We saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Saturday night. It's a great film, certainly Kaufman's best ever, in that he's finally gotten beyond his own infatuation with high concepts and begun to reach for some emotional truth (in addition to having a high concept, of course). Jim Carrey did a laudable job of disappearing into his role, so that for long stretches of the film I forgot about his habitual goofball posturings, and Kate Winslet was a revelation whose character rang quite true for me. It was serious, and funny, and odd, and clever, and visually interesting. Definitely worth my $10.

Before the movie, Heather and I had dinner with Susan at Drunken Fish, which was fun, as always. I like it when good writing-type things happen to me. It's a great excuse to go eat sushi.

I've been goofing off all night, and continue to do so, more or less. I have a big to-do list, lots of looming deadlines (for my last issue of Star*Line, for book reviews, for Flytrap production, for the Koontz essay), lots of fiction I could be working on (I need to revise Blood Engines, and finish typing "Life in Stone"; "Komodo" can wait, since it's being workshopped this weekend). But, instead, I play Grand Theft Auto, and loll on the couch, and nap, and read Humpty Dumpty: An Oval. I'm having trouble focusing tonight and, since nothing is due tomorrow, I'm giving in to my inclinations and blowing the night off. I can be responsible tomorrow. Everything will get done.

It's amazing how little it takes to make me content. We went grocery shopping on Sunday, so there's plenty of food in the house, and good beer. The car has a full tank of gas, and just had an oil change, and is running well. My bills are all paid for the month. Our laundry is all done. Heather and I cleaned this weekend, so the house is nice and cozy. I feel wholly un-frazzled and at peace. All the little annoyances that gnaw at my sense of well-being are, for the moment, under control. It won't last, but for now: bask, bask.