Valentine's Day, 2007

For me, this Valentine's Day marks the second anniversary of closing the purchase of my townhouse in Saxonville. A couple months later I moved in, after selling my house across town.

A couple years ago I was dating several women around this time. I had just had a divorce hearing a month before. Last year at this time I was in an on-and-off again relationship with an older woman. That came to an end last fall and I haven't dated since.

Today I got an email from a friend in Oklahoma whom I met through this blog just over 2 years ago. She flew out here to meet me and I flew there once to spend some time with her. We've stayed friends.

I started reading Cormac McCarthy last year around May. I've read most of his books now. I live 5 minutes walking distance from a library branch. They have a good selection of books, movies, tapes and CDs for a small branch. They only have three Cormac McCarthy books on hand, though. Doesn't matter. I don't mind buying McCarthy's books if I have to. But yesterday I picked up the third one I knew they had, which is "Cities of the Plain," the third in McCarthy's so-called "Border Trilogy" (referring literally to the border between the United States and Mexico, and figuratively between law and lawlessness, light and dark, wild and tame, etc.). I loved "All the Pretty Horses" and its prequel "The Crossing." I'm really looking forward to the sequel, wondering how McCarthy is going to expand and conclude the stories of John and Billy.

Valentine's Day really means nothing if you're not in a relationship. It's just another day. The first two years after divorce were hard but this one's easier by far. Just another day.