It was too good not to blog about this. My friend Debbie and I went for a bike ride on Sunday. First, she was about a half hour late because when she walked out to her bike to load it into her car to drive over here, her rear tire was flat. With no spare inner tube, she took it to the bike shop down the street and had them change it for her. I had to pump up my tires which were very low due to disuse.
We hit the trail. About 1.5 miles in, I spot something small, black and wriggly in front of me. As I tried not to swerve and just keep riding, I realized, "IT'S A SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!" OK, it's a snake the diameter of a Twizzler, but "A SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!" Thirty seconds after I recover my breath, Debbie slows down saying, 'I feel paranoid but I think I hear my tire.'
Oh, her tire was just fine. Mine, on the other hand, had two big punctures in it. Flat number two. Part of me was expecting to see a snake fang buried in the rubber but, fortunately, that was not the case.
We started to walk back somewhat dejectedly when I realized that I had all the necessary bits for a tire change. Why do I lug these things around if I'm not going to use them?
So...
We are women, hear us ROAR! We changed the tire! On a road bike! With a little bitty hand pump to pump up the new inner tube. Considering I hadn't changed a tire on my bike in two years, I was pretty darned proud of the two of us.
In celebration, we turned our bikes around and rode.
When we got back home, we had a nice glass of water and then it was time to say goodbye. As Debbie wheeled her bike out to her truck, I looked down at her front tire.
It was flat.
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Thanksgiving in June
Yesterday, we had a Thanksgiving dinner in June so that my cousin who is visiting from Germany could experience a traditional American meal. Because the smallest turkey I could find was a twenty-pounder, I invited some friends over to share the meal with us. There's no way three adults and two children could begin to do justice to that much food!
We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, salad and a nice California Riesling followed by homemade apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Yummy! We were stuffed. The only thing missing was the football game on TV (which we never watch anyway but, it's part of the tradition, isn't it?). As we sat at the table after the meal, unable to move, someone suggested a walk to the park. Good idea, if we could just extricate ourselves from our chairs.
Somehow, we pried ourselves away and wandered over to the playground, seven adults with two enthusiastic little boys in tow. Who would have thought we'd have just as much fun as they did? Something got into us, maybe it was the turkey, maybe it was just the memories of childhood that being on a playground awoke. Down the tube slides, across the monkey bars, up and around the play structure, swinging as high as possible. I'm talking about the adults here! D even got us going in a heart-pounding game of tag. Wheeeeeeeeee! I don't know who had a better time, the kids or us. I do know that I haven't had that much fun on a playground in a long time. Usually, we're too busy watching out for the boys. This time, I had many pairs of extra eyes and hands and I could join in. It was great and I think it was a wonderful experience for Melanie as well.
The inner child is alive, well and kicking and she got to come out and play. I like Thanksgiving in June. Maybe I should make it a tradition.
We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, salad and a nice California Riesling followed by homemade apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Yummy! We were stuffed. The only thing missing was the football game on TV (which we never watch anyway but, it's part of the tradition, isn't it?). As we sat at the table after the meal, unable to move, someone suggested a walk to the park. Good idea, if we could just extricate ourselves from our chairs.
Somehow, we pried ourselves away and wandered over to the playground, seven adults with two enthusiastic little boys in tow. Who would have thought we'd have just as much fun as they did? Something got into us, maybe it was the turkey, maybe it was just the memories of childhood that being on a playground awoke. Down the tube slides, across the monkey bars, up and around the play structure, swinging as high as possible. I'm talking about the adults here! D even got us going in a heart-pounding game of tag. Wheeeeeeeeee! I don't know who had a better time, the kids or us. I do know that I haven't had that much fun on a playground in a long time. Usually, we're too busy watching out for the boys. This time, I had many pairs of extra eyes and hands and I could join in. It was great and I think it was a wonderful experience for Melanie as well.
The inner child is alive, well and kicking and she got to come out and play. I like Thanksgiving in June. Maybe I should make it a tradition.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Poker Night
All day I've had this underlying feeling of very slight nausea. Hmmmm. I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that I had a wee bit too much to drink last night.
OH YES!
Twas the inaugural poker night with my friends from work. The variation was Texas Hold 'Em, the stakes were $5/player. Yes, we were living life on the edge. The talent was diverse (and I shall anonymize here to protect everyone - plus nicknames are fun!):
a. Leeds - experienced, plays online, silent, very methodical, very particular about the lingo
b. Aqua - experienced, likes to talk, likes to stay in the game
c. Yoga - novice, professes that bluffing is cheating, wants to win all the money
d. Curatrix - er, that would be me, novice, likes to talk the talk but really can't walk the walk
It all started out relatively well. We had a set of practice rounds and then, the game began in earnest. Out came the money, out came the Bombay Sapphire and the tonic. Into Yoga's large water glasses, no ice, mix your own, pick your strength.
------
Things I learned:
1. It's probably best not to mix your own drink especially when you've got no real idea of the proportions the ingredients should be mixed in.
2. Gin and tonic with no ice hits you WAY faster than the stuff with it because, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, the ice dilutes the drink.
3. Bachelors have no ice in their freezers.
So, one or two (or maybe three or four) drinks later, the world is a rosy place, the card game gets way more interesting (Aqua ends up winning) and I swiftly run into the next lesson:
4. The line between just a bit tipsy and drunk is a fine one.
Whoa! I am NOT driving home tonight. Please don't even let me get near my car.
5. Good place to drink: a friend's house or your home. Getting loopy in private and in the company of people that you trust and like and can still look in the eye the next time you see them is preferable to having this happen in public.
Let's just say that I got home by cab and in the company of Aqua and Yoga, who then returned to their respective homes. Drinking does tend to cement a friendship. God bless them.
6. Try to remember to remove contact lenses before going to sleep. Peeling them off your eyeballs at 3:30 in the morning is sub-optimal.
7. If you're up at 3:30 am removing glued-on contacts, it's a great idea to drink a nice big glass of water and a couple of Tylenols to ward off the headache from hell in the morning.
--------
I woke up this morning in considerably better shape than I thought I would be in. Yes, that slightly nauseous feeling remained but at least there wasn't a jackhammer pounding in my brain. And I did get in a 6 mi run this afternoon, albeit at a slower pace than usual, and it felt good.
I knew my German alcohol dehydrogenase genes would come in handy someday. (Yes, I am such a geek.)
OH YES!
Twas the inaugural poker night with my friends from work. The variation was Texas Hold 'Em, the stakes were $5/player. Yes, we were living life on the edge. The talent was diverse (and I shall anonymize here to protect everyone - plus nicknames are fun!):
a. Leeds - experienced, plays online, silent, very methodical, very particular about the lingo
b. Aqua - experienced, likes to talk, likes to stay in the game
c. Yoga - novice, professes that bluffing is cheating, wants to win all the money
d. Curatrix - er, that would be me, novice, likes to talk the talk but really can't walk the walk
It all started out relatively well. We had a set of practice rounds and then, the game began in earnest. Out came the money, out came the Bombay Sapphire and the tonic. Into Yoga's large water glasses, no ice, mix your own, pick your strength.
------
Things I learned:
1. It's probably best not to mix your own drink especially when you've got no real idea of the proportions the ingredients should be mixed in.
2. Gin and tonic with no ice hits you WAY faster than the stuff with it because, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, the ice dilutes the drink.
3. Bachelors have no ice in their freezers.
So, one or two (or maybe three or four) drinks later, the world is a rosy place, the card game gets way more interesting (Aqua ends up winning) and I swiftly run into the next lesson:
4. The line between just a bit tipsy and drunk is a fine one.
Whoa! I am NOT driving home tonight. Please don't even let me get near my car.
5. Good place to drink: a friend's house or your home. Getting loopy in private and in the company of people that you trust and like and can still look in the eye the next time you see them is preferable to having this happen in public.
Let's just say that I got home by cab and in the company of Aqua and Yoga, who then returned to their respective homes. Drinking does tend to cement a friendship. God bless them.
6. Try to remember to remove contact lenses before going to sleep. Peeling them off your eyeballs at 3:30 in the morning is sub-optimal.
7. If you're up at 3:30 am removing glued-on contacts, it's a great idea to drink a nice big glass of water and a couple of Tylenols to ward off the headache from hell in the morning.
--------
I woke up this morning in considerably better shape than I thought I would be in. Yes, that slightly nauseous feeling remained but at least there wasn't a jackhammer pounding in my brain. And I did get in a 6 mi run this afternoon, albeit at a slower pace than usual, and it felt good.
I knew my German alcohol dehydrogenase genes would come in handy someday. (Yes, I am such a geek.)
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Life is Good
...when you wake up in the morning to the smiling face of your almost-three-year-old son about three inches away from your own.
...when you make strawberry pancakes for breakfast and your almost-seven-year-old son declares that "These are the best pancakes I've ever had!"
...when a good friend of yours babysits your kids so that you and your husband can spend a day together on your own.
...when you drive off leaving the kids with your friend and they're all happily waving good-bye, not a tear in sight.
...when you get to run together with your husband for the first time in 12 years.
...when you spend 45 minutes waiting for a table at a nice restaurant at 3 pm and you're not stressed because you don't have to worry about the kids going nuts.
...when you get back home and the kids are happy to see you and you hear that they've been well-behaved in your absence.
...when your friend offers to babysit them again, anytime.
...when you realize how lucky you are to have such a wonderful family and such a generous friend and you hug them all tightly in gratitude.
...when you make strawberry pancakes for breakfast and your almost-seven-year-old son declares that "These are the best pancakes I've ever had!"
...when a good friend of yours babysits your kids so that you and your husband can spend a day together on your own.
...when you drive off leaving the kids with your friend and they're all happily waving good-bye, not a tear in sight.
...when you get to run together with your husband for the first time in 12 years.
...when you spend 45 minutes waiting for a table at a nice restaurant at 3 pm and you're not stressed because you don't have to worry about the kids going nuts.
...when you get back home and the kids are happy to see you and you hear that they've been well-behaved in your absence.
...when your friend offers to babysit them again, anytime.
...when you realize how lucky you are to have such a wonderful family and such a generous friend and you hug them all tightly in gratitude.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Twisty Turns
Life can really throw you for a loop sometimes. Why on earth we think that we know what we want to do for the rest of our lives at 16, I don't know. Yet, there we are, starting college, picking majors that narrow our choices for the future. Pointing us down the path of no return. Sounds rather ominous now that I read that. It is not. I have a few friends who have proven this to be WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.
First, there's Sarge. We met in high school. He was writing poetry back then. (who wasn't?) We went to the same college. He majored in Biology, started medical school after that. All the time he was writing. That was his love. Then, he decided that he didn't really want to be a doctor and quit. This was a Very Big Deal. Worked for an ad firm. Still kept writing. Attended writers' workshops and, then, it happened. His first book of short stories won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award. He's now the literary editor for a national magazine in the Philippines. His second book was published in 2006 and is nominated for the National Book Award.
Then, there's Tris. Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Worked with my dad for a bit. Interned with a restaurant in the kitchen. Started his own catering business. Folded that. MBA from Columbia. Worked for a big-name financial firm spending a year or two in three Asian countries. Dropped the financial firm but kept going with the yoga he picked up in Thailand. Got certified as a Bikram Yoga instructor. He now owns a couple of yoga studios in Manila and teaches everyday. He's in the best shape of his life.
Finally, there's Cris. My college buddy who shared practically every class I took. Lab partner, partner in crime. Headed for the States after graduation. Took a lab tech position. Went back home. Went to medical school. Back to the States for residency. Decided that being a doctor was not really for him. No more seeing patients. He now works for a company that designs computer software for doctors. He's married and has a one year old daughter.
There and back again. They've ended up snug as bugs in niches of their own design. Content at last in the knowledge that the choices they've made along the way led them there.
I really like my job right now, but, when I wonder about what might come next, I think of them and am inspired to think that ANYTHING is possible.
First, there's Sarge. We met in high school. He was writing poetry back then. (who wasn't?) We went to the same college. He majored in Biology, started medical school after that. All the time he was writing. That was his love. Then, he decided that he didn't really want to be a doctor and quit. This was a Very Big Deal. Worked for an ad firm. Still kept writing. Attended writers' workshops and, then, it happened. His first book of short stories won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award. He's now the literary editor for a national magazine in the Philippines. His second book was published in 2006 and is nominated for the National Book Award.
Then, there's Tris. Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Worked with my dad for a bit. Interned with a restaurant in the kitchen. Started his own catering business. Folded that. MBA from Columbia. Worked for a big-name financial firm spending a year or two in three Asian countries. Dropped the financial firm but kept going with the yoga he picked up in Thailand. Got certified as a Bikram Yoga instructor. He now owns a couple of yoga studios in Manila and teaches everyday. He's in the best shape of his life.
Finally, there's Cris. My college buddy who shared practically every class I took. Lab partner, partner in crime. Headed for the States after graduation. Took a lab tech position. Went back home. Went to medical school. Back to the States for residency. Decided that being a doctor was not really for him. No more seeing patients. He now works for a company that designs computer software for doctors. He's married and has a one year old daughter.
There and back again. They've ended up snug as bugs in niches of their own design. Content at last in the knowledge that the choices they've made along the way led them there.
I really like my job right now, but, when I wonder about what might come next, I think of them and am inspired to think that ANYTHING is possible.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
That's What Friends Are For
"Friend is someone you share last cookie with." - Cookie Monster
I have acquaintances and I have friends. People that I've worked with for years that I wouldn't socialize with outside of work; neighbors who, even after four years, I just wave at in the street; people whom I see everyday at school and recognize by face but can't match with a name.
I have a friend that I've known since I was seven and am closer to now than back in the second grade, even though we live thousands of miles apart. I've made friends in the past year that I feel like I've known much longer and would trust with my life. I'm married to my best friend. I have a couple of friends that I crossed paths with through work and know that I will be in touch with forever, no matter where we all live or move to.
I'm lucky to have friends to dance with and sing with and drink with. Others to cook and bake with and for, and, most importantly, eat yummy food with. Friends who look out for me. Friends who I look out for. Friends to share a great read with. Friends to laugh and cry with. Friends to run with. Friends to throw and be thrown by. After all, how can you not be friends with those you've shared blood, sweat and tears with?
There are friends that I don't see but once or twice a year or even once or twice in ten years, and yet, when I do, it seems like we were together just yesterday. I wish I could see them more often but geography, economics and time just conspire against us.
I have girlfriends that I love to shop with, gossip with and go to the spa with. A whole family of friends for trips to the beach to build sandcastles and ride the carousel and eat messy ice cream cones with.
I have guy friends because, yes, it is possible for men and women to be 'just friends.' I have guy friends that I used to date and still remain friends with. Guys that I fancied but never were interested in me that way who became really good friends. I even have guy friends that I'd love to go shopping with.
There's that special something in all of them, that spark of laughter, fun, empathy and shared experiences that ties us together and keeps us connected.
I would share my last cookie with each and every one of them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)