Monday, September 12, 2016

252. Friends

The last few days have gotten me down. The tenor of the days have just been really annoying. It’s been a lot of irritating news. Whether it was politics, sports, environmental news, it’s just been really awful. And a boatload of unsolicited opinions via social media and internet comments doesn’t help anything.

I originally didn’t have much of a plan for Saturday. I wanted to go see the movie “Don’t Think Twice.” That was really my only plan. I did connect with my friend Joe. We made plans to grab dinner and beer on Saturday evening.

I headed over to Caffery’s Deli after leaving the movie. (Which is one of my favorite places.) I met Joe and we got sandwiches. We were going to grab beers, but we decided to head back to his apartment, grab some beers at the liquor store, and settle in for the evening watching soccer and college football. It was the best decision I’ve made in a while.

I don’t get much of a chance to waste away an evening while drinking too much anymore. Many of my friends are married, have kids, and there just isn’t time to  waste away an evening in a 12 pack of Summit or Grain Belt. That’s okay, but I do miss those nights. I was never much of a partier in college, so the

The thing I love about Joe is that we can talk about a variety of things: sports, politics, the messy intricacies of dating. We watched the Minnesota United lose to the New York Cosmos and then took in the Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee game. (During which Joe explained to me the nuances of SEC college football.) Around 11:30 or so, we made our way to the “Leaning Tower of Pizza” place right by his house. We got pizza, more beers, and cheesy bread. It was wonderful.

I like that we didn’t do anything, but it didn’t feel like wasted time. There are so many times in my life where I “fit things in.” It feels like I’m punching a clock with seeing my friends. It’s fine. We’re a busy culture. Time isn’t meant to be wasted. You’re supposed to get every ounce of utility out of every minute of the day.

I like those days that are planned. I like when you just kind of settle into things and make what you can out of it. I’ve watched a fair amount of television by myself. Usually I like it, but it’s also really nice to share it with a friend. Even if it’s a college football game that you don’t care about, it’s nice just to enjoy it with a beer along with some friends.

There’s a fine line between sloth and extreme productivity. I love those moments in between those things, where you know you’re just in a place where you need to be. After a long few days, it was nice to just settle in and not worry about anything in the future. I just enjoyed the company of a good friend who I hadn’t seen in a while

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