On Tuesday I get out for a 5 mile run after work to relax. It is the first hot day in quite a while and the run goes well. As I'm finishing dressing from the post-run shower there is a knock at the door. It is Person K_K. We go have a nice dinner and relax. He eventually leaves at 1:30 am on Wednesday morning.
On Thursday morning I have a followup appointment with Dr. M to go over my recent blood test results. He likes what he sees. He gets excited and says, "You have to come and see my picture". So we walk over to his office and he shows me a picture of him standing next to the Stanley Cup when it was down in Seal Beach. I'm jealous. I may have pushed and shoved my way to the front of the line to touch the Stanley Cup in 1993, but Dr. M has a picture of himself with the Stanley Cup.
On Thursday I read through my diary from a year ago and realize how similar this July 4th weekend is going to be. Last year I had a sore throat, last year I had just started off with Person J_VKPI, and last year I did lot's of cycling. What is it about July 4th that makes me have a sore throat?
On Friday I get out for a good bicycle ride and then go rollerblading in the afternoon. Person K_K calls and heads for my place while I grab a cold shower to cool down. We head off and have tea and milk and cookies at a coffeehouse before we continue our discussions at home. After the discussions and other activities we are drifting off to sleep at 1:30 am on Saturday morning.
I get up ahead of Person K_K on Saturday morning and watch qualifying for the French Grand Prix. Later we have a nice lunch and go see Terminator 3. It has it's moments and it provides some reasonable entertainment. Person K_K is leaving for home at 3:45 pm on Saturday afternoon.
The sore throat continues but I get out for a brisk walk/run late in the afternoon when the heat has subsided. And then I'm headed for K-Town to pick up Person J_VKPI for some clubbing.
And the world is coming to an end! Person J_VKPI is on-time and waiting outside his apartment for me as I arrive. I am two minutes late because I stopped by the drugstore to buy some nasal spray. And had to avoid two homeless panhandlers at the entrance of the drugstore and one homeless person laying in the middle of the drugstore parking lot.
The crowd at this club is down a bit but I have a fun evening. The music is good and I am looking forward to the vacation. Person W_C is present, Person M_P is present ("My license was suspended because I had two accidents in my first year of driving"), and Person E_F walks in. I grab Person E_F's arm and won't let go until he agrees that we will talk later in the evening. Later Person E_F comes from behind and gives me a kiss on the side of the neck - it is time to go chat.
After making some idle chitchat with Person E_F and his friends, I tell him (as I've wanted to for a while), "I have the softest spot in my heart for you, for your smile, and for your cute little nose". This is met with a huge smile and I continue with, "I still have something for you from Phoenix. I'll get it for you shortly". Person E_F is surprised that I've been trucking his present around for two months. (It was May 6th that I was in Phoenix.) Later I walk back to the truck, get his present, and bring it back to him. He says, "Text me or call me and we'll talk".
I'm home in bed and dropping off to sleep just before 3am on Sunday morning. The alarm rings and I'm out the door for the Aquarium bicycle ride, shopping for clothes, watching the French Grand Prix, mowing and trimming the lawn, and giving Nopesterini a bath. Nopesterini is now really, really mad at me because besides using soap on him I used hair conditioner. And he's mad because hair conditioner is for sissies and not for vicious, killer dogs.
I later get out for a nice long walk, do the laundry, and start packing for the trip. Because I don't know what time it is now and because I don't know what time it is where I'll be traveling, I stay up late packing and chatting with friends. This will be two consecutive nights with very little sleep - I'll sleep on the airplane.