Goosebumps

Last night I went ice skating. I took a sweater, because I knew it would be cold. But I didn't have goosebumps from the cold. I had them because there I was, re-discovering how much I love this sport. I swim and it lasts for about 4 laps. Um, that's not a reason to join a pool. But I can skate for an hour and even though I feel like I'm tired, I can keep on going. The session was supposed to end at 9:30 but 9:36 came and went. 9:42 came and went and I realized they were going to let the session go until 10pm. So I took a break, re-tightened my laces and kept going. That last fifteen minutes was me just skating my heart out. There were only about five other people on the ice at that point.

It was the perfect end to a wonderful Saturday. I work almost every Saturday and so when I have one off, I often feel like I'm back in that place where I worked 9-5 and all I did on the weekends was watch movies in my garret. Because all my friends know I work every Saturday, and most of my friends spend their weekends with their families.

So yesterday I spent the morning picking up trash in my 'hood. On the streets I know because I've lived in Highland Park and walked all around 'SLiberty for over ten years. The Home Depot guy stood up and said, "These are my roots. I have lived here my whole life and I bought the house I grew up in. So thank you for coming out to clean up my 'hood." And that's what I felt like. Like everyone was there to help me make my streets look nicer.

In the afternoon I did not buy a bike, but got a chance to be overwhelmed by all the choices out there. I was smart to take a friend with me. Then I got to go with my friend as he picked out what he was going to wear in a bit part in Michael Chabon's newest movie, "Mysteries of Pittsburgh" (He was the guy who wrote the book that became the movie "Wonder Boys.") So I got to spend my afternoon in my favorite places: thrift shops and a quick pop into the Joseph-Beth bookstore at the Southside Works.

So it was a perfect end to a wonderful Saturday as I skated fast to "I'll Fly Away" and "Our God is an Awesome God." (The evening was sponsored by the local Christian radio station.)