Like a Walk in the Park in These Foolish Things

Had the loveliest, loveliest weekend, y’all. I seriously did NOT want it to end. I even stayed up a little late Sunday night watching Netflix just wishing for more weekend.

I guess it really started with Friday. I spent the day out of the office doing competitive shopping. I used to do that so much more than I do now it was so very nice to be out and about - even if the temps were sweltering and I was double masked. It was almost like old times. I even took myself to lunch at a fancy health food place and ordered a fancy, healthy lunch (and a beautifully chilled glass of rose) and sat outside. It felt like old times.

Ended the day by picking up Martini at her new doggy daycare (it’s also a dog training business so they have fantastic outdoor areas and trainers and she seems to love it) and then taking a walk through the park. Our park. Aaah.

As we walked, I said hello to many of the people we walked past, as is the normal routine. Some people send back a “hey”, some a smile, but for the most part, it’s a family-friendly place and people are at least somewhat neighborly and we acknowledge each other as we pass (except for the couple of people with the super aggressive mean-looking dogs!).

This time, one of the guys I’ve said hello to several times actually stopped to talk with me. He seems kind, speaks with a thick Italian accent, told me his name is Francesco, told me I was “very classy and elegant” and then asked if he could walk with me for a while.

Why not? I was already walking the dog, so there was no harm in him walking and talking with me, right? I was in a very open mood, so I said yes.

We had a nice conversation, but I could tell that there were ulterior motives once we were chatting and as we came back around the other side of the winding circular pathway and almost to my building, he asked for my phone number.

And that made me bristle a bit. Just not ready to give this guy my number.

I told him that I was sure we’d see each other walking again (and we actually DID the next evening), but I’m not sure I want to take it any further than maybe a walk together every now and then. Time will tell. Nice guy, but the vibes are slightly…not quite right.

Saturday morning I was up early and walked the dog around OUR park again, but I wanted to do something more with our walk on Saturday, so I’d previously spotted another stunning-looking park along the drive that’s halfway between home and Martini’s new doggy daycare. It’s actually a rose garden that’s open to the public, and I wanted to check it out.

It was already hot by the time we got there (approx. 9:30am and nine hundred and thirty thousand degrees) and though the rose garden was amazing and I know for sure I’ll go back time and time again to study all of the hundreds of types of roses they have growing there. Most of the roses seemed parched and I thought I was going to wilt along with them.

Found a shady path through some woods, though. There were other parts to this beautiful place. I will definitely be back when the sun is not so angry. Don’t forget, I’m a pasty-white redhead on chemo. The sun could literally kill me.

I spent the rest of Saturday kind of futzing around the apartment, getting some things ready to show my parents when they came to visit on Sunday.

Did some online shopping - ordered this dresser from Article, the same online furniture company where I purchased this sofa that I’ve had now for over a month and I just adore.

Took a nap. That was delicious.

And then there was another music festival on Saturday night in the neighborhood (Latin dance music every Saturday night in the month of August). It’s the last Saturday night festival of the summer, and that made me kind of sad - especially since I’ve been staying out of the crowds and remained super safe. It broke my heart not to have friends over to get in the middle of that crowd and to dance, dance, dance! Did you know that back in the day I used to go salsa and merengue dancing every weekend (and sometimes on Wednesday nights too!)? I got pretty good at it! So much fun.

Alas, being a cancer patient in the time of Covid is just not conducive to any kind of crowded situation.

So I walked the perimeter of the festival with the dog and then went home to listen and watch a bit longer on the balcony of the Treehouse until I couldn’t stay awake any longer.

Sunday morning came and I was up early because I wanted to go to the donut shop to get my brother and his family some treats. We’d planned for them to come visit early while it was still cool out so we could sit in the park and have a socially distanced visit and I know my niece goes nutso for donuts, so off to the donut shop with the dog in the car.

As I was pulling into the parking lot, a GIANT truck pulled into the lot as well. I’d read that there could be a long line at this particular shop, so I hurried a bit to make it inside before the cowboy beat me! I barely made it in there before him, but he was super polite and made sure to grab the door so he could hold it open for me.

I took my sweet time picking out a half-dozen. Not that i was trying to be slow…it just took me a minute to think about all of the parties involved in the day and what kind of donut or kolache each of them might like (was thinking of my parents too because I figured there would be leftovers after the morning picnic since I was getting several other goodies in addition to donuts).

Got all checked out and turned to leave, only to hear the cowboy ask for one glazed donut! I felt so bad for making the dude wait for me to pick out all of my goodies, but then again, there wasn’t even a line of people - it was just the two of us! No real biggie.

I left, not really thinking much about it, got to the car where Martini was waiting patiently (still early morning, sun not even really up yet, so not hot - don’t at me), put the top down, start to roll away and out of the corner of my eye I could see the cowboy eating that one damn donut over by his truck.

Now. In case you’re wondering, there’s a reason I’m telling you all of this, okay?

Got home and had time to give the dog a good walk around the park before bro and fam got here. So I put the treats upstairs in the Treehouse and then went back outside with the dog, and as we started our walk, who should come walking over but the cowboy and his dog!

He said, “And there’s the girl from the donut shop!”

Now how did that happen??

I mean, I think I’ve seen this guy walking the park before. I feel like I recognized him from weekend walks, but I didn’t recognize him at all at the donut shop! So we introduced our dogs and started talking. And walking!

Turns out, he has an office close to the park so he comes over to walk the dog in the mornings on the weekends and then goes to his office to work a little. He told me alllll about himself and asked me a lot about myself.

Told me his son was in medical school doing a lot of cancer research (unprompted!) and his daughter was preparing for law school and that his parents died within six weeks of each other (his mom had colon cancer - yikes - and dad was just brokenhearted).

I felt like he shared so much personal information in our short time together that I ended up telling him that I was in active cancer treatment so I understood about his mom and his son’s research. I don’t know if it was a good thing that I told him, but my brother called me right about that time to tell me that he was early, but the cowboy and I were on the other side of the park!

So we continued to talk while we walked back over to where my brother and niece were (turns out my SIL wasn’t able to join because she found out late that she had to work). And we told each other how nice it was to meet and that we’d probably see each other again on the weekends while walking our dogs…

And I truly hope that’s the case because we didn’t exchange numbers or anything.

But I suppose if we were meant to see each other again it will happen. After all, he knows where I live and he could potentially stalk my building. Haha. I hope this one does. I hope he comes to MY park and looks for me and we get to go for a walk again.

It’ll be rest and recovery weekend from chemo #11. I hope I feel good and am out and about, walking and talking!

Had a super nice visit with my brother and niece. I don’t see them too often as my brother, who is a teacher, is so concerned about passing Covid on to me or Mom or Dad. He’s exposed every day. In fact, he said that every single teacher in their school got a letter stating that they were exposed to Covid in the first week of school.

Don’t get me started.

Regardless, nice visit. My niece LOVED the donuts!

And then I had a visit with Mom and Dad later. They came to my apartment and I made them lunch. Then Mom got to take a little nap in my new bed (with Martini…they love each other) and Dad and I watched TV and talked about the hurricane.

It was a lovely Sunday. The great topper to the fantastic weekend. Do you see why I didn’t want it to end?

It’s now Wednesday morning. I have to get up out of this bed soon and get ready for Chemo #11. I am anxious as hell. It doesn’t get easier.

I want to go back to the weekend and walks in the park. I’m so glad we have a long one coming up.

Big Love,
GS