Taking a minute

After a very long, sad, uneventful, dull, end of winter and most of spring, I now have a jammed packed social calendar.

From the months of January until the middle of May, I was beyond bored. It seemed that everyone wanted to stay in with their significant others, and I, being single and all, found myself alone most Friday and Saturday nights. At first I enjoyed it. Living alone for the first time, I never had peace and quiet on the weekends. However, after a few weeks, the peace and quiet was no longer fun. Me, the 26-year-old who is usually in bed by 10pm was dying to go out. Dancing. To a Bar. To anyone’s house. I was anxious to get the hell out of the apartment that I love.

Since my friends were hard to nail down, I decided to join a Friday night bowling league. (Because I loved my dodgeball league so freakin’ much). Well, that was a disaster.

But, oddly enough, after my first weekend of bowling, my social calendar picked up. No, correction: it went from non-existent to full speed, in over drive. Normally, I would credit this shift in my friends because of the warm weather starting up and everyone wanted to get out of their houses and socialize.

Except, it was the end of May and beginning of June and it was 50 degrees outside and still raining. I spent Memorial Day Weekend in the rain. The following weekend, the first weekend in June, I spent in Napa County wine tasting for my dear friend’s birthday in the rain. (That was a fantastic weekend – full of gluttony). The following weekend, the second weekend in June, I spent at Bella Vista at a “start of summer” party. (That was truly wonderful – yet another weekend of gluttony). Then their was Britney. Then, last weekend, I spent one night in San Francisco, with one of my favorite people, (and some of my new favorite people), trying to not act like a hipster in the Mission District. The next day was Father’s Day, celebrating with my dad, my Grandma and my brother and sister-in-law (Buddy‘s parents).

And guess what? I have three more jammed packed weekends ahead of me. In fact, most of my weekends the rest of the summer are full of social activities.

I am not complaining.

I am actually overjoyed about all the fun I’ve had and I am looking forward to more. But, here’s the thing: previously my weekends were very mellow and I got to relax and recharge. Now that my weekends are so full, I am sleepy all week. So sleepy, I’m afraid to admit, that at 7:30pm tonight I almost fell asleep.

I also blame my sleepiness on the extreme 102-degree weather.

I am not complaining.

I was over the rain in April, so I welcome the heat. I welcome the hot nights, where (like I did on Friday night with Jessica), I can sit outside at 10pm enjoying a cold beer in a t-shirt and be perfectly warm.

But, I think my body has to get use to the heat. Also because of the heat, I haven’t been taking Tahn on any walks. We both miss them. Sorry Tahn. But it is just too dang hot. Even at 8pm.

So now I am taking a minute.

And it feels pretty good.

(photo source)

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The Bowling Stones

(Click the Photo for the Photo Credit).

Tonight was my first night of my bowling league. I decided to join the bowling league for three reasons:

1. My love of my dodgeball league.
2. My lame Friday nights (all my girls are in serious relationships or super-duper-crazy-busy. Most aren’t around for a Friday night get together – unless I plan it weeks in advance).
3. To meet more single people.

Also, the bowling league is through my dodgeball league, and the league boasted, “Bowling is the perfect social league, and easiest way to meet new people. It doesn’t matter if you get more gutters than pins either, since we use handicap scoring to even out all the players”.

So I thought, sure, why not?

I left my apartment tonight a little nervous about going by myself, but excited to meet new people and have some fun. I arrived at the bowling alley and picked up my league shirt and got my shoes. I met my team – “The Bowling Stones” – they were all super nice.

Then, I noticed something.

A lot of the people around me had their own bowling balls. And their own bowling shoes.

Oh no.

Wait. Are they really good at bowling? Good enough to buy their own ball? Their own shoes? What happened to throwing gutters?

Oh no.

So I went to the straight to the bar and bought a beer. Take the edge of my increasing anxiety.

Then we started with some practice shots.

I didn’t hit one pin.

“Oh, don’t worry” I told my team, “I just haven’t played in a long time”. (Which was true).

Then the game started.

I didn’t hit many pins.

My team on the other hand, was throwing strikes and spares. Each time I went, and I usually didn’t hit one pin; I became more and more concerned.

My kind team members all started giving me tips and suggestions – “Pull your arm back straight”, “Watch your follow through”. I nodded, flashed a big smile, and told them, “Thanks so much! Good advice! Yes, I did not know that!”

My team is also BIG on high-fives and fist-bumps. After each person threw, we all high-fived. Even when I didn’t hit any pins – we high fived. Lots of high-fives. Lots.

Over the night I missed more pins than I hit. I somehow randomly got one strike and one spare. My team realized I did better when they were not coaching me.

After two games my score – my total score – was a whopping 70. The other girl on my team scored well over 100.

Of course, this experience flashed me back to my days of failed sports – swimming, soccer, cross-country, and track. In each sport, my team was kind at first, trying to help, teach and inspire me. By the end of the season, they were happy if I was injured or missed a game. Although I had great team spirit, my (lack of) performance brought their score down.

So, overall? The night kinda blew. I am hopeful that I do meet some cool people and make more friends.

The good news? I came home to this:

In her youth, Tahn thought she was a bowling ball and children were bowling pins. It was not good.

And I made this:

Hello, Sweet Potato Fries

R.I.C.E

Playing dodgeball tonight, I got injured.

Me.

The woman who HATES any physical pain. HATES physical pain.

I threw a ball at someone (it didn’t hit them…) and I was running backward (a strategy as super- duper dodgeballers do) and I stepped on a ball and rolled my foot.

And then preceded to fall on top of my rolled foot before entirely hitting the ground.

It hurt. A lot.

It seriously was so painful I wanted to cry. Previously at this point in my life, when I’ve played sports, I would automatically sit out. (I would be secretly relieved and be happy to watch).

But I really wanted to stay in, and so I decided played through the pain.

Me.

The woman who HATES physical pain.

I must say, I am proud of myself. I stayed in and put my best foot forward (literally). I actually almost made a half-court shot.

I am home now R.I.C.Eing my foot. (I may or may not have had to call my father to tell me what the acronym was…)

So, here I am with a Tahn snuggling on my lap (she is healing me, she’s a healer), Resting, Elevating, and Icing my foot. (Ok, I am not taking Ibuprofen. I’m drinking red wine and eating 2 brownies instead).

Here’s to changing for the better!! (Even if my foot is purple and swollen).