Yay, hippies!

It's Monday already? I was hoping the weekend wouldn't end. Oh well, at least I'm off on Friday. It's my first full day off this year (we skipped right over MLK and President's Day) and as much as I like my job, it is definitely time for a break. Good Friday happens to land on Earth Day this year, and the only "problem" with that is it means that attending the lunchtime yoga under the arch event that day is much more inconvenient. I still might go because I miss yoga. I also miss dancing, but I think I always miss dancing if I'm not doing it every week. Maybe modern dance will be my next venture. I've never tried it, but for some reason, lately I'll hear a song and think "this could be perfect for modern dance." It's like interpretive dance with some ballet technique. I'll go ahead and pencil those things in somewhere between taiko, softball, and aerial arts. :-/

I digress. I meant to talk about the Earth Day Festival and other festivities at Forest Park and was side-tracked by dancing. There was plenty of dancing at the festival, though, too. We watched the belly dancers and danced to the raggae band. I wish I had worn my hippie skirt. I didn't even remember to wear anything with a peace sign on it! Oh wait, I was wearing something with a peace sign on it, but it wasn't visible. I guess that just proves my closet hippie status. The festival was surprisingly crowded, too, with "free spirits" and regular people alike.

Mick and I packed a picnic (his idea!) and we ate the sandwiches/snacks and drank the wine on a paddle boat (his idea again!). We also fed the ducks as they swam next to us. He made sandwiches with fake lunch meat because he's a vegetarian and that's all he had, but it was surprisingly good! My vegan/dancer co-worker has also been introducing me to some good alternatives to meat and dairy, and I'm slowly being converted. Now, I'm not saying I will be a full-blown vegetarian (how would I live without chicken?!), but it's not a bad idea to adopt some of those habits. In fact, I surprised myself and bought more vegetables than usual and light chocolate soy milk today (along with regular milk). It can't hurt.

After the paddle boats, he taught me how to play racquetball at the racquetball courts, we tossed around a frisbee, and we played catch to help me practice for Thursday's softball game. He bought a softball just for the ocassion (and let me keep it) and threw some pop flies and grounders. I'm still nervous about the game, but I'll probably do fine. Oh! And on the way home, we stopped by the carnival at Wash U. and rode a few rides. Carnival rides and wine should not be mixed. I wasn't feeling so great for the next half hour, but then I was fine. We were exhausted by the end of everything, but it was basically a perfect day.

It's official, I am smitten. I could go on and on, but I'll just say that he's adorable and he's pretty fond of me, too. We kind of make me sick. :-P (I know that sounds like an improper sentence, but if you think about it for a second it should make sense.) He actually makes me want to be a better person, and I never feel guilty or wrong for being a pretty good person already--I realize that second part shouldn't even make sense, but to me it does.

Which reminds me (because I almost forgot!), this morning I picked up my bike from what's his name's place, without having to see him. :-D And that, children, concludes the most tumultuous, confusing chapter of my life so far (2008-Now). I believe I'll call it "Growing Pains." Good riddance. Hopefully, this chapter will be something like "Graduation."