The Stuff that Weekends are Made of...

The weather has been unseasonable warm in Raleigh this weekend.  It is difficult to get my head wrapped around the coming holiday season when sitting out on the balcony in my bathing suit, evening up my tan this morning.

However, yesterday as I arrived at the gym, there was the distinct smell of Christmas tree in the air.  Perhaps Logan Trading Company has received their first shipment of trees for those early birds who can't wait to get their holiday decorations out of storage. The smell did jolt me back to reality. The season is upon us again.

I will be celebrating Thanksgiving in Ft. Lauderdale with my best buddy John and his partner Jay. I am heading down Monday afternoon to spend the week, hence my "too little, too late" attempt to make a few muscles at the gym this weekend. While I have been somewhat diligent in my workouts, I have not lifted any weights since before my trip to Asia.  I have been keeping the pre-holiday weight off by spinning, taking some core classes, and running. However, at almost 49, it doesn't take long for the little bit of bicep I have worked so hard for to shrivel down to my normal tooth pick sized arms. And, fashion in Ft. Lauderdale will not allow me to hide my lack of muscle tone under button down collar shirts.

So yesterday, I hit the weights and last night I hit the bars to give my drinking muscles a workout. What is it about the second shot of tequila that makes the third shot seem like such a good idea?  While this time I left the bar with my integrity intact, the early morning texts and phone calls reminded me that I am not yet ready for a week on the party circuit.

To punish myself for having so much fun last night, I made an extra large pot of coffee, had a nice long read on the porch as mentioned above, made myself a big greasy brunch, and curled up with Roxy on the sofa for a nap.  Upon waking, I went to the gym to make another muscle and to work out the stiffness from yesterday. Then headed to the pub to meet my friends Cathy and Arjay for Sunday Funday.

Yep, good weekend all around. I am ready. I have primed my liver. I am over packed.  I can't wait to see the palm trees and bathe in the warm breezes of South Florida.