It’s a weekly roundup! Is that allowed? Am I betraying the trust of my loyal swathe of readers? I’d love to promise this won’t happen again, but I can’t do that. But I will try to keep it from becoming too normal. On to the week!
Saturday, April 16
Saturday was cocktail and writing day, felt very good. Smoked a couple too many in the process but hey we’re all going to the same place. Listened to a few records, hammered down a frew shaken margs, then met gf and her friends at a wine and schnitzel bar in the old city (pictured above and below) after they got back from the soccer game. Had a cordon bleu, a weinschorle (wine and sparkling water), and dipped when I was at my highest. Sometimes we just stay winning.
Sunday, April 17
Easter Sunday, the day I found out we all also had work off on Monday, and my mind couldn’t comprehend what was real. Friday off, and Monday? What, do they want us to actually start feeling things? A dangerous road for businesses country wide but I put up no protest. This Sunday was a typical Easter affair. Went to lunch with gfs family, had a little hair of the dog, if you will, some wild garlic soup and steak with aligot pureed potatoes with cheese. What’s that? Oh, no, come on, you already know I was not footing this bill. Went back to their place, did the Easter hunt with Vici’s nieces and nephew, and pretty much just moseyed about the apartment for the rest of the day. Hope you guys had a good Easter as well.
Monday, April 18
Frankfurt day! Went to the museum to look at dinosaur bones and exhibits of wildlife, as well as to the palm gardens where they sustain the life of plants gathered from all around the world and all different climes. And there was a butterfly house, which neither of us expected. Those things were landing on people left and right! Had some Thai food and headed back home.
Tuesday, April 19
Ladies and gentlemen, we got em. My job works with a federally funded bicycle program thing where you can pick up a dope bike for a huge discount and pay it off directly from your paycheck in super small increments. To which my response was: “small monthly payments on something I definitely can’t afford right now? I’m in.” So this Tuesday was bike day, and like the days of old, I opted for a mountain bike. I’m sure a lot of this is fantasy, but I would actually want to ride some trails and even do some rompy jumpy stuff in time. Although I gotta say, those E-bikes were looking soooooo nice. But maybe I’m already the curmudgeonly old man who thinks those things are cheating and if I can’t get around on the raw power of my own hamhock thighs then I’m not getting around at all, damn it. So, picked up this bad boy and now waiting for a new seat in the mail since the one you see here was like riding on a sharp metal spade facing upwards. Otherwise, very stoked to do a lot more riding and see some unknown corners of the villages and terrain around Mainz.
Wednesday, 4/20
Bruh. 4/20? Are you even asking me right now? Come on. You even gotta go asking me? Please. All that being said I did not smoke weed on this day. I actually spent most of it in recovery since Tuesday night was the first Tennis league practice of the season, but since the nets weren’t up yet, it was turned into a pure fitness training instead. Now, you may know I’ve been doing more cardio recently, but it’s been all low impact stuff: biking, rowing, incline walking etc. So when coach said two laps around the track as a warm up, I knew I was in trouble. It’s not so much the breathing or the heart, although obviously I still get gassed, but my damn legs!!! Every year I could almost cry dealing with them, if it’s not my calves feeling hard as rocks, or shin splints, it’s a completely fallen plantar fasciitis arch that feels like walking on a giant, permanent lego. I know, poor me. Poor little baby waby gets his legs hurt at the tennis practice he pays for boohoo. All I’m saying is, my heart and mind say go, but my legs often say no, and I’m kind of running out of answers. Except keep going until they explode or I do.
Thursday, April 21
Short weeks are awesome. Already Thursday? Insane. Wish I could say I did more than work (a few videos for in-app content of a productivity website), play some chess, eat some dinner and watch The Office, but that’s really it. Actually, I did go on a small bike ride to the river just to see what all this springfest business was about. They basically erected a carnival boardwalk on the river with rides and food stands and music. And Believe it or not, I am dumb enough to have gone there with my camera in my backpack but not take any pictures. You get the main vibe, though. Hoping to visit this weekend and indulge in some succulent sweets or juicy sausages since I’ve been a good boy all week diet wise.
Friday, April 22
Long day at work to make up for the short week I suppose. Had a chipotle rip off place for lunch which, though being pure mimicry, is still all I have and definitely solid. Afterwards just watched The Office with Vici since she finally wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and then spent a good amount of time putting together this roundup! Not a bad day. Although tomorrow, we’re going into Frankfurt again for a real thrasher, a real barn burner if you will. Obviously bringing the camera, I can only hope this party gets slimy and gross and awesome. First real official tennis practice before that as well, so it’s looking to be quite the day. Hoping to survive! If you’ve read through this whole week’s adventures, or even if you just peeped the photos and read a sentence here and there, I thank you! It’s surprisingly hard to maintain something like this every single day, and I haven’t been perfect, but seeing the small group of people interested is more than enough reward, even though I’ve said multiple times that this is for ME and I DON’T NEED YOU but please keep reading things can go south very fast if I don’t have the attention I need but DON’T PITY ME IDIOTS I’M BETTER THAN YOU.
See you tomorrow,
Nick
Nick Denardi 