That must have been the vibe I was giving off last night as I went for a late evening run. I had skipped Thursday’s run because I was really tired and wanted a break. Last night I was tempted to skip again but thought about it and realized that I have a half marathon coming up in exactly one month. Fun. The upside to running last night during dusk was the lower temperature and calm breezes. The downside was the swarm of mosquitoes that must have been holding on to my legs as I ran. I can feel the itching as I type this entry and have paused a few times already to do the ceremonial scratching that brings a millisecond of relief before itching again. Double fun.

Getting in last night, I washed up, had some chocolate kisses, and put on a movie to watch: Dolores Claiborne, the fantastic 1995 film featuring Kathy Bates and her infamous defiance against the odds. I like her no-nonsense attitude that comes from what was a difficult life as a hard working wife and mother who tried her best to survive an abusive and alcoholic husband. She is an independent woman who suddenly, in the midst of being accused of murder, is forced to resume a relationship with her estranged daughter who left town as fast she could to become a reporter in New York City. The movie is about relationships, the struggle of reconciliation, dealing with the past, and fighting to look to the future.

I like Dolores’ chutzpah and bravado. I had to look online for the exact wording, but these are two of my favorite retorts that Dolores shares, the first with a detective who is bent on getting her in jail:

Now, you listen to me, Mr. Grand High Poobah of Upper Buttcrack, I’m just about half-past give a shit with your fun and games.

And the other is in conversation with her daughter when she shares how hard she has worked all her life and, looking down, she says:

If you wanna know what kind of life a person had, just look at their hands.

Very true.