Labor Day 2020 Recap

I think this was the first weekend I actually felt rested and ready for the week ahead after it.

After I got home Friday, I made myself a silly blended rum drink and sat on the porch with Nate to play cards. We ordered wings from Fox Brothers and spent the rest of the evening drinking and watching YouTube videos.

Saturday, I got up early to grocery shop. Nate and I worked out together and we headed over to hang out with Vince and Milly. We took a walk to check out the progress on the FedEx cup, got shushed by a caddy and then walked back to their place to make burgers.

I decided that I really wanted to try and recreate the burger from the Black Pig. I made mushroom duxelles and brought tomato jam, brie and everything needed to make garlic aioli. I cooked the burgers on the grill while the boys made the aioli and Milly tried her hand at riding the bike thing abandoned by their neighbor’s kids. (She found out it was very broken).

We made sweet potato fries in the air fryer, tossed together a sweet kale salad and enjoyed some of the best damn burgers ever with plenty of wine. After dinner we took a very long walk (we’re talking like five miles), to check out the neighborhood and see the goats. We slept VERY well that night.

Sunday Nate and I decided that we were going to finally check out the restaurant that Don has been working at for the last few weeks. It was the first restaurant we had been inside since February and it was a SUREAL experience. We knew that we were probably going to be the only people there and even so, when I walked up to the door, I hesitated before opening it thinking “are we really doing this?”

I hyped myself up and opened the door, Don greeted us and pointed us to the bar. We sat down and I was legitimately shaking. It was us and the staff and one other table of three in the far corner in the whole place. I was still shaking as we chatted with Don and ordered drinks. Caroline the bartender was lovely and helped put us at ease. After the first cocktail and spending some time talking to Don, we both started to feel a little better. It felt so painfully normal. Surreal but so normal and cathartic.

We spent over three hours there and we would have spent longer had we not had to go home and make nachos.

We ventured home feeling refreshed and better about live than we have in a long time. We prepped pork for Al Pastor Nachos and I made sugar cookies to decorate with Milly with royal icing.

Milly and Vince came over and we decorated the sugar cookies to sort of kind of look like beach balls. We cracked open that massive bottle of rose that Aly gave me for my birthday and sat on the porch talking and drinking and enjoying each other’s company. I made corn salad and a massive platter or nachos and we ate it outside in the absolutely PERFECT weather. After dinner, we watched some YouTube videos and chatted and Milly and Vince went home.

Nate and I cuddled up on the couch and hung out until Don came over after work to unwind and have the final glass of rose from that massive bottle. It’s been nice to grow that friendship. Him and Hannah have been a great addition to the circle of people we spend time with. More people who give energy instead of taking it.

Monday Nate and I relaxed in bed and just had a slow start to the morning. He made me the BEST chilaquiles with the leftover nachos. I cleaned up the apartment and got everything back in order after the weekend. I took some time to draw out my weekly spread in my bullet journal while Nate worked on some coding lessons. Then I worked out and read for a while on the porch in the sunshine. I delivered an after wedding survival kit to Aly and Nate and I reheated leftovers and watched some Chef’s Table.

I snuggled in bed to read and just overall felt SO peaceful and rested and happy after the long weekend. Life started to feel a little more normal. A little less all over the place and we got to spend lots of time with each other and people we love.

I was ready to go back to work this morning and I haven’t felt like that in a while. The three day weekend did me a lot of good and I feel like it’s going to lead to a lot more productivity.

Overall, this was one of those weekends that wasn’t super unique. Just good meals and good people, but it’s definitely a weekend I will remember.

The pandemic has changed a lot but it’s given us a lot and this weekend reminded me that I need to be thankful for everything that’s been given to me. I’m grateful for being able to appreciate more small things and I want to take that into 2021 and beyond.