Revisiting Old Friends

{Lucy loves a good window spot.}

Week of November 11, 2013:

Monday: Bike commute to work

Tuesday: Evening run.  34 minutes total, 25 minutes running

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Morning walk with Paul and Lulu the dog + Bike commute to work and wine night with friends

Friday: Off

Saturday: Another run!  34 minutes total, 20 minutes running + Bike ride to hippie food store

Sunday:  LONG RUN!  55 minutes total, 40 minutes running

Estimated mileage: 11 miles. Total minutes: 123.

I had an amazing weekend!  It was fun overload, and I regret nothing.  Friday night, Paul and his dance partner Leah had a performance, so I tagged along for moral support.  Afterward, Paul, Leah, Leah’s husband Ryan, Leah’s brother Ryan, Ryan’s partner Lauren, and I went out for some good eats.  (Yes, you read that right: we had two Ryans with us.  There seems to be a natural law such that Leah attracts Ryans into her life.)  First we stopped by The Chocolate Gallery, where we sampled gelato and bought a few treats.  Then we hopped across the street and ate dinner at Caffe Capri, which I think is my new favorite dinner spot in downtown Bryan.  It’s a carbfest for sure with all the pasta and bread, but oh, it is so delicious!  But check this out: one member of our group is dealing with some issues and is on a restricted diet.  I worried about taking her to Caffe Capri, but they had an entrée with salmon and vegetables that was perfect for her.  We had to send it back once because it arrived with cheese on top, but our server was very gracious about helping us.  Best of all, we spent the entire meal laughing, telling stories and jokes.  Paul and I wanted to spend some time with Leah and her husband, so I was really happy that we had the chance to enjoy an evening together.  The six of us had a blast.

On Saturday night, I went to a dinner party hosted by a friend of mine.  The food was amazing, and the company was entertaining.  I got into a heated intellectual argument with a libertarian-leaning man.  It’s funny: I don’t think we have opposing worldviews so much as we share no values, no common ground.  He’s a strict “let capitalism rule” and I think social justice is too important to throw all our fortunes into the marketplace, as though the marketplace is some magical land where all our problems will be solved.  Besides, we’re so far past the point of having a “free” marketplace that I don’t think we’re ever coming back.

ANYWAYS, Saturday night was fun, and even my libertarian companion and I found a few topics that we could discuss without my wanting to yell at him for being a douchebag.  And Sunday, I went out for a long run, huffed and puffed, then rushed back so I could tutor students in the afternoon.  My tutoring sessions went well, and I was happy with the results.

One of my favorite moments of the weekend was a surprise visit I made to Brazos Natural Foods.  I decided to zip down there on my bike to pick up a few ingredients to make brownies, and I found a long-lost friend working the register!  My friend Jeremy moved away from the area several years ago, and I was sad to see him leave.  We always chatted and laughed at BNF, and sometimes I’d see him on campus and we’d wave hello and smile.  We weren’t best friends or anything like that, but seeing him always lifted my spirits.  And he gave me a hug once when I was having a really, really bad day, and that memory has stayed with me.  Jeremy has moved back to Bryan/College Station to be near his family, and I am so happy he’s here again.

Another old friend I visited on Saturday is the country road between where I live and Brazos Natural Foods.  I know it sounds like such a small thing, biking down a road that I love, but it made me happy.  Familiar roads are part of what make a town home for me, and I have missed biking on Rosemary Drive.

Little things make me happy.  So do long runs, even if I huff and puff.  (But no houses were blown down.)

Happy new week, friends!