Instead of going to Trotter’s or La Recova for dinner on Saturday night we decided our Valentine’s budget would be better spent spending the night at a hotel in Merida. For the price of a good meal with wine and all the trimmings we got a great night’s sleep far from the dust and dogs and dampness of our under-construction-again little cottage. There was no sand in the bed and breakfast was delivered to our door. We always have a lovely stay at the Intercontinental and this mini break came up just in time.

We may or may not have told you, but we are prisoners in our bedroom. Out there as we speak albaniles are covering our entire house in polvo; it’s loud and messy work (for them). When it is done our house is going to be about 77% more aweseome and we are looking forward to it. Right now however, we are one more concentric circle in on ourselves: from working out in the world we moved to a tiny office of our very own; then into our house where wireless allows me to usually move freely from deck, to bed, to couch, to dining room table, and wherever while typing; and finally we are huddled in our bedroom, closer than ever.

All of our belongings are in here with us of course. There are books under the bed and DVDs in the closet and clothes in the bathroom sink. We eat, work, watch movies and sleep within these walls. It’s dorm living without the tapestries, second hand love seats, Jello Biafra spoken word, T.S. Eliot term papers and instant oatmeal. You know what? I might use a hot plate or a hallogen lamp. Who’s gonna stop me? I’d stay up all night writing poetry and drinking from a jug of wine, if I didn’t get so sleepy by 10:30. It’s tight but not unpleasant. We have air conditioning, we have headphones, and I am lolling on the bed. Not so bad really.

But a brief escape was necessary and so we fled. 24 sweet hours ensconced in hotel luxuries. With the Ambassador card we are entitled to late check out (4pm), snacks and wine at cocktail hour and a continental breakfast in the club room. That’s good livin. We had cheese and crackers and chocolate and fruit for dinner and slept like kings in the oversized bed. The next morning we enjoyed poached eggs while watching Sunday Morning and then I went for a swim-lite in the small but pretty courtyard pool.

A walk on the Paseo, a bubble bath, a People magazine, and we were nearly healed. It was a celebration of simple pleasures. In years past we have gone to great restaurants, on trips and labored over craft projects as declarations of our love. There has been candy and flowers. I have written valentines and Malcolm made a macaroni heart in the shape of a J. We’re pretty romantic fellows. But this year, amid the chaos of construction and the plethora of plans our minds needed nothing more than rest. Just us is enough and a change of scenery reminds us to love as laugh as often as we do. We are very lucky.

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