Today could have been not so good. It had all the potential in the world to be below average. But in the end, things lined up so that this potential could never gather and organize itself against me.

So what made the day so good? Well, it was a perfect combination of the mundane and the special. This morning I did battle with my clogged bathroom drains and beat them into submission. Then I cleaned my kitchen, which predictably made my entire house feel clean, and rewarded myself with an hour and a half on the couch with tea and the episodes of “24” and “Hell’s Kitchen” that I’d missed this week (yay for TV shows that are available online!). I called and caught up with my brother for a while, learning that he an his wife are in the process are rescuing a small flock of pigeons and possibly a horse this week. I’m so glad that they rescue animals, but so amused at the thought of pigeons needing rescuing.

It was about at this point in my day that I realized I haven’t felt this normal in weeks, and after last week’s difficulty the contrast was especially stark and wonderful. It is such a luxury to decide what I want to do based on my actual preferences rather than my energy level. For the rest of the day I’d catch myself smiling at random moments simply because I no longer felt persistently crummy. Walking to the car without being aware of every step, conversing with ease, imagining a new recipe and looking forward to the process of cooking it as well as the meal itself, actually being hungry at normal times… it was as if I’d been transported back in time about 14 months.

But now I’m ahead of myself. I spent part of the afternoon at the local coffee shop, met a couple of great people, read some of a great book, and then went off with a friend to see Coraline (in enchanting 3D). What fun!! And for dinner I improvised with steak, mushrooms, onions, and red wine, and it turned out gloriously.

So all in all, I’d call today a success. I think I’ll go to bed early in hopes that tomorrow will be even half as energetic. But first, I’ll indulge in my favorite evening pass-time: book plus laptop plus cat plus tea. Or maybe I’ll have a glass of the wine I used in my dinner.