The birthday party was nice. It was "intimate" with just about a dozen people, including co-workers (my boss and his wife) and a small number of friends and acquaintances mainly from the biking community. Everyone loved the empanadas and guac that I made, and there were many compliments for my "cozy" house and my beautiful and well-behaved pup. It felt great to have folks in the house and share food and drink with them. It was far from a blow-out but a great chance to talk and bond with some folks I didn't know as well.
Even better, one of my friends/co-worker from the party invited me to go out today to a nearby mountain to go bouldering. I had never gone climbing outside before, and my friend is a relative newbie as well but we met up with two experienced kids who showed us routes we could actually do. There were a few moments where I was climbing 20 feet up (a very easy route) and I had to push through the fear. That high up, the crash pads we brought wouldn't help much and a fall could result in serious injury. The fear helped focus my mind on each foot and hand placement. I can't think of many times in my life where I am more mindful of my body and living completely in the present moment than that.
It was a great way to spend a day, out in the woods, hiking and talking, scoping out rocks, and sharing food and drink. It was quite cold and crisp out (for the South) with beautiful fall foliage for as far as the eye could see. It was remarkably peaceful and calming. I would definitely love to get out climbing in nature again.
There was a bit of weirdness at the end of the day, as my W had come by earlier and taken the dog out but was still out when I got back. Upon returning, rather than knock on the front door, she evidently slipped in the side gate to the backyard, let the dog in, hung up her leash on the gate, and then texted me after she left. I was sitting down to eat dinner when the dog, whom I thought was still out with her, came bounding in the ajar back door. I was actually wondering if the dog had been in the backyard the whole time and I had just missed her (there are bushes and a shed), and it was only when I saw the leash that I was sure that I hadn't. W texted 20 minutes later saying that she left the leash on the gate and that she had fun with the dog. I probably shouldn't have responded, but I did, saying that it was bizarre but that I'm glad she had fun. I didn't realize that we were still running the other way when we saw each other. It just seems a bit silly.
Regardless, it was a great weekend overall, maybe my best in the past three months. I have an IC appointment for the first time in a while later this week, and then can look forward to the 11 hour drive back to my parents' house for Thanksgiving the following week.
W 34 Me 42 Married 7 years together 8 0 kids 1 beloved dog BD 4/6/2018 I moved out 4/7/2018 I moved back in alone 8/05/2018 I file 3/06/2019 D official 5/7/2019
