Saturday I woke to cool temps and snow flurries -- a sharp contrast to other years that have been sunshine-filled and warm. Undeterred, however, Derek and I headed over to meet some friends for a run from the University of St. Thomas parking lot. I'm so happy to be healed enough to run again after my injury-filled past year. I've had a lot of ups and downs with running for a while now, but one of my short-term goals was always to be healthy enough by April 12 so I could run on my birthday. I'm still very much building back up and I'm nowhere near where I used to be in terms of running fitness, but it was a wonderful treat to myself to be able to get back down to the river, one of my favorite places to run.
I returned to my car after the run and had time to spare while waiting for Derek and another friend of ours to finish (they went 12 miles, as opposed to my 7). I tried to kill time by walking along the river, but it was a little too cold to be as enjoyable as a spring morning should be. Luckily, Derek runs much faster then I do and was back in no time, so we were back at home, warm, in no time.
Derek and I made a big breakfast after the run and sat around in sweats till about 1 or 2 p.m...beautiful! He gave me some great gifts, too, including some new sandals that will get plenty of use once it warms up, a wallet that will replace the tattered one I currently use and a coffee mug and stainless-steel thermos to replace the dented, leaky one I currently use (Thanks, D)! It really was the perfect morning.
Once I got around to getting dressed, we headed out for some shopping (thanks to Derek for coming along). I hit up one of my favorite local stores, Karma on Grand. This boutique has some of the best clothes around, and I have to plan wisely when I pay the store a visit because, without fail, I'll leave with several items if I don't go in with any specific ideas. I'm proud to say I left with only a pair of jeans, and they weren't even that expensive.
The evening was really a culmination of the day...and the perfect way to end it. We started with a sushi dinner at Sakura in St. Paul -- amazingly good as always -- and followed it up with a concert at the Fitzgerald Theater, the Red House Records 25th Anniversary show. The show's two acts -- Lucy Kaplansky and Storyhill -- were great. Both are folk acts and the show was just so soothing -- that's really the only way I can describe it. I'm a bit of a softie sometimes and Lucy Kaplansky's voice and lyrics kind of made me teary at points. To me, that's a sign of great music -- If I enjoy it enough and am that touched by it, I'm definitely going to remember it. The two-man act of Storyhill was equally great, as always...I've seen them four or so times within the past year, and this was one of the best. Their harmonies were crystal-clear and so pure-sounding. All in all, it was a great show, and I really enjoyed the change of pace from the other shows we've seen recently. I love a great show at First Ave., where the floor shakes with the rhythm of the music, but I also enjoy concerts where I can actually sit and see! The Fitzgerald is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues.
After the concert at the Fitz, we closed the night with some drinks with great friends at Dixie's on Grand, where Big Trouble was playing. Big Trouble's made up of some friends from my high school days at St. Paul Central. They provided the perfect soundtrack to some lively conversations with some great company. Thanks Derek, Alex, Dan, Kristi, Ande!
I realized I had about an hour left of my birthday and still hadn't had cake for the day, so I ordered a piece of delicious lemon butter cream cake, which the server graciously topped with a candle, and I was able to enjoy the birthday thing a little bit longer. It was truly a FANTASTIC evening and I had a wonderful time. Thanks to those who were able to celebrate with me and thanks to those who left me wonderful voicemails and sent emails -- you made my day and I can't wait to connect with you all!
One more thing: I was mad at myself for forgetting my camera so I didn't get to document the night as I would have liked. Luckily, Kristi has an iPhone (coolest thing I've seen in a long time) and snapped a few shots, including this one -- which is my favorite and makes me laugh out loud. Contrary to our expressions, which show looks of horror in response to something Alex was talking about, we really did enjoy ourselves. It doesn't matter what the conversation was about at this point...Anyone care to add a caption?
2 comments:
That is the best picture ever. Now I can't even remember what I was talking about.
It was so wonderful to celebrate your birthday with you, Tracy! We love you!
Hmmm, I can't remember what we were talking about here...but I am certain it was disturbing. Glad I made the blog!
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