  Lounging in the leather chair Im missed sitting in for the last month, the synthetic groove of Mum and Sigur Ros sounding better than ever, bringing with each song the vivid memories of London and Bolzano strong enough to send chills through me. Somehow the memories are more troubling and anxious than I would think appropriate for my little sojourns to Europe over the past couple of years. Must be the burdensome beauty in the music that seems too tragic and heavy to allow for any enraptured release to come from my recollections.
And the release is what Im after today. Feeling fussy, a little too worried for what the circumstances warrant. Maybe a change of song, a change of tone. Ive a mind to spend the day burning CDs and reading for fun, casting off my homework responsibilities for the weekend. Find a comfortable spot in the grass and surrender to the day, stop my attempts to manage the moment with doing. The Jared Diamond books making their way around the family and now to me. Been meaning to get to Guns, Germs, and Steel for months now. And then theres Benedict Andersons Imagined Communities that I wish I had in my arsenal for use in papers for school - and my general knowledge base for that matter. A bit more heady than casual afternoon reading usually calls for. I might as well capitalise on the push to educate myself before the lull of late afternoon robs me of my drive to engage.
A brief but intense workout at the gym. Anger building, seemingly from nowhere, sapping my endurance and sending me into a premature state of exhaustion. So some more sit-ups and a long, indulgent stretching session as I hummed quietly to myself and shut out the discontent. Must be the release of endorphins and the moving of lingering chemicals that stockpile in a static body that caused such a reaction.
Yet it didnt happen during yesterdays sweat. Perhaps it was a touch of frustration showing itself for not keeping up on my regimen as I think I should. Living so far from my day-to-day routine threw me off. But now, now Ill pick up where I left off. Plans tonight for the pairing of wine and a grill over at Luis house. Our mutual friend, Chris, is moving across the country in a couple of weeks to get married and start a new life. Our collective mission in the mean time: drink as much good wine together as possible. Not the noblest of pursuits, but it sounds like the most logical course of action. Another one leaving. Troubling, but nothing compared to Amys departure. Maybe a nap sounds better than reading after all. Sleep. The cure-all. 
