Wii and weather

We're officially moved in now, because I set up the Wii and played some Guitar Hero. I thought Greg would be surprised to see me playing when he came downstairs after finishing some work. But it turns out that across the house and up one story he could hear "Rock Me Like a Hurricane" and me yelling, "Dammit! Piece of shit game!" and he figured out what I was doing.

In other news, I raked up leaves in the yard today. Ellie jumped in them and we both rolled around and inhaled the smell of leaves and laid down in the pile like it was a bed and stared up at the blue sky. And, you know, California is a beautiful place with rolling hills and mountains and huge redwood forests and a magnificent ocean. But there are few things in this world more beautiful than the midwest in the fall.

In February, Californians will be waggling their bums at us as they break out their bikes and tear off their jackets while we're still scraping ice. But they don't get a day like today. They don't get impossibly bright red and orange and yellow leaves standing against the deepest blue sky and perfect temperatures and a breeze that moves so softly that it feels like a hug. In the 10 years I lived in California, I never felt a day like today. Today it felt like the universe conspired to bring perfect joy to every part of me and all it asked was that I open the front door.