Happy & Loopy

    Happy, albeit belated, birthday shout-out to my 4th-grade and onward crush, J.A.! Hope you had the happiest of birthdays, Blondie, and that you're living the life you've wished to have.
    I had a rather momentous December 10, 2004. As of around 10:45 AM CST, I am once again single. The process took about 15 minutes, all told, requiring appearing before the judge in open court and answering a ridiculous number of questions from my attorney before being told that judgment granting the divorce was being entered. One expects balloons to fall from the ceiling at that point, or bells to ring, or something else traumatic or exciting, but it's rather anticlimactic. Yet I felt simultaneously thrilled and just generally warmed. Don't get me wrong—I'm generally sad that the marriage is over, but it's been over for a while. It didn't end today. And I certainly refuse to pretend that it did, just because the judge said that it did, legally. So today was more about other people being able to think about me in this new way, as a new person, like I have for quite a while. It's sort of philosophical and loopy, but that's where I am right now, so buy it if you want to but if you don't, kindly save your commentary for yourself.
    What happens from here? Well, if today's any indication, there won't be any huge changes. I went back to work after we were through in court. I spoke with my attorney twice more. I didn't get to go to lunch until nearly 3:00 because the big melon was out of the office until then, and the public-service desk was being covered by only one person because the other person scheduled was fired yesterday. (That manager was on vacation today.) So I was 'helping,' to the extent that I am ever possible and particularly that it was possible for me today, to staff the circulation desk. I also scheduled interviews for the processing clerk position (more about that in an upcoming post), processed a couple of dozen items, chased down several find-and-replace reference materials, and shifted 4 stacks of the 800s (literature). All dressed up, too, in a cashmere sweater (it's a rosy pink that Kohl's calls "Passion"—that made me laugh) and a black sweater skirt, with black 2-inch microsuede heels. (That's high heels for me, people, so don't underestimate the impact!)
    After work, I went to the basement apartment and spent some time with a good friend. Someone who's known about the situation since the beginning, but who's not overly emotionally involved and who wouldn't be sympathetic to the point of overwhelming me. It was exactly what I was seeking out of the evening.
    I followed that with a quick dinner, some poetry, several hours of conversation with the friend with whom I'm staying (for only a couple more days!), sketching out some poems of my own, and now this.
    Pretty much the usual.
    I know my life's going to change. And it's not always going to seem so copacetic. But for now, I'm nothing but happy with the alteration in my legal status, and definitely glad to be able to write about it. Thanks for listening.