The day is gray and rainy. Good thing I have no errands so I can just hang around and do house stuff. Yesterday I had three errands including my eye exam, the last of the yearly doctors’ visits. Unless I break or tear something open, I don’t have to see another doctor until next year. I do need a cat scan on my back which has been really bad for the last couple of weeks. I’m still a pretzel when I walk. I had to turn down working the marathon this year. I knew it would be too much. The cat scan is next week.

I don’t know what has happened to spontaneity. When I was a kid, it ruled our lives. We had school all week and church on Sunday, but the rest of the time was there for us to do whatever we wanted, most times on the spurn of the moment. Mention doing something now and people pull out calendars, and it seems to take forever to find a mutually free day. I remember the doorbell ringing around 2 one morning. It was my friend and her husband. His first homegrown tomatoes were ripe, and they were inviting me right then and there for BLT’s. I ran upstairs and got dressed. Another time I heard honking, and I went outside to find out what was going on. A couple of my friends were there who said, “Let’s go!” I grabbed my bag and went. I didn’t even ask where. Part of the fun was not knowing.

My friends and I have these wonderful theme parties, but they have to be planned. What is Cowboy Day without the right ten gallon hat and chuck wagon food? No skulls to decorate for Day of the Dead? What are you thinking? Chinese New Year means chop sticks and the right decorations. You can’t use a tiger during the year of the pig. I love all our parties, but just once I’d like to knock on doors, wake up my friends and invite them to a surprise, but I don’t dare. I expect they’d be a bit unnerved at the door bell ringing and maybe even upset, annoyed or angry at the intrusion and at being woken up. Twenty years ago I wouldn’t have hesitated. We were all a lot more flexible back then and there was nothing neater than a surprise. Now the best thing is a good night’s sleep. That’s too bad. Surprises are great fun.