It is very hard to take a web cam picture of your foot.
We celebrate Labor Day by doing those things our working-class ancestors never could -- acquiring goods and being idle. I excelled at both this weekend.
After obliterating my feet on Saturday walking around downtown in plastic sandals, I realized that some nice-looking shoes that were comfortable to walk in were necessary before our vacation had us tromping all over London and Paris. Imagine my delight when my quest brought me these shoes with NEBULY on the toes. WIN.
The saleslady did not approve of my choice, telling me these did not have good support, but they were the most comfortable of the shoes I tried on. Honestly, I'm not worried about that support-less ache as much as getting blisters. I've worn these shoes constantly since purchase and can report no blisters yet! WOOT!
I may throw some insoles in them before we go, though.
We packed the long weekend. We had lunch on West Sixth. We walked from there to the USS Cod. We saw fabulous air show acrobatics along the way and from the deck of the sub. (In fact, I spent some time in the gun turret, making the turret spin and tracking the biplanes as they tumbled and zoomed.)
The USS Cod is definitely worth the price of admission. It's fascinating to lower yourself into the space and imagine what it must have been like filled with crew. I suspect it smelled like the inside of a gym shoe.
We fell into bed for a well-earned nap after our downtown adventure. (I mapped our walk on mapmyride -- only 1.3 miles each way? NO WAY.) Slowly, I came to. "It's almost 7. Grace... and Mark... dinner at Sterle's... Joey Tomsic is playing..." "Did you say for sure you were going?" "I don't remember." Blearily, exhausted, we wrested ourselves from bed and staggered to the Slovenian Country House. "We can do this!" I said. "For siblings!" We only stayed long enough to drink two drinks and dance one polka, but I'm glad we did.
Sunday I got up early to jog with Azimars and Finna. We only made it about a mile. Maybe a little over. Finna twisted her ankle and we had to walk the rest of the way back to Azimars' place. Az. and I had lovely chilled mead and chatted and read together. V. Pleasant. I went home, took a shower, and promptly fell back asleep. Brian woke me for lunch and the aforementioned shopping trip. In addition to my adorable shoes, we got Brian a new dress shirt and nice, more dressy jeans. I bought a skort - a skirt-with-shorts - and went for a relaxing bike ride around the Shaker Lakes. I got a little lost and it started to drizzle, but I soon found my way again and the drizzle lightened up until I got home.
Monday - yesterday - I woke up feeling sorrow for the ending of the long weekend. Brian said, "Let's do something fun."
"No," I said. "You have to finish your drawing for the contest. I have to write."
"We can still do something fun and come back to do that."
So we decided on the waterpark! Wildwater Kingdom was open for its last day of the season. Despite the overcast clouds, we got out of bed and right into our swimwear.
NB: we did not pack towels or a change of clothes. We almost didn't pack sunscreen, because of the overcast day. Glad we changed our minds!
WATERPARK. No idea on how to spend a day sounds as awesome as going to the waterpark once it has been suggested. And the park was very much NOT crowded. We had no line at all for the body slides, a very short wait for the tube slides. We went two laps around the lazy river. Unlike other foolish patrons, Brian and I do the lazy river right - you float, you do not walk, you do not kick or paddle or do anything. Because it's not called the ACTIVE river, is it?
Having no towel nor change of clothes, we opted to sunbathe ourselves dry. The sun came out from the clouds as if just for us. MMM I enjoyed baking a while in the sun. Have slight sunburn on the sides of my chest from lazy sunscreen application.
We were starving at that point, having not eaten all day and it was 3pm. I had hoped to hit a cute diner I knew about at the corner of Aurora and 91, but it was closed. So was the Mr. Hero we stopped by on our way home, and the Quiznos. The quest for Food Open on Labor Day began to feel epic when we reached Chagrin and Warrensville and found the Wendy's open for business.
We scarfed. We went home. I stripped out of my swimsuit and CRASHED.
Wow did I nap a lot this weekend.
Woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing. I had messages from Azimars. I had told him I'd take him out for a beer when he got free from the hospital. (Poor guy is upset because one of his patients is dying.) I found he'd been free some hours while I slept. I texted him and we arranged to meet.
Back in my cute skort, back on the bike, off to BottleHouse Brewery for artisanal meads and craft beer! And pinball! And cheering up Az.
I got more than a little tipsy, but managed to keep myself upright on my bike the short trip home. I was just in time for dinner. Brian made Croque Madams. Delicious! He grilled ham and gruyere and swiss together. SO GOOD. We watched the latest Dr. Who. Then I crashed early for bed.
My two favorite things to do are to eat when starving and fall asleep exuasted. I got to do both this weekend. WOOT