For once I actually had a relaxing weekend!
For the first time in what seems like forever I'm returning to work on a Monday significantly less stressed out than I was on Friday. It is not financially feasible to get a full hour massage every single weekend, and after this weekend I think the solution is setting aside large amounts of time to really actually get out of the house and GO PLACES and DO THINGS.
This weekend was spent with Joe (how did I go a year without seeing Joe... scandal!) and some of his Houston friends on his family's property outside of Kerrville. Sitting on the floor of a shallow creek and relaxing was *exactly* what I needed. As was time in nature, time spent sitting in front of a bonfire, and time in a hammock. Also, time watching fish. Fish = therapy. For some reason watching them swim and do fishy things is like one of the most meditative and relaxing things ever. It was nice to meet new people too, especially when we all got along so well. Of course, it is Joe, so I would expect his friends to be people I'd get on well with.
The food was also amazing and plentiful. I don't think I've ever eaten that much delicious delicious meat in two days. BTW... according to my scale I've put on four pounds in the last two days. Need to fix that NOW. Man, that was excellent dead cow. And beer, yes, there was beer too. Also, we went to a breakfast buffet at a fancy hotel on Sat. morning and I had beef ribs and chocolate pudding pie for breakfast. There were healthy options... and I did have a salad with it, but when faced wtih gigantic slabs of beef and an all you can eat desert buffet... well... I am weak. Although less than I used to be. I got one plate of food and then one piece of pie. I used to clear at least 2 or 3 plate fulls of chow before rolling out of the place.
Anyway, as the universe is determined to keep me from being completley relaxed, it did get its vengance on my improved mood. Lo and behold halfway between Kerrville and Fredericksburg I start to hear a loud clicking noise, followed by my alignment going off, followed by the strong smell of burning rubber and smoke pouring off the back half of my car. I'm glad it was just a flat tire. I'm also glad that Tristan was 15 minutes behind me in his car since he'd stopped to get gas. I'm also glad that by the time I'd emptied out my trunk to get to the dounut a TX State Trooper came by and offered to change the tire for me. It took him about 1/4th of the time it would have taken Tris and I. Then we drove into Fredericksburg, went to the wal-mart, and got the tire changed. We got to spend about 2 hours wandering around downtown Fredericksburg while they did that too, although the bakery I REALLY wanted to go to was closed on Sundays. :( Also, I was so careful about sun exposure sitting in the river, but didn't put any on to drive home and now, despite my previous cautiousness, totally baked myself and my shoulders are now 1/2 freckles 1/2 sunburn. When it goes away I will not have tanlines... I will have freckle lines. I dislike freckle lines.
I love TX State Troopers. My rear passenger-side tire has blown out on me three times in my travels (twice in the middle of nowhere, once in San Antonio) and I have not had to wait more than 8 minutes before one of them came up and offered to help. Thankfully THIS TIME I actually had a lug wrench and was able to fix the flat without getting a tow or calling Joe to join in the kia-love and borrow his.
I will be taking my car to the mechanic next weekend just to be double sure that I didn't do any damage to my car during the trouble. I love warranties.
This weekend was spent with Joe (how did I go a year without seeing Joe... scandal!) and some of his Houston friends on his family's property outside of Kerrville. Sitting on the floor of a shallow creek and relaxing was *exactly* what I needed. As was time in nature, time spent sitting in front of a bonfire, and time in a hammock. Also, time watching fish. Fish = therapy. For some reason watching them swim and do fishy things is like one of the most meditative and relaxing things ever. It was nice to meet new people too, especially when we all got along so well. Of course, it is Joe, so I would expect his friends to be people I'd get on well with.
The food was also amazing and plentiful. I don't think I've ever eaten that much delicious delicious meat in two days. BTW... according to my scale I've put on four pounds in the last two days. Need to fix that NOW. Man, that was excellent dead cow. And beer, yes, there was beer too. Also, we went to a breakfast buffet at a fancy hotel on Sat. morning and I had beef ribs and chocolate pudding pie for breakfast. There were healthy options... and I did have a salad with it, but when faced wtih gigantic slabs of beef and an all you can eat desert buffet... well... I am weak. Although less than I used to be. I got one plate of food and then one piece of pie. I used to clear at least 2 or 3 plate fulls of chow before rolling out of the place.
Anyway, as the universe is determined to keep me from being completley relaxed, it did get its vengance on my improved mood. Lo and behold halfway between Kerrville and Fredericksburg I start to hear a loud clicking noise, followed by my alignment going off, followed by the strong smell of burning rubber and smoke pouring off the back half of my car. I'm glad it was just a flat tire. I'm also glad that Tristan was 15 minutes behind me in his car since he'd stopped to get gas. I'm also glad that by the time I'd emptied out my trunk to get to the dounut a TX State Trooper came by and offered to change the tire for me. It took him about 1/4th of the time it would have taken Tris and I. Then we drove into Fredericksburg, went to the wal-mart, and got the tire changed. We got to spend about 2 hours wandering around downtown Fredericksburg while they did that too, although the bakery I REALLY wanted to go to was closed on Sundays. :( Also, I was so careful about sun exposure sitting in the river, but didn't put any on to drive home and now, despite my previous cautiousness, totally baked myself and my shoulders are now 1/2 freckles 1/2 sunburn. When it goes away I will not have tanlines... I will have freckle lines. I dislike freckle lines.
I love TX State Troopers. My rear passenger-side tire has blown out on me three times in my travels (twice in the middle of nowhere, once in San Antonio) and I have not had to wait more than 8 minutes before one of them came up and offered to help. Thankfully THIS TIME I actually had a lug wrench and was able to fix the flat without getting a tow or calling Joe to join in the kia-love and borrow his.
I will be taking my car to the mechanic next weekend just to be double sure that I didn't do any damage to my car during the trouble. I love warranties.