HAPPINESS

Have I mentioned how much I love Laurence? If I haven't said so lately, let me say so now. I am so fortunate to have found such a good friend. I really needed to have someone like him around right now.

Anyway, backing up.

Last night I went to dinner with my friends Sarah and Martin, and then we went out to see this jazz quintet at a pub. I have decided that one can talk about jazz all day long, and about all of the different classifications of it, but I think it really breaks down into two types: the kind that sounds like people have gone to Berkeley and studied jazz, a sort of "academic" sound, and the kind that sounds like it comes from the streets.

These guys were the kind of academic jazz. Most of the musicians were not bad, but the piano player was out of this world. Absolutely fantastic. We had a great time, although there was this terribly annoying couple sitting right in front of the band, and spending the evening talking *over* the band. I mean, in order to hear one another over the band, they were practically shouting. I wanted to smack them, but instead we glared at them, and neither one ever turned around to benefit from our wrath. Unfortunately.

I was a little self-conscious because recently a friend told me that I am so friendly that she's sure I've made many friends over here already. So there was this moment when the barkeep was chatting me up when I realized that I had been talking to this complete stranger for about 15 minutes, and I was suddenly just self-aware. Oh, well. When I got back to the table, Martin made some comment to Sarah about how the cute bartender had been hitting on me, and I realized that I have no idea what's considered "cute" over here. Not that I'd probably notice anyway; I had obviously not noticed the barkeep's looks.

Anyway, I ended up almost fainting in the tube station on the way home. I was really worried for a moment there, because I came terribly, terribly close to losing consciousness and I was rushing to catch the last train.

I'm an idiot.

So I've spent most of the day today with Laurence, which was really nice because I can't tell you how much I needed it. We started out walking through Covent Garden, and then we ended up going to this house that had been built by and lived in by this famous architect, and he had collections of various paintings and architectural elements inside, and all in all it was just a fabulous place. Then we went to a pub and spent hours and hours talking and laughing; everything from serious conversations about religion to silly conversations about the downfalls of living with roommates. We walked around for ages after that, and ended up in the British Museum, and then walked and talked some more, and then eventually parted.

It was such a nice day. I have had such a lovely time, and the wind was blowing, but it was warm, and it was just wonderful and happy.

I think there's a reason my best friends are always gay men.