Friday February 13 2015

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Rising early to leave Richmond with my sweetheart at 7 a.m.

Gulping down a Marley Coffee Raw Protein Drink and eating Cacao Oatmeal Cookies. Ana takes the wheel.

During the drive our conversation is uppity and cheerful. I get reminded about wanting to transfer all these old cassette tapes to digital.

Me: "It's on my list of things to do."

Ana: "Your endless list of things to do!"

Me: "Yes! It is endless."

The sun blinds me from the side mirror.

Me: "Ah! The sun!"

Ana: "It's okay. Life's meant to hurt a little."

Ana drops me off at the dental school and goes off to a coffee shop until I'm done with my appointment. I'm receiving my last set of fillings today. John, my veteran student dentist, has a board examination coming up in March. He's asked me to be one of his guinea pigs so to speak. I'll have to come and spend the afternoon being looked at by numerous teachers grading him on fixing a lesion on my tooth. The plus side is I get a free cleaning, a free filling, a free lunch, and I get paid for it.

Ana picks me up and we go to Diversity Thrift like we always do. We can't not browse our favorite thrift store.

I made a reservation at Can Can Brasserie in Carytown for Ana and I to have a semi-classy lunch. It's a beautiful restaurant complete with a handcrafted zinc bar flown in from France – a French-style brasserie mind you. We order the Quiche Du Jour with a Salad, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Frites (the best French fries in Richmond according to our waitress). We won't be able to spend Valentine's Day together tomorrow so we're celebrating today. We raise our piping hot mugs of Paris Blueberry Tea and cling them together.

Ana: "Cheers!"

Me: "Cheers! Wait, you can't cheers tea."

"Happy Friday the 13^th!"

I had ordered a dozen roses to be delivered to the restaurant before we arrived. I even paid extra for a morning delivery before noon but no show. I try to stall us as long as possible hoping they'll show up but no luck. We leave and walk around in the freezing cold with the sunshine blinding our eyes – checking out a kitchenware store and a vintage antique shop.

We continue lingering around the busy streets of Carytown. Stepping into a chocolate shop that's packed full to the brim with people ordering their customized boxes of chocolate. Even if we wanted any it would take about 30 minutes till we got a truffle. Instead, we just enjoy the plethora of chocolates behind the glass, oo-la-la-ing every piece. We decide that our chocolate fix is satisfied just by looking. I get a call from Can Can that the roses finally showed up. I lie to Ana and tell her I left my keys there and that I'll be back. She's skeptical. I return with the long-awaited beauties. She smiles real big and with a glow in her eyes kisses me real sweet.

Ana: "Nobody's ever gotten me roses before."

Speaking of sweetness, we can't leave Richmond without indulging in a couple of donuts from the Sugar Shack – "Road Donuts" as we call them because we've gotta hit the road back to Virginia Beach. Inside the shop it's crowded to the brim.

Me: "It's like a party in here! Welcome to the party!"

Nobody seems amused – they're too focused on their donut desires.

On the drive back – Ana at the wheel again. I'm terribly sleepy. She listens to an Invisibilia podcast about entanglement while I take a powernap. An accident near the tunnel sets us back a little bit.

Soon after we get home it's time to go burn off all the lunch and donut calories at the gym. Working the elliptical, the row, and various core exercises.

Back at the house. Ana makes dinner for us: Black Beans, Onions, Broccoli, Carrots, and Quinoa.

I corral Kevin and Whitney in the living to partake in the newly established, "Film Fridays" showing the classic horror film from 1980, Friday the 13^th. Ana screams at every slasher part as if she's never seen a horror flick.

Sipping on Ginger Pear Tea.

Sleep 2:30 a.m.

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[i] Images by me.