As my new job has not actually started yet, naturally I had to work this weekend. However, I didn't have to work very much, which left lots of time for other opportunities.
Saturday.
Let's start with the mundane. I needed new wiper blades for my car. You should know, I am inherently lazy when it comes to purchasing things that do not interest me and refuse to drive very far out of my way to get them. Wiper blades do not interest me. So, using trusty, old Google Maps I set out looking for an auto supply store somewhere between my home and my office. Low and behold, there are two stores that fit the bill. They are directly across the street from each other and both are located in what many Indianapolis residents call "Little Mexico." Sweet.
So I headed out to buy wiper blades and let me tell you, you have not shopped for car parts until you shop for car parts on a Saturday afternoon in Little Mexico. My little car looked like a crow among peacocks. With no custom rims, no underbody lights, a factory paint job, and un-tinted windows my car is neither fast nor furious. So to compensate, I bought high tech wiper blades. Bring it on, Vin Diesel! Now, when people spray slush onto my windshield, I can clean it knowing that the wipers that clean my windshield are used only by the finest racing machines in all of Little Mexico. Peer pressure works - even on cars.
Saturday afternoon, I had lunch with two of my friends at Bourbon Street Distillery by the IUPUI campus. Excellent food and super fun watching hungover college students stumble in for an infusion of grease. But, every time I go to Bourbon Street, I am reminded of my first time there.
My first visit was the day I did the Mini Marathon for the first time. My Dad and I were hobbling around looking like we had been walking for a matter of months, not hours, when my mom decided she was craving a hamburger. Bourbon Street has hamburgers. So, nimble as a forest sprite, my mom skipped into Bourbon Street where she proceeded to frolic up and down the steepest stairs in the history of the world a half dozen times, looking for a table, with Dad and me trudging like cattle behind her. Little did I know at the time that this was the start of my mom's Mini Marathon tradition. Dad and I finish the Mini and Mom meets us at the finish line. Then Mom, reveling in her temporary status as most agile and quick family member, sashays back to her vehicle, leading us on a route that requires my Dad and me to climb stairs, shimmy flag poles, turn cartwheels, base jump, and juggle a half dozen smiling gnomes named Pete. Mini Marathon day is the one day a year where my mom is the fastest member of the family and she makes sure to relish it.
But enough about past adventures, for now.
Sunday.
I am relatively new to Indianapolis (I've been here for about four years) and, up until now, most of my time has been spent working with youth. Needless to say, I don't know a lot of adults in the area. So one of my secret pleasures is when I go into a cafe or other business and bump into someone I know. Today that happened twice!
This morning, after taking Humphrey (my dog) for a walk with a friend and her dog, Teddy (who looks like a super cute Ewok), I ran into Henry's on East for a cup of coffee. As I walked in, I spotted my hair dresser, Cary, working at one of the tables. Like I said, I love bumping into people so spotting Cary was great! I not only left Henry's with a great cup of coffee and possibly the best muffin ever, but also with a much-needed hair appointment. Score!
I spent my afternoon at the Indianapolis Museum of Art with my mom, viewing the Read My Pins exhibit. The exhibit is wonderful and does an incredible job of humanizing Madeleine Albright, one of the most amazing women in political history (in my opinion). My mom cried at least once over a pin, but she also cries at the end of Fred Claus and Princess Diaries 2, so this is not a real measure of the emotional impact of the exhibit.
Once we were done touring the museum, Mom and I headed down towards the Nourish Cafe for a quick lunch of soup and citrus-infused water. On our way, we bumped into a friend from work and her partner - both on their way to see the pins exhibit. We chatted about various things, Mom issued a warning about pins making people cry, and then we went our separate ways. But again, I was super thrilled to have bumped into people I know. Let's hear it for the small things!
The rest of today is dedicated to homework and catching up on reading for school. Tomorrow morning I have a meeting with the organization I hope to work with for my Integrated Marketing and Communications in Health Care class and tomorrow evening I am meeting with my Campaigns team to map out our strategy for our semester project.
Overall, this weekend was a great first step towards reclaiming me. I spent time enjoying Indianapolis with friends and family, connected with new friends, reached out to old friends, worked in some exercise, and still had time to catch up on school work.
I'm not sure how other people spend their free time but this weekend was pretty much my idea of perfection.
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