Out Of The Blue

Do you ever have occasions when people whom you have not spoken to or thought of in years pop into your head??  As I was driving to the gym this morning, I started thinking about my former almost-mother-in-law for absolutely no reason that I can determine.  I was engaged to her older son while we were still in college, back shortly after the earth cooled; she and her husband were as kind and welcoming to me as they could possibly have been, but the relationship was not meant to be and fortunately, I realized it before we married.  The last time she and I spoke was in the fall of 1994, shortly after I broke off the engagement...it was entirely characteristic of Pam that she would have called to see if I was doing okay, even though I had just broken her son's heart!  We've had no contact whatsoever for the better part of 20 years now, but I still remember that thoughtful gesture and many others, and since the universe has brought her back to my mind, I hereby raise a figurative glass in her honor.

In more concrete news, my dreaded six-month followup mammogram was today and all clear.  (The 'dreading' part was the ouch factor, not so much a concern that something nasty was going on, but you never really know.)  Good news, for sure.  I even managed to squeeze in some gym time beforehand--I've made it a priority to get to the gym more often lately and I actually have a reasonably non-saggy butt for the first time in about a decade!  After the last taekwondo test, it was clear that I'd never get through the next one without a significant uptick in cardio endurance and upper body strength.  I learned to use two new machines at the gym this morning and am feeling quite proud of myself even though my triceps will HATE me by Friday, probably along with the rest of my body since two girlfriends have convinced me to try a Zumba class with them tomorrow night!  (God help me and my very Anglo, non-swiveling hips.)

Plans are proceeding apace for Saturday's fiesta (if you can call a St. Patrick's Day party a fiesta.)  There will be much cooking and cleaning to do between now and then, but the shopping and organizing are done, and that's the bigger hurdle for me.  Corned beef and colcannon and homemade soda bread and Bailey's-laden desserts...delicious!