Had a Good Time

Once in a while, I need to remind myself to stop and take. a. deep. breath. Today, I did.

Billy and I woke up early this morning so I could run the Down's Park 5 miler. I thought this could be interesting, considering I have run a total of 5 miles since the Army 10 miler. (I've been going to the gym with Billy instead.) It was below freezing when I woke up. But the run was fantastic. I felt good, I finished well, and the course was beautiful. Most of it took me through trails and trees with changing leaves, but around mid-way, the course ran right along the Chesepeake Bay. And my husband was waiting for me at the finish line. Here's a photo I found online of the sun coming up over the pier, as it was today:

After the run, Danielle picked me up and we drove up to Harrisburg, PA, and met up with Erin, who had driven down from Syracuse. It was the first time we've gotten to see her since her wedding in July. After catching up over Panera, we took a trip through the mall, and made it to the sports bar in time to see NAVY BEAT NOTRE DAME!!

It was great to see the girls. I have missed them. And it was great to see for myself that after an indeterminate first few months, things have fallen into place and Erin is really happy in her new life up in NY.

I also returned to discover that my friend from grad school, Anne-Marie, has started a new blog about life in Baltimore. It guarantees to provide a fresh perspective on the city. (Vickie might be interested to know that her co-contributor is a nurse living and working in the city. Nudge.)

I feel rested. I feel ready to conquer the rest of the semester. I feel lucky to have such a loving husband and great friends, even though we're spread far and wide across the country.

And how about those mids, anyway?!

(Had a Good Time: Stories from American Postcards is a brilliantly conceived collection of short stories by Robert Olen Butler. He collects vintage postcards, and in this book, he writes stories inspired by the contents of some of his favorite ones.)