GOOD OL' BARFTIME.

For the first time since he's been in Australia, Jesse and I were able to video chat this evening (his morning)! We spent a good twenty minutes talking and not until after did I realize that it was the 27th of February. Six years ago we had our first date! Hooray! As I head to bed, the thought makes me smile even though he's halfway across the globe.

Also, this was the last screenshot of our conversation. YOU'RE WELCOME.

Thinking sorrow was perfection.

I've just hit the time where it's hardest to be away from Jesse. I'm usually pretty good right after he leaves, but there always comes a lull a few days later and my heart sinks just a little bit. This morning he e-mailed me from Seoul, Korea where he was boarding a flight to Brisbane, Australia. Australia has always been a bit of a black spot for the mechanics of our long-dstance relationship since there is a 15 hour time difference and the internet situation there is usually spotty and at hotels very expensive. I'm attempting to keep positive and have high hopes for better communication this go-round. Yet I still remember the time Jesse walked around for an hour in the oppressive heat of Melbourne trying to find an internet cafe so we could talk.

His time in Japan has been good; I know it's one of his favorite countries, and the internet is plentiful! I'm not sure that word is the right descriptor, but even with the 14 hour time difference we were able to e-mail in my morning while he was finishing up a show and video chat when I got home from work and he was waking up in a hotel. Last night we video chatted twice, it was great! Pee Wee joined lazily the second time as he napped in my lap.

Jesse will be having a great time in Australia playing shows and catching up with old friends. Tonight he's going to a Metallica-hosted BBQ - how strange and fun! I'll busy myself by preparing for my annual Oscar-viewing party and making my Oscar predictions... I mean, I'm not saying I'm jealous of his lifestyle, but maybe I am...just a little?

Analog time.

During these winter months, Jesse noticed that sometimes when we don't have a busy schedule we have a routine of being sucked into our electronics while sitting next to each other. He'll be playing a video game while I go through my RSS feeds on my computer. We are spending time together, but without any interaction. Jesse decided we should start having 'analog time' where we hang out without our electronics -- like playing card games. We've done this the past two days and it's been pretty great. We put on music and have conversations while I beat him in rummy (okay, we are tied currently). I even suggested we only listen to records as part of the 'analog' theme. Future analog fun may include cooking meals together (joke: we have a gas stove, not an electric one! second joke: us, cooking) and backgammon.

Today: tie-breaking our current Rummy 500 tournament and a screening of Lincoln afterwards. Finally.

Ice breaks on the concrete in the city street.

Today we took down the Christmas tree. I took some final fun photos of our blue and gold decorations, and then Jesse decided to decorate me. Like he does.

Our place looks a lot more empty now.

I kinda think that you get ideas too.

Exactly one week before Christmas I woke up with a sore throat. This is nothing unusual, since I am known in my family as the one who is always sick during holidays. However, two weeks and one day later and I am still sick.

The way Jesse got me to go to the doctor's today was with what may or may not have been a 'pep talk' last Friday night. I had just come back from seeing (a blurry version what with of all the tears gushing from my eyes) The Impossible and we went to a neighborhood restaurant to eat. I did the cough thing I'd been doing and he gave me husband-concerned-face and we discussed how my never-ending sore throat could be tonsilitis. I was like, yeah, maybe, that's fine, whatever, I'm not contagious and I don't have a fever. And then he stops eating and his voice got really low and he says, "you know, you could die from that. You can die from any infection."

Thanks, husband!

So I cough-coughed on the way into the doctor's office today and I don't have strep throat but, hey, let's send away a lab test anyway. The doctor ruled out tonsilitis, but was concerned I may have some sort of 'superinfection' in my throat. Yes, that was the word she used. Superinfection.

Of course when I texted the husband about my supposed diagnosis he goes, "Your Super! Power!" Being sick is my super power, you guys. Don't be jealous.

The good news is that right after that my friend Sean texted me that Baz Luhrmann had stopped him on the street to say hi and that this was something he thought I would enjoy. He was right and I spent the rest of the wait time for my prescription thinking about how to harness the potential of this acquaintance into a dinner with Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor. Maybe Jesse can come too if he can hold back the morbid comments on my health.

I should note that the picture above was my only view in the tiny exam room. And that said husband gave me the Diane von Furstenberg purse for Christmas. Maybe I'll keep him and all his jokes after all.