Running with Kevin the Monday before Thanksgiving, I mentioned that I had nothing whatsoever planned for the four day weekend. I didn’t mind. It sounded like a nice relaxing weekend, a chance to catch up on chores, pay some bills, vacuum, maybe watch a game or two.

But I have too many friends and too many interests for four empty days to stay empty.

Wednesday night I started the weekend off right with yoga and Pho. Not too many years ago I’d never heard of Pho and although I could work through a few yoga poses, I found all that breathing and meditating annoying. It was Steve who taught me to appreciate both, so it made sense to start a weekend of Thanksgiving off by enjoying them both with him.

My Thanksgiving dinner materialized in the form of a phone call from my best friend Sheila. She was in charge of the turkey and trimmings and I was in charge of the martinis. Peter brought pie, Chris whipped out the Trivial Pursuit, and I staggered home at one in the morning feeling more like New Year’s than Thanksgiving but deeply grateful to have had these people (and Sheila’s cooking) in my life for all these years.

Luckily I had run earlier that day on a cool, damp, quiet morning at the West Hartford Reservoir, my feet crunching on fallen leaves, my pace easy and comfortable. I followed that run up with another one Friday morning and finished with a third run Saturday. Four days off equals three days of running. There’s something wrong with my math, but nothing wrong with the pleasure I take in feeling my body move.

I couldn’t run Sunday because the weather was too nice. And that meant climbing again. I’d already made it to the gym Friday afternoon for an unusual weekday get together of the Tuesday/Thursday gym crowd. The crowd has morphed through the ten plus years I’ve been climbing but the goodwill and camaraderie remain the same. These are my “peeps” and no one can talk me out of enjoying gym climbing.

But Sunday, ah Sunday. The temperature was a ridiculously high 50 and to the Gunks we must go. Steven, one of my oldest and dearest partners, and Brien, one of my newest and dearest partners, and I made slow, heavy work out of our beautiful day. I bungled my attempted lead of Try Again to the point that no one got to climb all of it and the only one who got to climb any of it was me (try, try again). I was annoyed and thought maybe it had ruined my season or at least the day but then we went and did Frog’s Head and Maria and I defy you to have a ruined day after that.

I haven’t even mentioned the show Friday night or meeting my old friend Jesse for drinks Saturday. Friday night I saw a good show on a phenomenal set in the place I call my second home, the place I’m not at often but couldn’t stand to lose. I also saw some friends I hadn’t seen in a long time courtesy of a Facebook post. Then Saturday afternoon I saw my bestest buddy from 5th grade courtesy of another Facebook hookup. Facebook is a pretty cool thing.

At the end of the weekend, I counted one yoga session, three runs, two days climbing, two dinners out with friends, one dinner in with friends, drinks with an old buddy, and a play. There was no vacuuming, no bill paying, no “black Friday.” I got NOTHING done.

Yeah, it was that good.

Strictly from Nowhere, 5.7+ (P1: Steven)
Try Again
Frog’s Head, 5.6 (P1 & 2: Brien)
Maria P2, 5.4 (Dawn)