Spring Break in Cincinnati

Apr 21,

This past week was Bella’s spring break, and we let her go back to Cincinnati Wednesday to Sunday. We had no travel plans, and she had nothing to do here, nobody to hang out with, so we were happy to give her a few days to go back and see her friends. She was very excited to be there this weekend, as they had a freshman dance she could also attend. 

I drove her to the airport on Wednesday morning and then headed to work. Luckily she had no travel delays and  made it to Cincinnati with no issues. She was staying at her best friend Kaitlin’s house, but had lunch with abuelitos a couple of days. She also got her haircut and visited some of our favorite spots: Deweys, First Watch, and of course Coffee Emporium.

From the photos we got, and what she shared, the dance was fun. And I am sure that more than the dance itself, she had fun getting ready and hanging out with her friends. 

Leaving Cincinnati after visiting is always hard - it is even hard as an adult - but she was in a good mood when we picked her up at the airport. And we hope the trip will give her the energy and strength she needs to push through and finish the school year. School here ends later than in Cincinnati, so she still has 2 months to go.

Spring!

Apr 21,

This morning was a bit cold, but it was still a beautiful spring morning for a 4 mile walk with the girl around the neighborhood.

Pickle ball!

Apr 20,

My new acquisition, so we can now go multiple places - net available or not - to play pickle ball.

128th Boston Marathon

Apr 15,

This morning was the 128th Boston Marathon, and I was a volunteer. I hadn't even considered it as a possibility until someone at the Gillette running club suggested that we volunteered together and I thought it was a great idea. I can not run a full marathon, and even if I could I would not be fast enough for this one. So I figured that volunteering is one way to be part of it. 

I was supposed to volunteer with a co-worker who unfortunately got strep throat and could not go, but alone or not I was committed to going. Luckily I did a good job reading and following instructions, and got there on time and without issues. As volunteers we also got extremely lucky, as the weather was warm and beautiful. That was not the best for the runners though, as warm weather is not the best especially for a full marathon. 

We were Start Area Marshalls, which means that after the last wave of runners left, we were free to go. That gave me enough time to drive back to Newton, meet Lionel, and see the runners at about mile 17. Our Cincinnati real estate agent was running, and we got to see him and cheer him on. With the heat, he looked like he needed it. I also saw some people who I saw at the starting line, and one guy who I chatted with for a few minutes even recognized me and was happy to see me. I also got to cheer on people from several countries, including mine. And not to brag, but looked like Mexican runners were handling the heat just fine.

After the race we went to the neighbors house since they were having family and some friends over. I had originally thought that I would take a half a day off and work in the afternoon, but hanging out was much better - even if the work accumulated. And luckly I had set my out of office message to indicate I was out all day, so nobody was expecting me to be online anyway.

I don't know if I will volunteer again, because I am not sure I will get this lucky with the weather again, but I am glad I did it this year. While this was not part of my bucket list per se, it feels like being part of the Boston Marathon is a bucket list-type experience. 

Sunday. Fun day

Apr 14,

Today was a good day. First Kika and I walked 4 miles. Then Cheryl, Bella, and I tried to go to a museum but it was sold out, so we went straight to lunch by Fenway park. And then we went to the pickle ball court at work and played for a while  - also invited Mariana to join us so we could play doubles. The weather was not the best when we got there, as it started to rain, but it cleared up. Bella did not want to go to the museum anyway, but Cheryl and I did. So we will have to go back some other time. 

Happy Birthday Sofia

Apr 13,

Today my sweet Sofia turned 19 years old. It is wild to think that the is so grown up. It was also the first birthday that she spent without us, as she is away in college, but I still thought of her all day and wished her the best. I told her that I loved her when she was little, I love her now, and I will always love every version of her. 

12 miles

Apr 13,

Today was a perfect spring morning for a 12 mile run. I was actually supposed to run 10, leaving the longest run for next week, but I was feeling good and ended up with 12.