Holiday Weekend

This holiday weekend I spent as a single lady, in the city while Chris is traveling. Friday morning was tear-filled and bittersweet as I left for work, knowing that he would be loading a bus for JFK airport in a few short hours to head to Rwanda. But, we made it through.

Now, it's hard for me when I consider texting him or when I think, "Oh, I'll tell Chris about this tonight." Then within seconds I am brought back to reality - that we really have no way to communicate for the next ten days or so.

This is good for me though, having to sort through my personality, character, ask myself, What do you want to do? All too often, in efforts to make everyone else feel at ease and comfortable, I push my desires and wants to the side. Half the time I really don't know what I do want. And now, I have time to figure all this out. Being passive and indifferent all the time is sort of off-putting.

So, with my time this weekend (which began and 2:30pm Friday afternoon...) I went to my old neighborhood and got an amazing pedicure - with a ten minute leg massage- for $30. I love this little place because it's cheap, quaint, there are only 3 pedicure baths and 3 manicure tables, no televisions and NO cell phones are allowed. LOVE it! I appreciate a place that can make me feel somewhat unplugged from this city. I completed my evening with a yoga class- which I hate to admit, ruined the polish on the large toe of my left foot. I got home to find my the impression of my yoga mat in my deep burgundy polish. Luckily it wasn't something that a little clear top coat couldn't fix.

Saturday I worked in the park where I volunteer cleaning, and pruning and picking weeds. I really do enjoy it and it's only five blocks from our apartment. Saturday also included more yoga and a trip to Target where somehow I knew I'd walk out spending no less than $100. I came awfully close to my budget (a talent no doubt) spending $99.25! But, I knew when I went in for socks, underwear, yoga pants and a new pillow that I'd spend more than our usual grocery cost. All in all it was a success, and I did get a few groceries. Yoga pants were 50% off so instead of $16 each, I got two pair for $16 (see how that works?). And honestly, life is too short to sleep on an uncomfortable pillow.

Saturday night I watched Chicago- with Richard Gere and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Not too shabby. I'm usually not a big musical-movie lover, but I do like the music in Chicago.

Sunday I sang on the Praise Team and was at church until 1:00 or so. It rained all morning, and even though we only live two blocks from the church now, I got drenched on my walk and had to pat down my heels with wads of paper towels. The remainder of the day included a one hour nap, a delicious restorative yoga class in the evening that really is more like physical therapy than yoga.

It's a small, limited space size class where we prop ourselves up with bolsters and blankets and yoga blocks and just chill in those 7-10 poses over the course of the hour and fifteen minutes. The instructor is so gentle and her voice like silk and she even puts lavender oil or mint oil on us if we are so inclined. It's just a wonderful treat before thinking about returning to work Monday morning. And afterward on my stroll home I stopped for some soft serve fruit. There are only three ingredients in their product: fruit, water, and cane sugar. I had pear with graham cracker crumbs and ate it while looking out the window onto Third Avenue.

On the fourth of July I went to a 9:15AM yoga class- one of three classes for the day. It was pretty full and I found the "normal" class attendees a bit stubborn and bitter in their unwelcoming ways. All older, gray headed women who were reluctant to scoot up or in or make room for more people in the class. Although, the woman in front of me had died her gray hair bright red, wore full makeup & jewelry that clanged as we moved. A bit much for a yoga class--- Overall, they were cliquish and talkative and, quite frankly, didn't want "us" there.

Afterward, I met a friend for a late lunch and chatting. She and I took the Roosevelt Island Tram across the East River and spent the afternoon well into the night laughing, talking and eating with our friends who live there. Their daughter ran through the fountains in the children's park and we sat in the shade and swatted bugs. I colored in the My Little Pony's coloring book while drinking Skinny Girl Margarita - how much better can life get than this?

We were on the wrong river and way too far north to see any fireworks, but that didn't matter. The ribs and watermelon tasted delicious and the sunset was a brilliant peach that left me saying, "I just need to see this every once in awhile to be reminded everything is okay in the world."