absence

E is gone again this weekend. He went to the Bay Area for a friend's father's funeral. I miss him. I look at couples where one person has to travel a lot and don't see how they do it. I guess you get used to it, but I don't think it's helpful for fulfilling the purposes of marriage. Then again, I would disagree with those who think that it's "wrong" for couples to be separated even for a night.

I went to a memorial service yesterday, too. An acquaintance who used to go to our church passed away unexpectedly this week. I need to remember to bring Kleenex to these things. I'm glad I went--hearing the words of close family and friends gave me more insight and appreciation of this person. While I was sympathetic to her, I was glad to see he had had a girlfriend at the time of his passing. One of the main themes of his life during the time I knew him was looking for a woman. He so wanted to have a meaningful romantic relationship. Something revealed during his sister's sharing that I hadn't known was that he had suffered from bipolar disorder. While I wouldn't have guessed, I wasn't totally surprised. A lot of the tributes to him talked about his compassion and kindness. It seems like God used his own struggles to help him have a heart for the struggle of others.

On a happier note it was fun to go out with my sister and old roommate to hear some live music on the Lower East Side. We went to hear a singer called Ingrid Michaelson (www.ingridmichaelson.com) whose song The Way I Am, was played on a recent episode of Grey's Anatomy. Apparently, many other viewers liked the song, too. It was crazy packed. We fit the three of us on one chair (one with a half cheek, one sitting, another on their lap). It was a cold night and it's times like those when I wish I could just hop into a cab instead of take the long ride home (subways don't run very frequently late at night...though I'm thankful they run 24/7).

I'm hosting a bridal shower tomorrow...for a bride getting married this Saturday (all kind of last-minute!). Instead of a cake I ordered these cupcakes from Crumbs (they had them at the baby shower I blogged about in January). Of course I had to resample them before I decided to put in an order. :)

I stayed in today and even missed a birthday dinner for one of the nephews. I think I'm coming down with a cold. :(