Thankful Sunday Thoughts and Observations

This weekend, we're at home and I don't have to do any law work.

Yesterday, I did our taxes. Then I did Dad's estate's taxes. Then I did brother's taxes. Each finished task improved my already wonderful mood (it was sunny, too!).

To top off the day, E and I went out to a dinner at the restaurant that catered our wedding and then we enjoyed one of the best live music performances I've ever experienced (an awesome christmas gift from E's parents).

I went to bed early. I slept in.

Today's run, after more than 9 hours of sleep, was a *very slow* 6 miles. It was my first *long run* since the marathon. I am definitely still recovering, physiologically. My legs wanna move slow and my lungs agree. It would seem that in addition to the muscular damage, my cardiovascular system took a fairly serious hit from the 11 day hiatus from the running shoes while my muscles recovered. My average pace for today's 6-miler was about a minute and a half slower than the marathon. It felt good to run slowly and watch the world go by.

After the run, I gleefully headed to the local farmer's market. How the time flies! My last trip had been during autumn harvest. This time, before spring has sprung, the fresh offerings were much more limited. I picked up a few fresh items for this week's menu, but spent most of my time exploring the fish and prepared items.

From the Russian food tent, I grabbed a take-home lunch for E and me of spinach (and maybe cheese, but we sure didn't taste it) piroshki. Mmm...

Plus, I found the cheese lady. In truth, it was she who gave me the strength to walk away from the Molinari tent.

Like most Americans, I often feel compelled to buy more food than I could possibly consume or prepare. The fish tent? Fresh mustard greens? Bok choy? Onions? Garlic? Indian food? Russian food? The Cheese Lady? The Baker's tent? The Molinari tent? The French Sausage tent? The Chinese Food tent? How could anyone fail to be tempted?

In defiance of this, I rarely buy too much food. I do my best to force myself to clean out the fridge. Staples can sit in the cupboard, but food that goes bad--I have a very strong aversion to buying too much of it. When I see a fridge full of food that could spoil, I feel pressure to use it. I feel guilt about waste. I also know that it isn't healthy to feed us more than we need. Who needs stress from the fridge? Not me. Not this weekend.

See, I'm feeling very thankful for this weekend at home with no work. I haven't received a single work-related email since 6 PM on Friday.

I relaxed by spending a date night with E, crossing items of the administrative to-do list, working out, planning a menu, buying ingredients (not necessarily in that order, see the curd post...), and just taking time to enjoy the basic life stuff like buttercups in our front yard and happy hour with some old work colleagues on Friday. At the farmer's market, today, because I knew I couldn't buy all the food that looked delicious, I took the time to window shop, as it were. It's been a while since I've had a Sunday where I can be as decadently lazy and able to enjoy each moment as I have been today.

And, thanks to President's day, I still have tomorrow to relax some more.

[Big contented sigh of happiness]