Yesterday a coworker looked inquisitively at me and said, “You look like the cat that ate the canary. Someone is making you happy”. That woman has some strong and slightly scary powers of insight.

According to the Chinese horoscope, my good fortune should not be upon me until this Saturday. Well, I have been warranted an early release from chaos and have been granted the right of bliss. I am moving from the time entitled “Vulnerable” to that of “Glorious Breakthroughs”. It says that this is my month of transformation and all the changes are excellent. Apparently it only takes one look to know that the transformation has already begun!

The cat has found the someones and the somethings, in very unexpected places. Recently I’ve been at the Lexington BBQ Fest and wine tasting with great friends. I also kicked one of their asses in a rematch of travel Scrabble…that would be twice now. I’ve also been fortunate to hike up to MacRae Peak on Grandfather Mountain. Cables and ladders and wind, oh my. The views, the company, and the landscape was so well worth the pain in my knees the next day.

And then. And then there was Halloween. As everyone knows, this is the best day of the year for me. I just love everything about it…and it really doesn’t matter if it is spent by throwing a huge drunken costume party or just quietly sitting on the porch with friends…drinking wine and passing out candy. I admit that I was unprepared for the awesomeness of this one. Memorable? Just call it infamous. Friends, food, Glogg, debauchery, a legendary gay nightclub, dancing, seeing 4a and thinking that too was awesome. Just awesome.

If that weren’t delightful enough, November entered my world with an extra hour of needed sleep and a smile on my face. That smile stayed all the way through to West Virginia and back…car finally came through, and the Iona plate has been reborn.

Yeah, you can call this cat happy…and I have someones to thank for that.