soundbytes of a good life

There is this woman that works on the same floor as me. I don’t know her name. I have never seen her face. If we passed each other in the hallway I’d have no idea that she is the one who catches my attention these days. What’s her allure? Well, she seems incredibly … happy. How so? She lets out the loudest, most uncontrollable belly laughs in the quietest moments of our cubicle environment – and she doesn’t give a damn who hears her.

Maybe it’s the holiday spirit that’s subtly creeping into all corners, fuzzy-walled or not, of our lives. I don’t know. But while some people may find the sudden sound annoying, I really like it.

Last night I went out to dinner with a girlfriend from my former job. The Blue Pearl, located in downtown New Haven, Connecticut, is all about enjoying the artsy ambience, good friends, and great fondue. Even though parking was a dark and slushy nightmare, it didn’t matter. There are more important things to worry about and this night was going to be all about enjoying the good life. We had two priorities: indulge and relax. Plain and simple.

We ordered chilled Conundrum – you have to try it – and the large surf and turf plate with chipotle hollandaise sauce. Then we got to stabbing our dinner and sitting back in our trendy chairs. Time was the last thing on our minds and while we talked and tasted and talked some more, we were able to catch up on her wedding plans, our Christmas travels, our families, our love lives, our work lives, and everything else in between. And just when we were about to surrender our dinner skewers, we opted to order dessert instead. Imagine this: fresh strawberries, pineapple, bananas, Lady Fingers, marshmallows, banana bread, and Rice Krispie squares being dipped in rich Venetian espresso and semi-sweet chocolate … Honestly, all will power is thrown out the door when a masterpiece like that is placed in front of you.

The candlelight danced upon the retro-colored walls as the few people there sincerely basked in the company they kept. Our waitress casually refilled our oversized wine glasses. Our heads bobbed to the upbeat music that gently swirled around us like a light winter’s snow (or wait – maybe that was the wine?). Either way, we found ourselves laughing the loudest, most uncontrollable belly laughs in the quietest moments of our dimly-lit environment – and we didn’t give a damn who heard us.