The warmth at the bottom

The taste of soup is still in my mouth. Starchy, warm, sweet from the cheese. The feeling of soup is in my belly. Full, languid, content. Another weekend has ended in a satisfying manner. The time at Manray was short but entertaining, light on the dancing but heavy on the talking with and hugging of friends. Never take for granted the value of friendship. A good, mutually respectful friend is worth more than a night in the sack. There are many flavors to friendship. There's the camaraderie of people you throw dice with (where I finally broke my losing streak on Saturday). There's the giving and receiving of favors, the long talks with different points of view but shared values and respect. The glow of an evening fueled by home-made sushi, Strongbow and plum wine, and a really entertaining anime series, selected episodes that our host knew we would appreciate. Lastly, there's picking up the threads of friendships and weaving them anew. Good friendships are ones you can come back to, when the world conspires to keep them apart.

And after all this, I get to start at my real job again. Life tastes pretty sweet and filling now.

Like the taste of soup.