a day in columbia

highlights include:

Realizing that I don't actually have an obsession with cleaning the kitchen... In fact, when I am not resenting someone else, or worried that someone will resent me if I don't, I have very little motivation to clean the kitchen at 9pm. I would rather read a book. Whoopee!

Eating ripe persimmons at the farmers' market this morning - an Asian variety that apparently doesn't need a frost to get sweet.

Laying on a blanket in the sun with Abbey and talking about the Enneagram, and the bizarre strategies that we have come up with for surviving in the world. Bizarre, though not abnormal as far as being human goes. Strategies such as giving things to others in hopes that they will then know what you need and want, and give that to you.

Eating stewed prunes with cinnamon and cream. OMG. yum.

Going to Gold's gym and running on the indoor track. I discovered that I have a VERY steady pace. And also that I would really like to buy those new-fangled "toe" shoes to run in cause I love to run barefoot. But it makes the bottoms of my feet hurt.

Abbey teaching me how to swim (in a salt-water pool)! For real swim. With goggles and a cap and a sporty one piece. I learned to keep my body straight like a long plank, and to let my upper body rotate, and let my elbows point towards the sky. It is a whole new world, and I'm excited to find myself a road bike and consider doing a triathlon. I didn't realize that the thing that was keeping me from doing one was not that I didn't have any interest, but rather that I didn't know how to swim!

Tomorrow we are driving out to Charleston to have an adventure. Abbey and Blake haven't been there, and I have never arrived there by land. I'll spend the night and take the bus back this way tomorrow. It has been so fun to be here visiting these dear friends. We have been eating like kings, and chatting like schoolgirls. Good times.