Aug. 8, 2008 at 9:26pm

some days are just good.

(really good)

I love my town.

First thing this morning, I woke up and took care of some work matters.  Took longer than usual, but whatever, it's all good when your commute is down 13 stairs.

Chrism came over with her two, and her sitter, and together we battled through a reasonably brutal, beautiful run through my favorite point in Tacoma, the Pt D trails.  While I love running the trails alone, running with someone is so much better (now, if she weren't so perky and chatty, making me feel out of shape and winded, I'd feel... better.)

Despite wanting to hang out, I had to basically do the whole, "don't let the door hit your ass on the way out" thing, as I had an Exciting Obligation for the lunch hour, and an errand before it, not to mention the shower that needed to happen. --Obligation: Be on Team Dawn and get some chalk victory.  Steph DeR would join us, and we would lay down chalk, oh yes.  But first, off to Tacoma Art Supply for the chalk that would hopefully net us our victory.

I discovered I had forgotten the gifties I wanted to give to Dawn and RR&co, and then discovered parking was a whole lotta no fun because of Showcase Tacoma.  Then, I discovered with the kid that Showcase was a whole lotta cool fun, with a supersweet rasied-relief map of Tacoma putt  putt course manned by Oliver of the Fulcrum Gallery, an instrument petting zoo (like petting a puppy in a shop, the zoo was equally tempting: the kid now wants a violin for Christmas...Ooof.) --and much, much, much much more.

BUT we had ten minutes and I was stressed and I needed to get to Frost Park...NOW... a hora!!!!  --so after a quick, possibly rude chat with Warren of Tacoma Art Supply, and Mrs Warren of Tacoma Art Supply, the kid and I were saying bye to her school friends and jogging to the car.

Then it was a sweaty, dusty, dirty, thong-baring hour of amazingly addictive fun.  Chalk is kind of a lethal mixture of crack-meets-heroin, and upon leaving, I felt a sort of jacked up elation that should be banned.  Seeing what we created made me happy; seeing others respond favorably made me happier.  

But I needed to defer that druggish happiness, because I needed to get to the InBetween Place, where the fabulous Steph had taken the kid and her wee poppet to a tea party.  Yeah, I was outwardly a mess.  But we weren't done yet... Oh no...

After a fun and happy time at the Tea Party, we came home to see to the puppies.  They seemed nonplussed, like they couldn't give a rat's hindquarters if we were home or not. By this point, I was tired and hungry and very nearly getting into the idea of staying in for the evening, but then I had to give myself a little shake and a slap.  No, tonight was the Tacoma Art Museum Midsummer Night's Festival.  Too much fun to miss.  

So off we went, the kid and I, and driving by 9th and Pacific I grinned broadly to see the sidewalks shining with art; further up the road I kept grinning, to see Tollefson Plaza alive with music and crowds; life was teeming out of alleys and walkways that usually sit dormant.  

The TAM fest was fun.  Face painting, crown-making, boss-running-into, Motet listening, and Iron Artist watching were among some of the fun and games enjoyed.  Regrettably, the kid was cold, tired, and cranky so we had to call it a night.

In point of fact, I'm tired, too.  Long days will do that to you.  But cranky?  Good God no.

Today was too good for that.