This is the first Labor Day weekend I can remember that I actually enjoyed. It seems like every year I use these three days to catch up on work or schoolwork, which is of course the opposite of what the Labor movement would have wanted. This year I used my time more wisely and spent the weekend hanging out with Tim.
On Friday, we went over to Tim's friend Kurt's house and hung out to watch the Boise State - Michigan State game. My loyalties were divided, but it didn't matter much; it was a close game in which both teams played terribly. Even so, it was fun to get the football season started with friends, and we ate sushi (my second time to try it).
That night, we had a surprise visitor - a guy from the Couchsurfing website contacted us needing a place to stay. We never had many requests when we lived in Norman, but Boise is more of a tourist destination, so we've had a few people ask us for lodging in the coming weeks. We said yes, texted him, and met him a couple of hours later. His name is Jeremy, a former Army MP who was on his way on a cross-country bike trip from North Carolina to Oregon. He seemed pretty worn out, but he wanted to see Boise, so we took him downtown to get a drink and people-watch. He had some pretty funny stories to tell and was very nice (and didn't try to murder us in our beds). Plus he let us try his night vision goggles - they were awesome!
On Saturday, we took it pretty easy. I went downtown to the Boise Bicycle Project to do my volunteer orientation. It seems like it will be really fun. The purpose of the project is to refurbish used bicycles and hand them out to disadvantaged kids and adults in the community. They also do a lot of bike safety awareness, helping out at bike events, etc. It's a cause that means a lot to me personally, and I can't wait to get more involved. On Saturday, I learned a lot about bikes, although I can tell it will take a long time to become good at fixing them. I learned how to: remove and replace pedals, cut, thread and replace a chain, take apart the back gears and replace the carriage, and how to check chains, brakes, and tires for damage. They were such good teachers!
After fixing up my bike a little, I headed to the farmers' market where I realized that the ladies from the Somalian refugee farm stall recognize me (I love their lettuce) and scored a free bell pepper. Awesome! In the afternoon we took a little hike, and Saturday night was the first OU game. We were able to find the broadcast online, so Tim and I chilled out at home and watched the Sooners bring home a win (although it was by the skin of their teeth until the fourth quarter).
Yesterday was a packed day. In the morning we woke up early and headed to Ann Morrison park for the Spirit of Boise hot air balloon festival. It is already getting cold in the mornings here; we could see our breath and our hands and feet were numb. Despite the cold, though, the festival was amazing. I think hot air balloons are beautiful, and it was so cool to see them up close. Several took off right in front of us and flew overhead. After the balloons took off, they served free pancakes and coffee to everyone. I'm starting to really love this place.
In the afternoon, we drove out a ways outside of town with two of our new friends - Jacob, and John - to float the river. This means getting in an innertube and riding about two and a half hours down the freezing cold river back to Ann Morrison Park. I started out having fun for about the first hour, where the river was a little slower with just occasional fast or bumpy sections, but it got too intense for me - there were rapids, waterfalls, and sections of the river where you had to paddle through the current to avoid getting hit by tree branches and boulders. I am not good at paddling. I ended up cutting my foot on a rock, crashing into a tree, and freaking out until the end. I felt bad for the other guys, but I think they all still had fun, and at least I survived the experience.
Last night we went over to the house of Jacob and his girlfriend Robin, another new friend, for a barbecue. Bacon cheese jalapeno poppers are a divine gift. So delicious. Then we played Rummy for a couple of hours, which was great; I haven't played in years and it's one of my favorite games. It's so nice to have some friends now.
Today was another chill day. We didn't do much - just played video games, read books, and worked out at the apartment fitness center. We are really stepping up our workouts in training for Mt. Whitney. More on that tomorrow.
