5/23/2013. - Day 58 - What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Um...buy flowers I can't keep alive and hang out with finely aged souls. How's that?

5/23/2013. - Day 58 - What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Um...buy flowers I can't keep alive and hang out with finely aged souls. How's that?

Thursday and Lana and I have plans for lunch with her friends, Sharon and Norma Jean. My
grandparents' friends are all sort of my friends now, as I have grown to know and appreciate each of them dearly as a part of my grandparents' life, and thus increasingly a part of my life as well. Oddly, my friends in Duluth are disproportionately of the retired population, which I am more comfortable with anyway. That age group no longer cares about status quo, fitting in or pretending to be someone they're not, and they don't fix their hair to go to the gym or do yard work. They just live. They are themselves in a pure and genuine form and I appreciate that. I have little filter and am horrible at deception unless it's in the spirit of a surprise party. I'm at home with their friend group, and enjoy time with them immensely.

After lunch, Lana and I prepared for a trek to the greenhouse, much to the dismay of my grandfather. He said something about "every year she brings more plants home" under his breath as we left.

The greenhouse was glorious, featuring multiple buildings filled with fragrant plants. I have a weakness for beautiful plants and often try to take them home in hopes that they will stay in that form. Unfortunately, they never last. I'm actually horrible at caring for plants. Even the most basic elude my efforts, with the exception of one plant I received from my elderly neighbor at my previous apartment building. I'm fairly certain she brought it up to get a foot in the door and case the place out, as well as report back to the others on my demeanor. But that thing won't die. I have no idea what it is, but it won't die. My mom and sisters are caring for it in my absence as I now feel compelled to keep it for it as long as it will have me.

Lana and I walk up and down the aisles and admire all the choices at our fingertips. We have brought my pickup as there is more room in there for pretties than in the CRV. Lana was not initially certain we should put things that shed dirt into the pickup and I assured her that is what the vehicle is for. It's for doing man's work, and this is man's work. And with that we loaded up our selections, plus one little guy I have adopted. Fingers crossed.

Later that evening we went to The Great Gatsby. I was obsessed. The era, the parties, all of it. I love it. I told Lana we should have a party like that someday, with people jumping into the pool in gowns and glitter flying everywhere. We will probably have to discuss it more. Grandpa will not be on board.

The sun sets on another day [in paradise]. Worries creep in now and then as my freedom and the open road draw to a close. In a few short days I will be home, and I will have to begin planning to be a real adult again.