This was a fun but busy weekend. Friday was Dena’s 30th birthday and our 4th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful dinner at Luigi’s (fabulous Italian food) and a quiet evening, followed by a visit to the in-laws for some more Italian cuisine. We even went to watch the the semi-final football game from my old high school.

Sunday was a good day to rest, theoretically. I had enough work I needed to do that I don’t feel rested. In fact, I wish I had another weekend to catch up on my sleep. I guess I’ll just have to be content with the fact that this is the week of Thanksgiving. Four-day weekends are always nice. Hopefully I’ll get caught up on all my work and make some progress writing-wise.

Unfortunately, clouds obscured the sky last night, making a viewing of the return of the Leonids next to impossible. At least it was warm enough that the falling precipitation was rain and not snow. Winter is coming fast this year. We had our first snowfall over the weekend, but it melted quickly.

I finally succumb to this sinus infection that had been looming for weeks. I tried to ignore it. When that failed, I ignored it some more. I’m sure the rapid changes in the weather played a roll. It’s moving into my chest now. I bit the bullet and called in sick today. I’m doped full of cold medicine. wrapped in blankets and watching Law and Order reruns on TiVo. Ugh.

Several years ago a small coffee shop called the Greatful Heart graced the downtown of Geneva, IL. It did so before such things were trendy — long before Starbucks decided to open up a franchise a block away and drive them out of business. It was the perfect sort of place to spend a few hours lost in thought, well-lit with dim corners to hide in.

At the time, I was working two blocks away. It was convienient to stop by for lunch or dinner, or just to hang out with a hot chocolate or steaming cup of tea. One of the things I liked about that place was the casual and fun attitude. They had stacks of notebooks at each table where you could sit and read or write. Best of all, there was only a few people in there at a time, and after awhile they became familiar faces.

I realized today how much fun that little place was, and how much I miss it. There’s plenty of Starbucks and the like around, but nothing that matches the ambiance of that little place that I still think fondly of in my greatful heart.