jokes and dreams

1. A man in the elevator gleefully reveals that he used to be a lounge singer. He tells a few jokes. The others stare and respond in awkward English. I feel a bit better about doing the same for jokes in Spanish.

2. I pass a man on the street talking into his cell phone. "I won't keep you any longer, I've already probably exceeded regulations," he says. "But you know me - I'm a rulebreaker."

3. Among the things I'm supposed to dream about is sitting in a rocking chair next to him seventy years after we get our first house. I don't dream about it that night, but it has made me grin for the entirety of the following day.

surprises, comfort, and love

I come home to discover a romantic dinner (planned) and a clean apartment (a surprise). I surprise him with flowers, and he pulls me close in the lobby.

We laugh at pictures of people who have dressed nicely for their romantic dinners as we eat our gourmet food in tshirts and boxers.

I snuggle close to him as we watch stories about fictional romances. He pulls me close at the romantic parts and kisses my head.

love, comfort, and masa

I count the minutes until I see him at lunch even though I left him at home only hours before. Visits are nice, but I can't wait until I get to do this on a day to day basis.

I wake up a bit before him and my alarm and am able to enjoy the peacefulness for a moment. When the moment passes, I try to move, and I grin as he hugs me closer in his sleep.

Making tamales leaves me laughing, covered in masa, and with substantially more food to cook and put in my freezer.