What a Fun Trip

Minnesota still hasn’t accepted spring into the air. I noticed a few things are turning green, but on Monday the high was only 45…this is 20 degrees below normal according to the weather person I was listening to. Today is supposed to hit in the 50s and a bit warmer later in the week but no real springlike temps again till maybe next week. We got a teaser…I got even more of a teaser last week and now back to bad. Why do I live here??

I had a work “summit” on Wednesday and Thursday…the hotel was nice and right next to the office so I could walk over there. Dinner both nights was at the hotel bar, gotta love company buying as I had filet mignon one night and a great pasta dinner (including lasagna, a salad and tiramisu for dessert) the next. After the summit was over, it was back to Providence where I went to my friend’s place to hang out. He’s a swim coach for Brown (yes, that Brown) and had a banquet that night to attend for a couple of hours, so I took the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather and get a 4 mile run in. I could smell the trees and stretched in green grass…then took a nap before showering and getting ready to go out. My friend got back and we got some beer to drink at his place then went out and hit the town. Unfortunately the bars closed at 1 am on a Thursday in Providence…ah well. Went back, ordered pizza and watched TV before sleeping for the night. Next day we got lunch at a great diner and then my friend went to work and I headed to the beach. I wanted to run on the sand. It was sunny, not the warmest, but it was still nice enough to get out in shorts and short sleeved top. After about a mile in loose sand, I called it quits (a bit hung over and tired too) and went for ice cream. Where I ran into someone that asked if I was from the Twin Cities (based on my I Love the Lakes top) and she is from there and her mom lives here so we chatted a bit. Back to Providence then and a nice nap, got up, showered and went in search of dinner…my friend got back from work and we jumped in the car and headed up to his buddies place in Boston (my friend had to coach at Hah vahd on Saturday morning). Got to his friends, had a glass of wine and then a shot (I got out of the tequila and did chocolate vodka instead) and we headed out on Boylston for drinks…plan was to head as far east as we could get before bar close. We had beer at one place, then on to the next where we had another beer and got out of there quickly because it was just not our scene…a trip past and picture of the finish line (yes, THAT finish line) and then on to the next bar. Next place we weren’t able to get in because my friend looked a little too drunk, so we went to the next place where our trip stopped due to miscommunication. Since my friend was tired and had to be up early, he took off and his buddy and I remained to close the bar, then make it back just in time to grab a quick slice at the nearby pizza place (yummy!).

Next day we might have gone to Maine or something but instead the darn draft got us caught up. Except for the 4.5 mile run my friends buddy and I did along the Charles, my friend wasn’t feeling it. After that my friends buddy had a date, and my friend and I headed to the north end for some fantastic pasta, OK gelato and the best canoles I’ve ever had. He had sent a message to his buddy, whose date was done and he jumped the train and met up with us at a nice little dive bar called Sullivans. I liked it. We closed the bar, got a cab and got back in time to have another slice (we’d had pizza for lunch too, it is really good pizza!!) and then canoles…before some interesting youtube (including the Muppets) and some porn for good measure…yes…we watched that. What can I say, after drinking, it can be mildly amusing!!

Next day we went to the grocery store and bought some shrimp to cook up and eat, along with a multitude of other snacks and more draft watching. Eventually though, it was time to head back to Providence, told my friends buddy goodbye and that I’d hopefully see him in a year when I’m back for the marathon…he offered me a place to stay even and he’s literally walking distance to everything, I just have to train hard and get that time. Got to Providence just in time for me to get to the airport and catch my flight (just before having an excellent tortilla salad at the bar right next to my gate). Flights out and back were actually great. On time both ways, and except for the fact that we were at the last gate on the longest concourse in the Minneapolis airport, and then sent to the furthest away baggage claim carousel, which then they changed to the complete opposite baggage claim carousel (which we had come in by coming from our gate)…but you know, that’s OK, I really did need the exercise. I am now back to about 5 pounds I have to lose (guess I should not have had the pasta, gelato, beer, slice and canole!) now and won’t make my goal time frame…oh well. As long as it’s gone by Twin Cities all is good.