A Perfect Day

What would be on your list of things that would make for your perfect day?

Here’s mine for now. You can have a perfect day whenever you like.

Morning

Sage

This part is a no-brainer. It would start off between 1:30-3:00. This is the time Sage (my cat) has deemed it best to eat breakfast. I prepare his breakfast the evening before.

This way all I have to do when he starts annoyingly meowing in the wee hours is walk to the kitchen refrigerator and place his food on the table and right back to bed I go. I’m working on a plan to change this behavior. It’s pretty bad.

So on a perfect morning, he wouldn’t bother me until I got out of bed when I wanted to.

Writing

I enjoy writing early in the morning while Paul and the dogs are still sleeping. It’s dark outside. In my jammies and covered with my throw, mini iPad in my lap with knees bent, Coke Zero beside me. Maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours before Paul starts to stir. So far the perfect day.

Morning ritual

This wouldn’t change much except I would pass on feeding the dogs and taking them outside for their morning routine.

Paul and I would do a little visiting and catch up on the news.

My day

I would get back in bed and read or write for an hour or so. Then I would go to the gym. Any perfect day includes the gym — one reason being Lisa and I could get our friend time in. Also feels great to get the blood circulating.

Afternoon

Lunch

A perfect lunch would be a get-together with my childhood friends at Cherokee Country Club. I used to work for an attorney who was a member there.

We would go there almost every Secretary’s Day and birthdays. I think the place sublime.

They serve just the right portion sizes so you have room left to enjoy dessert without feeling stuffed. The place is just so understated. Definitely a less is more ambience to me. This is how I remember it anyway.

My friends would be having a grand time. We would all be so happy being together once again. Maybe my puppy love would be there. I never saw him again after we left Eminence.

He called a couple of times once I was in Tampa. Quite impressive seeing as how we had to pay for long distance calls then. We exchanged letters for awhile and then at some point we faded to black. Gosh, was I crazy about him.

He was three years older than I was. I was 13 and he was 16. He drove a dark green Ford Mustang. There was little to do in Eminence.

We did school things. We occasionally went to the drive-in six miles away. I’m still shaking my head in disbelief that Mother allowed me to go. I would never let my 13-year-old daughter date — at least back then. For all I know, it could be commonplace now.

Museum and Ballet

After lunch, I would bid my friends farewell. I would catch a first class flight to New York. My first stop would be the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Right now there’s an exhibition of Dutch Masterpieces. It would be nice to learn more about Vermeer and Van Gogh. The Girl with the Pearl Earring is the most notable painting I have seen live (it’s also a great book by Tracy Chevalier), but my heart belongs to van Gogh.

I’ll have to save my trip to Italy to see David for my next perfect day. Same goes for the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

As long as I am in New York for part of my perfect day, I would take in a ballet matinee. I would see Swan Lake because I am familiar with the music, but on a perfect day I wouldn’t have to be familiar with the music. Silly me.

In between the museum and the ballet, I would have a massage, perhaps at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa. Perhaps not.

I just learned when Covid struck, Red Door shuttered its doors and filed for bankruptcy. In its heyday, it was the place to go. There’s probably another “it” place now I could go to.

The only reason I knew about it was because of an attorney I once worked for. He was newly-married. Maybe it was an anniversary or some occasion — or no occasion. He wanted to take his bride to New York for the experience. It was Christmastime. Ah, Christmas in New York.

I reserved their room at The Ritz. He had planned things that would keep them busy.

She went to the Arden Spa one day. Another, he arranged for her to have her hair coiffed by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ hairdresser, remember “Kenneth?”

To me the most interesting part of their trip was getting in to see The Phantom of the Opera. This show was sold out and booked up forever practically.

It was at its height of popularity, which ran a long time. So naturally when I called for tickets, there were none to be had.

I told my boss no tickets were available. He told me to call the concierge at The Ritz to see what they could do. Within an hour or so, they obtained two tickets.

He paid at least twice the price of the already expensive tickets. It pays to stay at a place with a concierge.

The Phantom of the Opera has been playing on Broadway for 31 years. After the break from Covid, it is resuming October 22.

Library

Since I’m in New York, I would stop by the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue. Would have to take pictures of the lions.

The lions are a big part of the Library, its logo actually. They are named Patience and Fortitude. Through the years they have had many nicknames. In the 1930s, Mayor LaGuardia gave them the names they have now.

He did this for the people. He thought these words would resonate with the people during the depressing economic times.

Now that I have learned that the Library of Congress is the biggest library in the world, I would go there.

While in Washington, D.C., I would stop by Arlington Cemetery to revisit the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I’d stop by the World War II Memorial as well. I have not seen this.

Early evening

Beach

Naturally, any perfect day includes time spent on a beach, alone. Arrive maybe an hour or so before sunset. A glass of champagne in hand.

Sitting comfortably on the edge of the water in a low to the ground lounge chair with cushions. My hands and feet dangling in the salt water, contemplating and reflecting — possibly reliving what all I had done on my perfect day.

I can’t decide which beach I would be parked on. Clearwater Beach before it became popular? Hilton Head where we honeymooned? Or, Grayton Beach State Park where we have visited many times through the years? All great beaches to revisit on a perfect day.

Dinner

By now, Paul has joined me. We would dine at a restaurant known for its mouth-watering filet mignon, medium. Parker House rolls, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.

No appetizer, but probably some sort of gin cocktail, maybe a Tom Collins. Gin is my favorite spirit, although it’s been awhile since I’ve imbibed. It can be wicked.

Since it’s a perfect day, dessert would be in order. I would have a piece of German chocolate cake like my Aunt Meanie used to make. If we weren’t out in such a fancy restaurant, I would probably ask for a glass of milk to go with it — I think I will anyway.

Nighttime

Paul and I would be chauffeured to our humble abode on streets with no traffic in a Rolls Royce. I was in a Rolls once and it was a smooth and quiet ride — a story for another time.

I would get a Coke, Paul perhaps a beer, and sit on the porch rocking in my wicker rocker thinking about the day. Paul and I would visit. The dogs by our side. I would look up at the stars and thank the heavens for giving me this perfect day.

Paul and I would kiss good-night and look forward to our imperfect tomorrow.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Did you know?
The opposite of paranoia is pronoia. A person suffering from pronoia feels that people or entities around them are plotting to do them good. http://www.factretriever.com

October National Observances
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Bullying Prevention Month
I’m Just Me Because Month

Sources
http://www.us.thephantomoftheopera.com
http://www.broadway.com
http://www.loc.gov
http://www.nypl.org