Slow day or slower days?

It's late so today's blog is going to be brief - which is fitting because we really didn't do too much today. I had an exasperating morning at the grocery, which was extremely crowded, and where I received my first parking ticket despite the fact that the grocery "parking attendant" told me to park in the place where I got the ticket. Shit!

But I did pick up some fresh Branzino (whole fish) on "offerta" (sale) which made for a delicious dinner.

Otherwise, Josh and I strolled around a northeast neighborhood where we bought a present for a birthday party that Olivia subsequently refused to go to. Also, Josh scored some oatmeal in a natural products store (it's nowhere to be found at the grocery stores). The small joys in life! We also bought farro pasta at the same store. Since we're eating a lot of pasta, there might as well be something healthful in it.

It rained this afternoon for a bit, so for the first time, I actually had a nap and read a book IN THE AFTERNOON! What a supreme luxury. Eight months after "retiring" from my firm, for the first time I am actually feeling retired. Unlike in Chicago, the days here are unscheduled and we wake up and decide what we feel like doing. Why is that happening here? Moreover, why was that not the case for the past 6 months in Chicago. Is my life really slowing down as I had hoped? Or is this just temporary? We'll see. But so far, living in the present and not in a constant state of motion, planning for the future, is a welcome change.