weekend.

Seeing lots of friends!

Being incredibly silly.

Running around Portland drinking and carousing and wearing pirate drag!

It was pretty great. And we had friends staying with us. And lots of good food.

And yay. I am most definitely not a party person. But I enjoyed the hell out of the weekend all the same.

Purim!

I was a pirate queen. Which is kind of stupid because I am a pirate queen all the time, anyway.

And Selma (my duck) dressed up as a dragon-monster. And Diki (my dragon-monster) went as a duck.

Good times.

Lots of presents!

Costumes for Selma and my monster from Elizabeth the Bee. A beautiful print from Diane. Something mysterious from my favorite uncle.

Love and wonder and fabulousness.

Lots of stuff happening.

We had several hundred people on the Habits Detective call. And I taught a Shiva Nata class to the Roller Derby team that I sponsor (Guns N Rollers)!

It’s pretty much all fun.

More Roller-Derby-related happinesses.

So Portland’s all-star team Wheels of Justice killed at the Wild West Showdown.

And yeah, these are actual ranked bouts that mean stuff, as opposed to just messing around.

Our girls beat Philly (ranked #6). And we were this close to beating Oly (ranked #1 — and frankly I’d pretty much only been hoping we wouldn’t lose by 200 points or break anyone, so that was incredible too).

And then destroyed the B.A.D. Girls of the Bay Area 154-27.

Portland Roller Derby is kicking ass. And I’m so happy I can’t even stand it.

Non-Emergency Vacation coming up in 3, 2, 1…

The absolute highlights of last year were my two Emergency Vacations. I mean, not the circumstances that resulted in their existence.

But the taking-off-of-time and, you know, not working.

And this year? I’m planning actual time off. I know. Hard to believe.

Strategic mouse! So mid-March I will be gone. And that is very exciting.

And now it’s my weekend.

Which means I get to do lots of nothing while celebrating the anniversary of my business and also of being born.

The plan: go for a ridiculously frou-frou body treatment (something with mud?) and have my gentleman friend make delicious foods (foods!).

And hide. Yay.

Hiding.

And … playing live at the meme beach house!

Yes, that’s a Stuism too.

My brother and I have this thing where we come up with ridiculous band names and then say in this really pretentious, knowing tone, “Oh, well, you know, it’s just one guy.”

This week?

Balkan Hangover.

Seriously. It’s just one guy.

That’s it for me …

And yes yes yes, of course you can join in my Friday ritual right here in the comments bit if you feel like it.

Yeah? Anything hard and/or good happen in your week?

And, as always, have a glorrrrrrrrrrrrious weekend. And a happy week to come.

The Fluent Self