Simple Pleasures

Sometimes we forget that the simple things in life give us the most pleasure. This week was a long week for me. First I was getting out of a real deep funk from last weekend, then I spent most of the week counseling and disciplining some of my employees, then the rest of the time was spent in fixing problems.

After all of that, I came home on my trolley, I got to read my book for a good 25 minutes. Just a few minutes lost in someone else's world. Simple pleasures!

Then I picked up Rachel and headed over to the restaurant. We didn't even order food, Joel just brought out whatever he thought would be best. Simple pleasures!

Rachel and I spent the hour at the counter working on the crossword puzzle and almost finished it. Simple pleasures!

Robert volunteered to drive. Simple pleasures!

Rachel was going to the Homecoming Football Game at Nova High School. Then I had to pick up Adina at her girlfriend's house in Hollywood. Along the way, Robert and I felt like tourists looking at things along the way that we just never noticed before because instead of taking all highway, we took miscellaneous roads that we don't normally drive on. Simple pleasures!

Once we picked up Adina I suggested that we go to Jaxon's. Robert was floored at my suggestion because that would normally be a suggestion from Joel, not me! Once seated we chatted with the waitress and I found out that we shared the month of October with our birthdays and the sign Libra. So she brought out my ice cream with a sparkler as a candle and they rang the siren normally reserved for when someone orders the kitchen sink. Simple pleasures!

On the way back we picked up Rachel and headed bacl to the restaurant to pick up my car. Joel was STILL there cleaning up and rearranging stuff. Being alone in the restaurant, walkng down the long hallway where the restrooms are, I peek up at the photo of my mother in her uniform at the luncheonette in Far Rockaway (circa 1947). She is so young and innocent and not a wrinkle in her skin. Then I remind myself that today is her birthday. She would have been 80. Simple pleasures!

I am sure she is watching over me. Simple pleasures!