abigail414's diaryland diary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the Hotel California
I was relieved to return from LA to Palm Springs, where there is less traffic, noise, development, and a lot more natural beauty. This is such a lovely place that takes my breath away on a regular basis. I had today off, and it was clear, 85 degrees with a gentle breeze. Among other things, I read and took a nap in the hammock, and the above picture was my view looking up.
Last week I picked up some books at the local independent bookstore, and realized why Amazon does so well. I got �Rescue Me, he�s wearing a Moose Hat� (a humorous memoir of 40 dates after 50 years old), �The Sexy Years� by Suzanne Sommers (mostly about the need for bio-identical hormones), and 'Buddha - a biography. I also got a couple local books -�120 Hikes in and around the Palm Springs Area� and �Palms Springs Legends�. Categorize me as a single, menopausal, searcher, looking for something fun to do. The Moose Hat book and the Sommers books have been good hammock reads. As for Buddha, my little lawn buddha fell over on the patio tile today and his head broke off - now he is in 3 pieces but stands as a fragile 'whole' (and no, I haven't started the book yet). As for hikes, it looks like the ones with a 'destination' that involves green, water, or not straight uphill are on the �$8 per hike/no dogs allowed� reservation land. Hiking without Nelly would be weird, but I understand it � feces does not dissolve here without rain. The 'Legends' book is just what I was looking for to understand this place better � turns out my health club/spa has the original 'springs' that the area grew around. For awhile, Palm Springs was the place for movie stars to do naughty things and not get noticed, and it was/is a nudist destination (there still is an enclosed bridge across the main drag connecting a nudist resort.) The town started to fade in the 1970's/80's until Sonny Bono became mayor and actively courted artists and gays to get it funked up (his Republican widow is our congressperson). It still doesn�t feel like much of a �welcoming� community, and isn�t as �fresh� as neighboring Palm Desert, but I haven�t really given it a chance with my hibernating tendencies.
With a view like this from home, why not hibernate? I couldn�t shoot straight at the mountains because of the sun, but this is the reflection on my bedroom sliding door. People pay good money for a week with this kind of view, reading in a hammock surrounded by flowers and palm trees. Plus, I skipped the gym and exercised tonight by doing laps in the pool under the stars. I�m not a very good swimmer, so it was quite aerobic (note to self: get a paddle board to stay afloat). I�m embarrassed to say that this was the first time I've used the pool since I got here in December. But, it was the first warm night in awhile. And the jacuzzi felt great.
So, in truth I really can�t complain. Well, I guess I could, and come by it genetically, but what good does it do (besides being a stereotyped reaction?). No matter what my situation, I can always find the fly in the ointment. Looking back at the trials I've had, there was usually something wonderful happening at the same time that went unnoticed. I don't want to live in pollyannaland - but I don't want my chronic depression to let me miss out on the opportunities for joy that also occur every day.
9:24 p.m. - 2006-03-23
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
other diaries: |
