It’s Labor day weekend, a time to kick back, enjoy some BBQ with friends and/or family, relish well earned relaxation. Work for me is very fast paced with very little time for breaks, so I grasp tightly to my time away from work, try to squeeze as much out of my free time as possible. Besides spending time with the people in my life, free time also means doing the things I love to do, all of which require nice weather. I want to get out on my bike, play some tennis, swim, do all the things that make my body happy.
The thunderstorms rolled through during the night. I am looking out over my balcony at a dark day. It’s going to be a lazy day.
If you like hummingbirds, by the way, you would have enjoyed the treat I just received. They love the flowers I have planted in the pots and planters on my balcony. Hummingbirds don’t care if I am present. As a matter of fact, they almost always pause to hover in front of me, the buzz of their beating wings loud while they check me quickly out. I think they may be saying thank you. They are taking a little break in the trees in front of my house right now, their visit with me over. It’s about to start raining again, so I may not see them again today.
The squirrels also like my flower boxes and pots. They have destroyed quite a few of my plants. I have tried using plastic forks and chili sauce to keep them away, but the squirrels eventually get wise to my tricks. The fuzzy tailed ratfinks just jump in the pot and push the forks to the side.
My body does need a break today. Yesterday, I played a league tennis match against a young guy who was intent on winning. I had to really work if I wanted to win. Yes, I wanted to win. Competitive is part of my personality. Our league matches are ten game pro sets, which means the first player to win ten games wins the match (win by two, with a tie breaker if both players win ten games). I went up 4-1 early, but Karl fought back to tie the match at 5 games each, then he took the lead 7 games to 5. I have a very powerful serve with a lot of top spin, and I think that serve wore Karl down mentally. I won the last 5 games to take the match, 10-7.
After the tennis match, I received a text message from my friend Jim, a road biker who has had the itch to ride dirt lately. He said he would be at the trail head in 30 minutes, asked if I wanted to ride. I did. I changed into my riding gear, through my Salsa (mountain bike) on the back of my car, met Jim for a gut wrenching two hour trail ride.
The day capped off with a BBQ with friends. The host grinds his own hamburger meat and treated us to a creation that included chopped jalapeno peppers, gouda and goat cheeses, garlic mixed mayo, and a ton of seasoning. The burger was wrapped in lettuce and tomato, on a toasted brioche bun. I had brought baked beans with a thick, sweet sauce and chopped bacon mixed in. The beans and some potato salad added to the enjoyment of the juicy burger, so juicy that everyone had to eat hunched over. We were outside. Each person had a puddle of burger juice underneath them! The hostess also brought out a cold bottle of lemoncello to pass, so our palates were cleansed with the strong drink. We enjoyed some time outside on the patio, huddled around a fire table, then finished off the evening with a spirited game of mexican train dominoes. Fun!
So, I guess I will take it easy today. I skipped church, for once, chose pillow prayer instead. It was a good morning to do that and my body complained with each feeble attempt to swing my legs over the side of the bed.
Enjoy your weekend!
shenrydafrankmann 