I repeat: best day ever.
It has been a long, long time since the Troll and I have been able to spend any considerable amount of time together. 1-2 hours is the average, about once or twice a week, and I am okay with that mostly because there's nothing we can do about our schedules. But today was Labor Day, which meant we were off work, and he wasn't teaching, and he didn't need to submit any papers until Sunday. Yes, you heard that right: we both had time. So he asked me over.
I was thinking we would get a few hours before he had to do something else, so I enjoyed having lunch with him on his Birthday Eve Eve (his birthday is in two days).
But afterwards, we drove to Tractor Supply Co. in search of tools. We sifted through the toys and looked at jeans and boots; he gave me an overview of tool brands, and even though he didn't buy anything, I unearthed Hand Printing from Nature from the $5.00 book bin and bought it before he knew what hit him.
As we were leaving, he mentioned that a cup of coffee wouldn't be amiss. We swung by Starbucks (despite a FEROCIOUS looking sky) and then drove to the mall while I read my book in the passenger's seat. (Who am I kidding, I skimmed the pages while listening to everything he said.) I told him that, for my art minor, the only class I ever excelled in was printmaking. I BSed my way through sculpture, ceramics, even art history, but printmaking changed my life. (I skipped the "changed my life" part to avoid sounding sappy, but it did, and I still love it. Also, I would commit a crime in exchange for a flatbed printing press. Tell your friends.)
I don't buy much at the mall, but I had fun telling him which watches were atrocious (he is looking for a good watch), which polo shirts were most suitable (I voted neon orange and pastel purple), which jackets looked best (ALL OF THEM), and whether he should buy the belt he wanted (I said yes, and so he did). He tried to buy me a dress, but I don't shop for clothes unless I've mentally prepared myself for at least three days.
By the time we were ready to leave, the rain was coming down so hard that we couldn't see the Bug. I told him that if it were just me, I would totally make a run for it. I think the only reason he hadn't suggested it first was because he didn't want me to run through the rain, but life is short, so we made a break for freedom and it was a blast. Plus our coffee was still warm enough to take the chill off.
"I want ice-cream," he said, so we got ice-cream at Chick-Fil-A. Yes, we really did indulge today because who knows the next time we will have an opportunity like this. My money is on, oh, four months. Maybe sometime around Christmas. (Come on, Santa, don't let me down.)
Best day ever. I cannot emphasize that enough. Best day ever.
I was thinking we would get a few hours before he had to do something else, so I enjoyed having lunch with him on his Birthday Eve Eve (his birthday is in two days).
But afterwards, we drove to Tractor Supply Co. in search of tools. We sifted through the toys and looked at jeans and boots; he gave me an overview of tool brands, and even though he didn't buy anything, I unearthed Hand Printing from Nature from the $5.00 book bin and bought it before he knew what hit him.
As we were leaving, he mentioned that a cup of coffee wouldn't be amiss. We swung by Starbucks (despite a FEROCIOUS looking sky) and then drove to the mall while I read my book in the passenger's seat. (Who am I kidding, I skimmed the pages while listening to everything he said.) I told him that, for my art minor, the only class I ever excelled in was printmaking. I BSed my way through sculpture, ceramics, even art history, but printmaking changed my life. (I skipped the "changed my life" part to avoid sounding sappy, but it did, and I still love it. Also, I would commit a crime in exchange for a flatbed printing press. Tell your friends.)
I don't buy much at the mall, but I had fun telling him which watches were atrocious (he is looking for a good watch), which polo shirts were most suitable (I voted neon orange and pastel purple), which jackets looked best (ALL OF THEM), and whether he should buy the belt he wanted (I said yes, and so he did). He tried to buy me a dress, but I don't shop for clothes unless I've mentally prepared myself for at least three days.
By the time we were ready to leave, the rain was coming down so hard that we couldn't see the Bug. I told him that if it were just me, I would totally make a run for it. I think the only reason he hadn't suggested it first was because he didn't want me to run through the rain, but life is short, so we made a break for freedom and it was a blast. Plus our coffee was still warm enough to take the chill off.
"I want ice-cream," he said, so we got ice-cream at Chick-Fil-A. Yes, we really did indulge today because who knows the next time we will have an opportunity like this. My money is on, oh, four months. Maybe sometime around Christmas. (Come on, Santa, don't let me down.)
Best day ever. I cannot emphasize that enough. Best day ever.