In my early 20s, road trips were fun adventures with friends. They were often about the destination, but the drive itself always resulted in some good stories. In my mid-30s, I still enjoy road trips, and I enjoy them for the trip itself.
These last two weekends, I have had the opportunity to take road trips with some of my favorite people. Last week it was with members of my critique group, and then yesterday with C.
It’s dedicated conversation time, where no one feels like they should be doing something else, and it’s just a nice way to connect.
Archive for the ‘Friendship’ Category
In Praise of Road Trips
20
May
Your Money Friday: Keeping Down with the Joneses
16
Mar
This thread asks: Would you avoid spending money in order to not feel like a show off to friends, family, neighbors who are currently struggling? And if so, is there a difference between buying a new gadget that can be hidden away and renovating your kitchen, which is glaringly obvious?
I understand both sides of the argument, though I do not think we temper our spending based on what others might think. We save for what we need and then go buy it.
But our friends have always had diverse financial situations so it’s something we’re already used to navigating.
Merry Christmas
25
Dec
Was your household up early this morning, with kids running circles around the tree, excited by what Santa had brought them? Is your house filled with friends and family and a big dinner? Is it just another day? I’m curious.
There aren’t kids in our lives. We sleep late- not too late, though, because friends come over for Christmas dinner, around 2pm. We’ll open the presents sent by my family, and empty the stockings. (Nothing in the stockings will be a surprise for me because I’m the one who stuffs them.)
It will be relaxing, and it will be good.
Being Thankful 2011
24
Nov
Today I am thankful for the home I have made with my loving husband. I am thankful for our friends, also known as the family we choose, who bless our home with their presence. I am thankful for the food we have to share and the memories we create.
Life sometimes moves too fast, and it’s nice to slow down every once in a while and look around, to take a moment to smell the roses, as it were.
I said it last year, and I’ll say it again. 100 words isn’t really enough, but it will have to do.
Friendship
17
Aug
Friendships require work. This seems counterintuitive to everything I learned about friendship as a child. As a kid, you saw our friends every day at school or around the neighborhood. Friendship was something you fell into.
Adults don’t make friends as easily. They take time and effort- time to spend together, effort to get to know one another, to figure out where you fit in each other’s lives.
It feels exhausting. And yet, for me, at least, after an evening spent with a friend, life always seems so much better than it was that morning. Friendship is still worth it.
Sunday evenings
13
Jun
Only one Game of Thrones episode left in the season, and I’m kind of sad. Not sad that I won’t be sad from the depressingness of the show on Sunday evenings, but sad that our little end of weekend ritual with friends will be ending.
I’ve been really enjoying ending my weekend hanging out with people I care about, having dinner and talking. The show ended up being secondary to the event, at least for me. Maybe we can think of a way to continue the low key and relaxed get together, whether or not there’s something on the television
The rest of the world still exists
12
Jun
I should perhaps pay attention to what is going on in the world around me when I make plans. Saturday we had a plan to meet friends at our favorite restaurant for a late lunch. We left the house in plenty of time to make it up there. What I did not think about was that it is a weekend in June, and we would have to drive through the University District.
Apparently, it was graduation, and Cabinet member Secretary Sebelius was speaking. Traffic was terrible. “Luckily” our friends also had bad traffic, so they were running late as well.
Friends and Food
21
Apr
No Mythbusters entry until later this evening. Last night I went out and had a wonderful dinner with an amazing group of friends. We talked about dogs and books and computer games and food.
We took part in Seattle Restaurant Week (which this spring lasts 2 weeks), so we were able to go to a fancy restaurant, order off a special menu and pay a lower price than usual. Of course, we were at a fondue place and they don’t have the cheese fondue on their special menu, so we paid a little extra a got some of that to.
The world is not made of lists
01
Apr
One of the things about financial boards is that we are all Type A personalities (or close to it). We are planners, list makers, get things done now now now types of people. Its something we have to remember because most of the world is not like that, including many of our spouses.
This thread is about a spouse who doesn’t react to stress the way his Type A personality wife does, and its driving her crazy. Yes, there are financial issues and steps need to be taken, but we can’t force other people to think and act like us.
We’re in Libya
31
Mar
Have you ever stood up for a friend? When it wasn’t really your fight, but you were more capable of taking on the challenge? Because your friend had done the same thing for you? Is it wrong to stand up for your friends?
This may seem simplistic, and yet President Obama is being criticized for going in to Libya in order to aid our European allies. No, we weren’t directly at risk, but they were. And guess who has our back in other places around the world?
We have alliances for a reason. We can’t expect them to be one-sided.