A perfect Saturday

As you may have gathered, I had a FANTASTIC Saturday.

The day had finally come. I'd found a home for Copper, my stray of the month, and they were coming to pick him up at 8 am. If you've read "the copper-topper," then you know that only a small part of me was looking forward to this moment, while rest of me was worried about seeing him go. It was short and sweet like pulling off a Band-aid, and before I knew it, he was gone. I went back to my Saturday morning cartoons (my normal Saturday morning activity) and prepared to move on. I proceeded to put my shoes on for the first time in a month without being pestered somebody "wookin' pa nub."

As Providence would have it, right as I was about to start feeling the void, it was time for me to hustle out the door to meet my Saturday morning running club. Running club is comprised of some of my newest friends, who are quickly becoming some of my favorite people in Nashville. We usually go run a few miles, then spend the rest of the morning having a nice family breakfast.

It was a nice run...good pace, sunny and not too cold. I spent much of breakfast listening to Steely Dan (a treat anytime, but it's perfect Saturday music) and discussing it with Paul, who is about 4 years my junior, a fine musician himself, and comes from central PA like me. To round things out nicely, my friend Melissa played us an excerpt from a Rachmaninoff piece on the piano. There are few things as beautiful as hearing something like that in person. I was slightly disappointed when she was too embarrassed/modest to go on, but was quite thankful for what I'd heard.

After running club, I went home and made a playlist on pandora using "through the fire & flames" by dragon force so that I would be able to clean my house with super-human capacity. It worked. My afternoon task was to prepare my house for a Christmas Movie Marathon that evening.

The movie marathon was comprised of many friends who I simply love being around. They helped me put up my tree, decorate it, and decorate my house as well. People were doing last-minute present wrapping on the floor, making presents in the kitchen, baking cookies in my oven, playing carols on my piano, and surrounding me with smiles. It was nothing special - we just watched movies and ordered some pizza - but it was special.

To put the cherry on top, we all jumped in cars and headed out to Opryland Hotel to see the Christmas lights...it's an annual Nashville tradition. I don't think I've missed a year since I moved here almost 10 years ago. I won't even try to describe it...just check it out if you haven't already.

It was certainly an action-packed Saturday, but the best part was spending it around good friends. That sounds so cliché, I know, but it really is so true.

To add "awesome" to "already awesome," my day was filled with so many proactive, healthy, energizing people/activities that I didn't even have a chance to dwell on missing Copper. Now he's in a happy new home playing with his new puppy brother, and I can enjoy the peace of having that weigh pleasantly on my conscience.

Anyway, be on the lookout for a blog coming soon on the importance of surrounding yourself with good friends and keeping it like that.

Just a little more than 3 days till Christmas!!!