Apart from Husband decamping to the Poconos house this weekend to go throw some logs around the property, I couldn’t have dreamed up a better 3-day weekend. Even the weather was perfect, handily taking my mood from cheerful and amenable to happy and content.
After my run on Friday morning, I went out to see my 93-year old Nana, who let me do her laundry, turn her mattress, load the dishwasher and give her a manicure. When I first got there, I sat on the carpet at her feet as she told me about all the visitors she’s had over the past couple of weeks. She fed me fried chicken, salad and blueberries. Then I came back to Queens to meet my dearest friend, authoress CB, for a 2-hour lunch at the Aubergine Cafe.
I celebrated the Fourth of July with friend my one of my oldest friends, PP, and his husband, as well as other friends at The Pines on Fire Island for the Invasion of the Pines. It was the perfect day to be milling around by the harbor, with warm sun, a light breeze, and thousands of gorgeous men (okay so most of them were gay but they still qualified as eye candy). I had a couple of Greyhounds in me already by the time the queens pulled in on the ferry around 2 PM, and when my friend tried to cut me off by grabbing me around the waist to keep me from heading back to the bar he exclaimed, “Damn girl you got some tight abs!” Ooh I could have kissed him. Of course you can’t see a single muscle when I’m standing there in my bikini but they are there! I got a total kick out of being the lone straight female of our group—it was liberating, which is ironic since I was surely the minority in the village. Everyone was in such a fun, party mood, it was just what the doctor ordered (that being: full-on, middle-of-the-day drunkenness).
Sunday I woke up so completely rested, giddy with the knowledge that I didn’t have to head into the office. I set out on a no-expectations 4-mile run, only wanting to make it back in under 40 minutes. The air was fresh and cool, even the hotness of the sun felt great (especially as I was sporting my new Tifosi sunglasses and didn’t have to squint). I ended up averaging 9:08’s, with the final mile completed in 8:29. My heart was pounding (175 bpm! I definitely need to get my ticker back into shape) but it was so thrilling to push the pace and talk myself through the hard effort until I finally clicked Little G off after 4.04 miles and 36:51 mintes. Ah!
Home for a quick shower, then on the 7 train three stops to Woodside train station for the LIRR to Long Beach, where I bobbed in the waves, napped and zoned out for five hours. Whenever I stand at that shoreline, walk along that boardwalk, or gaze out at the surf every cell in my body recognizes I’ve come home, and releases every bit of tension and sadness. It’s impossible for me to be anything other than joyful when I’m staring at the Atlantic Ocean from a Long Island beach. I finally made it back to my apartment that evening, sunburned and languid. Even though it stung a little bit all day today beneath my dress, my sunburn reminded me of my excellent weekend.
I’m glad to hear you had a fun and relaxing weekend…I beached it, too, but mine was on an inland lake, since I’m too far from any ocean. 😦 But there was still sun, sand, and water. And I plowed my way through half of “New Moon” (Twilight series). Nothing like a little escapist fiction. The only thing missing was midday drunkenness…I didn’t have enough ingredients for a Nalgene bottle of “special water” (aka vodka plus whatever). 🙂
Hi girlie, nice weekend you had there! Plus another awesome run!! I need to pick up the pace too!!!
See ya later!
Sounds like a perfectly good weekend to me. I’ve been racing nearly every weekend since April, but sometimes it’s nice to just go out on the weekend to run for the shear joy of it.
Glad to see that you had a good Fourth of July.
Sounds like fun. Those weekend excursions out of the city during the summer are so necessary in order to maintain sanity.
I’m sorry- I am still stuck in the second paragraph. Can I PLEEEEEEASE borrow your Nana? Mine just swore and chainsmoked
Sure you can borrow her! She has mellowed and sweetened in her old age.