Saturday, October 3, 2015

close encounters of the female kind

Martial arts conditioning class wasn't as good this week as last week's class.  Different people in the class, different moods, different dynamics.  Also, I was recovering from a migraine, so I tried to take it easy, which in the end proved to be futile.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It was still fun, don't get me wrong.  I laughed a lot, but not as much to make my abs ache.  And a two-day-Hurricane-Joaquin migraine had zapped my energy, leaving me barely able to train the full 90 minutes, even with lower weights and lower reps.

A few of us decided, as is becoming traditional these days, to go out to eat after.  Again, different people, different dynamics.  And, another chain restaurant.  Sigh, I used to eat so much better before I became single.  Before you start with the lectures about how every restaurant has at least one healthy option, I must remind you that not all ingredients are created equal.  I typically eat organic, grass-fed, hand-petted beef.  Not dropsy cows hauled off to the abattoir.  Most chains don't offer that.  But I was starving for food (and good company), so I ordered the antibiotic-riddled burger and hung out with my friends.  Which was entertaining and informative.  I heard from my German friend what Germans are actually saying about the migrants/refugees in Europe.  SPOILER: It's not what we hear on the news.

My burger was tasty, and I was able to substitute asparagus for french fries.  And a box to take home the other half I couldn't finish.  Not enough calories burned.  The waitress was pleasant and efficient but called everyone 'sweetie,' which reminded me of the South Park episode where they spoofed Hooters.  And right at the end, she somehow casually mentioned a double-shift and a 3 year old daughter.  Guess who got LARGE tips from all of us?  Did I mention my party was mostly women, and lesbians at that?

And speaking of lesbians, one brought her sister to class and to dinner.  And she came out to her about being gay as we were walking to our cars.  That was my first time being a part of that.  The sister was very supportive but said she already knew.  And the rest of us just made jokes to try to alleviate some of the awkwardness.

Everyone left except for one other woman and me.  And we chatted a bit in the parking lot, which turned into a serious heart to heart for almost two hours.  We had some personal shit to reconcile from years ago that we both (mainly me) had just glossed over.  A few cigarettes (her, not me) and some tears later, we had buried the hatchet.  I hope.  It was now past my bedtime.  She had tried to blow the smoke away from me, but I'm hypersensitive.  And some came my way.  Add in some emotional issues and a hurricane, and it was a recipe for the migraine to return.

I sped home and jumped in the shower instead of a long soak in the bath.  And right to bed.  I skipped the meds because it was borderline, and I thought maybe sleeping would abort it.  Dumbass.  I woke up in pain, took meds, let the cat out, got the ice pack, and went back to sleep for a couple hours.  That did the trick.  For now.  The hurricane is still right off the coast, so I'm not sure how long that will continue to affect me.  Luckily, it's Saturday, and I have no plans except to read and eat.  And maybe some pool time if I'm not too photophobic.  The weather outside is gorgeous.  You wouldn't even know a deadly storm lurked offshore.

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